Masuk Free Press

Monroe, Connecticut, is 3,928 miles away from Nice, France. Now think about this, 3,928 miles away from everything familiar. Every aspect of life changes, the culture, language, and people. But for a 17 year old traveling by herself, Kira Vido has been making the most of her ten month exchange program. 

“I’ve been here for nearly four months already, and these were the quickest four months of my life. They were full of activities, fun, joy, and laughter… I’ve never, even once, regretted my decision so far,” stated Vido. 

Vido was born in Szombathely, Hungary, and moved to continue her life in Nice, France. 

“Being an exchange student is a once in a lifetime experience and opportunity to discover new cultures, perspectives, traditions and customs. It’s a way to meet new people, create some fantastic friendships all across the ocean. It is indeed a hard choice because, yes we leave behind our family, our friends, sometimes ourselves, basically everything that we’ve been building up for years and we step into the unknown.”

Vido has learned to find balance in her homesickness and excitement. Weighing out the pros and cons of her exchange program.  

“Leaving family behind is hard, it really is. I thought to myself it’s just 10 months of a lifetime, it’s now or never. I can build my autonomy and gain experience, I will see my family again but I’ll never be again in an American high school enjoying my teenage years…I’ve always wanted to do as much as I could, no matter what I was doing, how weird or dangerous it was. Everything creates memories, and it allows me to think that I did live, I made the most out of everything…” she said.

Cultures are different all over the world, and Vido is exploring what it’s like to be an American student.

“In France, we don’t have access to guidance counselors, psychologists. There is no one whose job is to listen to students talk about their health, whether it’s mental or physical,” Vido said. “Schools do not organize any social events like prom, homecoming, bonfires, spirit weeks, senior skip day…we don’t really get the chance to enjoy our teenage years, because of the intensity and huge amount of work high schools require.”

The age of adolescence is an important time for self discovery. 

“I miss my friends and my family, yes, but the…people here are amazing, I’ve met some fantastic people, whether on sports teams, in classes, or just by randomly talking to people on the streets, and it’s just so enjoyable. I will definitely miss American high schools and the way they work, I will miss social events, sports, people, fun and original courses,” she said.

Kira Vido’s leap of faith should inspire many to follow in her footsteps. Exploring yourself, as well as other cultures is important in order to provide an adequate view of the world.