"It is awkward not being the foreign kid anymore , at home no one cares about us being exchange students. For a month they comment on it but our awesome stories are forgotten to them, we fade with all the other kids at school. Family gatherings brings it up sometimes or the curious teacher, but our eventful life is forgotten to everyone, except to us. The life we have lived from the day we returned, influenced by our host country, with our self esteem boosted, confidence better, humor worldly, and all barriers broken. They may not see it but we will always be exchange students, kids who actually grew up and saw the world."

My friend posted this as her status a few days ago and ever since I read it I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I think this will sum up how I feel about my exchange year for the rest of my life. I also realised how every ex exchange student I met must feel. Especially mentoring us at every camp or meeting us at school. Knowing we were experiencing what they got too and having that immidiate connection which makes us friends. We become a little community scattered across the world that have so much in common but in reality had experiences that were nothing alike.

This lækker pige has been home for over a month now and my english spelling and grammar has not improved one bit. I was welcomed back into the arms of my friends and family and everything has been lovely. I settled in and to everyone (including myself) it was like I never even left. This is good which obviously means I haven't changed into a monster people hate though I find it a bit unsettling since I have changed over the year but I guess no matter what you always fall into old habbits. I've just put it down to not having had the opportunity to show how I've changed. I enjoy being able to participate in family arguments and to just really let me be my complete self again.

My Australian summer has lived up to it's expectations! I've spent a week away with my family and some family friends and received my sun dosage to last the year. I've had my Aussie Christmas, New Year and now I'm only a few days away from starting Yr 11. I've started driving, applied for a job, started baby sitting again, gotten back into reading books, I sing in the car again, dropped those extra kilos I gained, enjoyed the company of friends and I love nothing more than sleeping in my own bed :'D Nothing to complain about at all really!

Home is where your heart is but I think of Denmark every day and a little piece of my heart has been left there (Cliche, I'm sorry) . The photos in my room, the massive flag hanging on my wall, every song (good and bad *cough* KIDD) on my Ipod, the exchange students on facebook, the presents I wear every day from my Danish families. Everyday I think about it and I miss it. I miss hearing the odd language surrounding me, I even miss feeling like the awkward penguin at school. I miss the friends who I now can't see unless I take a casual trip to the United States. Still, all of this gives me happy memories and it is something I can always hold onto. Denmark is the private world that no one here can touch.

When that status says "no one cares" in a way I think they're wrong. Of course people care, maybe we just don't find it genuine. I think people just don't know what questions to ask or we think they aren't asking the right questions. They might also be afraid that they might trigger an emotional break down and it could just be safer not to ask anything at all. Maybe. Not sure though. All this aside, I do believe that we will fade into just another face but that's ok. Somehow. If anything, I will always be happy to talk about it.

Questions people ask have just been normal. I haven't really been asked anything crazy which I found a bit surprising. What I expect to be asked I'm not quite sure. "Now Alex, how did you really react when you fell flat on your ass in those communal showers?" Not that. I thought more people would ask about Aske but maybe they really are afraid I will start crying in front of them. I won't I promse! All I can say is long distance is a b**** and I have great respect for any person who has tried to or managed to maintain a relationship from opposite sides of the world. It really is a pickle sometimes but worth it. Life isn't easy man.

Now I'm a happy girl who is excited about this year. As I said, I'm starting year 11 ( som 2g) and in less than two years I'll be finished with High School. Actually, I think I'm excited just because we get to use the microwaves now. WOO! Seniors biaatcches.

Now having seen parts of the world I guess I've figured out what I want to do; or what I want to see. My 16 year old plan is to finish school, go to Uni to study journalism and as soon as I'm finished i'm going to travel the world for at least a year. This is my plan and I really hope I stick too it.

Anyway this blog is all over the place and probably not that interesting.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that no one ever thinks about what things will be like once you're home. There aren't easy ways to express yourself and (this might just be me) sometimes you do just get upset thinking about it. I will forever get a smile on my face when someone from Denmark sends me a message or when an exchange student says hello no matter how frequent the messages are. I will always get excited hearing a reference to Denmark or even Norway and Sweden. I will forever hold on to what can keep a connection between me and my second life.

I'm not the person I was when I left but in many ways I am. Maybe we won't be as close as when I left but maybe we'll be closer. Maybe we'll now have more things in common than before. In any case, my name is Alexandra Skelton, I'm 16 years old and I've been an exchange student in Denmark.

På gensyn venner, du er for evigt i mit hjerte og tanker.

It's good to be back Austraya, can't wait to see you all again.