First Breath of America

Travelling has been my greatest passion since childhood, yet never before had I taken such a deep look beneath the surface of another culture as during my Rotary exchange in Texas in the summer of 2025. At the start of June, having completed my school exams early, I boarded a flight to Houston, full of anticipation about what the coming month would bring. After a long and tiring day in the air, I touched down at Houston Airport, where I was warmly greeted by my host family and three Rotarians. In that moment every worry I had been carrying simply melted away. Despite my overwhelming fatigue, I gazed out of the car window on the drive from the airport, happily absorbing my very first impressions of an entirely different continent.