It takes bravery, curiosity and an open mind to venture out and stay almost a year in a whole new world. Imagine being surrounded by strangers who at most could speak broken English, being completely immersed in a different atmosphere. That is exactly how Antioch Community High School student Claire Roeker lived for ten months.

And she loved it.

Too eager to sleep and just days before her departure, Roeker recalls listening to “Ocean of Light,” a song written by a Korean music group. In the midst of it all, it hit her: she would be leaving her familiar hometown for Thailand.

“I was definitely a little nervous. This was my first time flying far, being away from my parents for a very long period of time… it was a little nerve-wracking,” Roeker said.

Upon arrival, Roeker began to miss her family and back home.

“There was a time when I got to the Korean airport and I was taking pictures of this one cafe and I suddenly heard a voice nearby that sound- ed just like my sister that’s when I almost had a breakdown.” she said.

But it only took stepping outside to change her mind. She went from being excited, then apprehensive, to as Roeker explains, “the best time of my life.”

She described the first week as “magical,” and she was completely taken back by the beautiful country and it’s culture. Everything was new and exciting from her point of view. Roeker felt the second week was a little different, however.

“‘Culture Shock’ hits. And it hits you hard,” Roeker said. “You don’t really know what to do anymore, because you are at a standstill, especially if you didn’t really learn the language before you left you can’t go anywhere by your- self.”

When she did go out by herself, she hoped others could communicate with her through hand gestures and their broken English. Language was the biggest pressure and difficulty, and Roeker stressed that anyone who does do exchange, to learn some what of the language. She said you connect more with those around you, as well as make friends; it also helps when you need to simply ask questions to citizens.

“You need to know the basics,” she said. that “stuck in the mud” feeling goes on for three months, and the basis can pull you out of it.

After adjusting to the new atmosphere, Roeker was set. She fell in love with every aspect of the country, and even claimed it changed her outlook on herself as well as life. While in Thailand she came home with tattoos and piercings, stating she was “more adventurous” during her time there. She also came home with a new, more positive attitude. She began to see how beautiful and diverse life truly was.

One of Roeker’s most vivid memories was walking the streets of Thailand. There were rows of vendors and small local shops that lined up along the streets at night.

“They were very crowded. So crowded,” Roeker said. “It was also almost always humid, and I remember the very bright, obnoxious, yellowish lights. It also smelt disgusting because of the meat market during the day.”

But nevertheless, she loved it. Every weekend Roeker and her friends would hit up the streets, sometimes not to buy anything, but to simply absorb the atmosphere.

“It was our thing,” she said. “We sometimes just sat on the stairs and just laughed, watched people pass by, and enjoyed each other’s presence. It was incredible.”

The experience impacted Roeker’s life so much that she wants to share her endless stories with everyone, and never grows tired talking about her trip to a fascinating country. She also encourages others to join a local rotary, just as she did, for she is for certain it is one of the most beneficial things someone can do.

“Ten months seems like a long time, but in reality, it was like blinking your eyes, and then the illusion is gone,” Roeker said.