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.