"Hungary?" I looked at my school headmaster in confusion. "I never mentioned wanting to go to Hungary." And with that, my adventure started.
My name is Jonathan Diamond and I just finished an amazing exchange year in Hungary.
Going on an exchange had always been my dream. When my high school offered an all-year program, I jumped at the opportunity. It would pay for almost everything and all I had to do was get a plane ticket. I knew where I wanted to go: Spain, the country of dancers wearing flowing red dresses. So when I heard that I was going to Hungary, I was pretty shocked. But I decided to make the best of it, since it was, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Before I knew it, I was on the airplane, leaving for Budapest International Airport, Hungary.
I had times when I almost gave up. Hungarian is the hardest language on the planet. Cultural differences occasionally embarrassed both my peer teens and me. I had to give up eating carrots, my beautiful favorite, for they think carrots are rubbish in their country. The change in the landscape was amazing, looking nothing like skyscrapers, bullet trains, cars, and people in tiny houses that I had been accustomed to. Gradually, I fell in love with the relaxing lifestyle, the warm-hearted people, and getting home at 2：30 p. m. at the latest from school. And I was sad to leave on my very last day.
Having the host family who took me as one of their own members was the best thing I have ever experienced. From my little sisters, I learned how to embrace life to its fullest. From my brothers I learned that it's OK for a boy to run around the house. From my host parents I learned to stay positive, to smile, and that when you pick the right persons and take their hands, suddenly, you become friends.
