At our District Conference, Andra led a Friendship Exchange Plenary Session today. She did a great job, explaining the program. The photos were beautifully representative. The audience was attentive. Then she publicly asked me to name my favorite experience. Well, I flubbed it. I panicked. I couldn’t think.
So to set the record straight, to give you the down and dirty, here is what I wish I had said:
We visited fabulous manor houses. We saw beautiful gardens. I drank all varieties of English ale. I celebrated my birthday at a pub and played skittles. I ate some fabulous food. But my favorite experience? It wasn’t really any of those things.
It was the friendships I made and how they evolved. Sharing intimate daily details of life over coffee and breakfast. Being welcomed into a stranger’s household and made to feel like family. Getting to know the household animals. Meeting the family. Watching videos and listening to music with my host on a rainy afternoon when I was too pooped for anything else. Learning about the hosts’ gardens that were planted with such love. Being allowed to participate in the household chores and duties. Walking through the meadows in the village.
That’s what the Friendship Exchange Program is about. You don’t stay in hotels and deal with concierges. For a short time, you become a part of the household and get immersed in your hosts’ lives.
And that is what I wish I had said. If I hadn’t panicked.
Tags: rotary district, Rotary District 7770, rotary district 7770 conference, Rotary Friendship Exchange
March 20, 2011 at 4:26 pm |
I knew that’s what you meant…:)
March 20, 2011 at 5:50 pm |
You are being kind. Thank you!