Polar Bear Swim!!

I DID IT!!
i was so nervous, i went up and registered with Geordon and Goktug, i then walked over and had a look at where i would soon be jumping into the frozen river. the river is St Marys river and it joins Canada and the States together. i was then interviewed by a local from the newspaper, he asked many questions and i told him how i have never done anything like this before, and what an experience and memory i was going to have. the temperature was at about -14 deg with really strong winds, i wore my Aussie board shorts and a T-shirt, Tracey and Charles had made with the Australia flag on back and front. it was defiantly freezing, once i had got changed out of everything warm we went to the Sauna where we stayed for about 20mins then slowly lined up to start, before we knew it, it was our turn we started running through the freezing cold winds and snow and then we jumped into the hole, i sort of forgot what i was doing, and when it hit me, that i was in a frozen river i jumped out, i couldn't feel my legs and didn't no if i was running or not, as my legs were numb, we ran to the hot tub where we stayed for a few mins then we ran up to the sauna again and stayed there for about 15 mins. when we came out, i felt great and wasn't even cold, we went and got a photo with Bon Soo and then the temperature hit me, so i quickly went and changed. i then went and received my certificate for participating and they told me that i won the person that did it from furthest away and i would receive a medal and my article was going to be published in the newspaper, i was so excited and so glad i did it. i was actually proud of myself that i did it. the next day i brought a few copies of the paper and my article is on the front page, i receive my medal in a few days and im excited to have something that i will always have to remember the experience, the memory will defiantly last a life time, im so glad i decided to do it, and i have been told im a true Canadian now and apparently i had a massive smile on my face the entire time haha, it will defiantly a big highlight of my exchange year, and i thank the people who supported me and changed my decision to do so. <3

Officially finished my First week Of Canadian High School

i went to my first school basketball game, which was my school Superior Heights vs Korah, superior heights won, it was really cool to watch. my host mum and i have been trying to go down to the bum slides at the Bon Soo Carnival but because it has been so mild it has been closed. we finally got there on Friday the 10th and it was alot of fun, and really fast, we took some pictures then went home. i finished my first week of Canadian High School, today in foods we baked choc chip cookies, we should have left them in for a bit longer though as they were still a bit gooey, but thats okay as i was able to become closer with people in my group. in Gym class i had a great big chat with my teacher shes so nice and even wrote me a note to get out of my next class so i could come to the gym and watch an international basketball game of our school vs a team from the States, it was so cool to see and the players were really good. the weather has turned cold again and today it has been about -12 deg, but that was a good thing as the bum slides were re opened and that was something i really wanted to do. at school i brought some track pants and a jumper with my schools name and team on it, as i thought that would be something cool to bring back home and because they were on special :) the last few days Sara and i have been talking in Aussie, as apparently i say i reckon, and mate, and oi alot so we having been talking like that to each other, its been really funny. well thats about all i have for now, i will write about the polar bear swim and that experience tomorrow as im pretty sure im doing it, i will try and get some photos as well so you can get an idea of what it was really like. thanks for reading, ill write again soon, Laura.xx

The beginning of February

The past week i have been very homesick, its been hard with a lot of tears. i think the birth of my beautiful nephew really made me think of home. but i skyped with all the family and face booked them a fair bit, and i think hearing from my brothers that everything will still be there when i get back, and that im not missing out on anything really made me realise, this is a once a life time opportunity and im going to live it the best i can. i have become more myself with this in mind the last few days and it has really made a difference. i went tobogganing with Geordon an outbound and Goktug and Kana other inbounds, we only went to a small snow hill near by as it was the first time, it was alot of fun and theres is a really big hill called Finn hill and my host family is going to take me to toboggan down that so thats exciting. the next day i went to a restaurant called wacky wings with Geordon and Goktug and some friends of Geordons from school, so i was able to meet some new people that night i also went to one of Geordons friends houses with everyone as they were celebrating the end of semester, we had a bomb fire and it was still so freezing, by the end of the night i had someone else's jacket, mittens and sleeping bag on, then we went inside so i could defrost. February 3rd i went to the Bon Soo opening night with my host mum and her friend, as her daughter was dancing in the concert, Bon Soo is the largest winter carnival in  Northern Ontario, it goes for about 10 days with heaps of different activities and things to do. ive been to the mall and down some more shopping, i went to a popular Canadian store called roots and brought some more clothing. Feb 5th i walked down to the Bon Soo carnival to take some photos and see what was happening, theres snow bum slides, snow sculptures, snow shoeing and heaps more, it looks like a lot of fun. when i got home i heard this big bang, as i was the only one home i wasn't sure what to do, i thought someone could have been breaking in so i slowly came out of my room peaked around the corner and looked out the window i could see and one or anything, so i came back to my room. a few minutes later Tracey came home and she asked me if i heard a big bang, i said yes, i thought someone was breaking in, she laughed and said we probably should have told you thats what it sounds like when the snow falls off the roof. Feb 6th i started school, school is really different but i like it alot, i have the same teacher for foods and parenting she is so nice and really welcomed me, my gym class is alot of fun, im glad i choose it the people are really nice and so is the teacher. my cosmetology class, the course its self sounds so cool and i really want to do it but the teacher is really rude and i am shocked with some of the things she says. on the second day of this class she kept saying how selfish teens are if they work more then once a week and how teenagers don't no anything, i stood up for myself today and told the class my story, how i worked plus went to school, graduated and am funding my whole exchange myself, i think she was really shocked and after i had told her she became less once sided about everything, so hopefully things get better. on wednesday my host sister and i got up early as Sara is in the school Badminton team and they practise before school starts, so i went with her to watch and her coach asked me if i was interested in playing, so i think im going to give that a go for  something different. ive been to another Rotary meeting, and they really want me to do the polar bear swim which is when you run and jump into a whole in the ice into the freezing cold water, its part of the Bon Soo carnival, at first i really didn't want to do it but i have thought about it, and watched some youtube videos so we will see.

