Melissa in Thailand

‘Twas the night before departure, and all throughout the land
Next years exchange students with plane tickets in hand
they said their farewells, and hugged everyone goodbye
not knowing of the crazy adventures in front of them that lie…

A room full of memories all packed in a hurry that night,
“Hey Mom, can you sit on this for me while I zip up it tight?”
Visions of faraway places and foreign lands they dream
It’s all fiction until tomorrow, when their planes will leave

Half way across the world their new friends awake
they don’t know it yet, but he/she will be their best mate
their dreams continue, all exciting and stoked
little do they know, this time next year they’ll be broke

The moon gives way, for the bright sun the next day
they wake up to reality, for today is the day
A day of tears, fears, and many make-up smears
A day of joy, adventure, and a little maturity I might add
I love you so much, I’ll miss you Dad.
“Hey Mom, who’s gonna do my laundry?”
“Just kidding, I’ll miss you real bad.”
“Hey Sis, I took your favorite dress (hehe)… no I
didn’t, but I wanted to real bad. I guess I never said this,
but I love you to death.”

The tears trickled through, but the excitement prevailed
All proud and adventurous, as my moms arms “flailed” goodbye
I never thought I’d miss them so much until they weren’t by my side
The plane took off, and the flight attendant brought drinks,
A little turbulence got me nervous, but I’m ok, I think…

The flight continued, and in their dictionaries they looked
Actually, this was the first time they had ever opened this book
“How do I say ‘Hi’? ‘Goodbye’? What if I need do to go the bathroom?
I don’t know!” The fear inside them began to grow.
Another night passed, and thus another day
They are all needles in a hay stack, special in their own way.
The flight attendant woke them all up, “hey lady, I don’t want any orange juice,
why did you have to wake me up?” They say…
A great way to start off such an important day

A smooth landing and they were there at last
about to meet their new host families, not knowing
their year would go by real fast
A big smile, and some good-old morning breath
“I can’t wait to take a shower, I hope they have one, I wept”

A new culture, a new family, a new language and land
“Anything else? … I don’t even recognize the sand”
“Where am I, who are you, how do I say… and what’s this?
I feel really lonely, I can’t stop thinking about everybody I miss.”
“I wonder what my friends are doing right now, what happened
at the party, and who kissed.”

The story continues on, for about a nine months to a year
The adventure has just started, and the end doesn’t seem near.
Their days pass, and their friendships grow, “leaving my new home
is the toughest part… I wish I had known.”
Their eyes are wide, they’re flaunting overwhelming smiles alike
I hope mom and dad don’t mind my new tattoo, curfew, study habits, and insight
I’ve changed a little bit, gotten out on my own, you know
I’ve lived by my own rules for a year, I thought you should know
It just won’t be like it was before my friends
I’m lost in my own paradise, I no longer need your advice.
Hey, what’s up? Not much I say.
If I told you, you wouldn’t understand, anyway

The sun sets, and back in their own beds they lay
A year of their life, well worth the extended stay
So many stories, and so much to tell
The experience of a lifetime, “I went through heaven and hell
I can’t say it was easy, and I can’t say I loved every minute
But I grew a lot, I learned a new language, and no that’s not it
sometimes I like to keep it to myself, that way I don’t ruin it.”