Lake Superior

                                                               Soo Greyhounds

7 days later

I cant believe i have been here for a whole week already, time is deffinently going fast. im having such an amazing time already. ive been to a rotary meeting and meet some really nice people, it was interesting to see how there meetings are different to the ones i went to back home. i was lucky enough to get the chance to be driven in and around town by someone who knows the area very well, so that was great to hear so many things that i never knew before, i got to go to an edge of lake superior and got my photo taken then ran back to the car before i got frost bite. ive been to where i will attend school meet with some of my host sisters friends who are really nice. i meet with the guidance counsellor where i got my classes i will do grade 10 foods, grade 11 cosmetology and parenting and grade 12 gym, so that will be interesting and gives me the chance to meet a lot more people. ive been shopping and got some more clothes ones that will be suitable for this weather. i had the chance to go to a hockey game the Soo Greyhounds which the players are hoping to be drafted for the NHL so that was really cool i liked that alot, i also went to another ice hockey game the North Stars and that was pretty cool also, lots of fun. ive tried many different type of foods and myself and my host family are finding many words that we say different which is interesting as both countries speak the same language. with 7 days up ive had a great time, and have seen alot, ive also been catching up on sleep as im still so tired from the trip over here. ill write again soon :) xx

When it all begins

So i left Australia on Saturday 21st of January, to find myself on the way for the best year of my life. i flew from Sydney, where i almost left my passport money and basically my life at customs after my braclet flew into the customs area, but lucky an officer called out to me and asked if i would be needing this, then we had a struggle finding the correct gate to fly to Auckland we got on the plane and could not find our seat anywhere, we asked denise and turns out we were standing right next to it, then an 11.5 hour flight to LA as we landed the plane lost power so we had to wait to be towed so we could get out, kinda scary, once we were out of the plane we got to go to a Hotel where we spent a few hours, we then flew to Vancouver, we got lost in the airport and had this officer come up to us and ask why we were going the way we were going, she then told us where to go, we had to get a Canadian Visa when we got to customs they were filming a movie we waited about 20 mins before someone came over to us by this time we had an hour and a half until our next flight left, the officer deffinently took her time in coming back with the visas we were freaking out as we now had half an hour to get to our flight, we then realised we had our bags and they hadn't been checked in so we had to run through the airport to get that done then run to the gate, but we made it with time to catch our breath and talk to these Canadians who thought our accents where quite strange, we then flew to Toronto, this is where i said bye to Lourissa and Veronica and was all alone, with a 4 hour stop over, this is when i discovered how amazing Tim Hortons was which is like a little cafe shop, really good :) i then found my way through the airport and to my next gate. then i saw all of these people out side with all these really thick coats and hats and scarfs and big boots, i then realised my t shirt and canvas shoes were not going to be suitable the minute i stepped out on the gate, they described the temperature as below freezing, i had many thoughts running through my mind and the major one was that i don't think there is one thing in my suitcase that im going to be able to wear. i made it to the very small plane and was freaking out that we would not make it, of course i was next to the door and the person that goes through all the safety routines asked if i agreed to sit next to the door and showed what to do in case of an emergency, i said yeah i think so and the whole plane laughed and said so do we, as the plane started i was sitting next to this girl, who became my exit buddy, she knew all about where i was going and we had a great chat basically everyone on the plane found out about me and we were all talking, as we were flying over Lake Superior i thought i should really read the instructions on how to get this door open, with the noise of the plane i wouldn't even be able to hear them announce to me to open it, i had planned with the girl next to me about our exit strategy. that took the whole 1.5 hour flight until we finally landed where they announce that it was -3 degrees everyone on the plane thought it was so funny that i was not wearing one thing that would keep me warm, they described to me how to walk on the ice as i got off the plane so that i would not fall as my shoes had no grip at all, i finally got into the airport and was meet by Rotary people and my host family, they had mittens for me which were put on straight away and a Canadian flag, we talked about how i have realised i don't have any clothes suitable and we planned to go and get some in a few days and that -3 is not even cold compared to what its ment to be, we got to the car and i saw all the snow and thought of what an amazing time i am going to have for the next year. driving to the house on the wrong side of the road is deffinently something that is going to take some time to get used to :) xx