"Really?!!"  Happy dance.  Shock.  Silence.  Screaming.  We each had our own reaction to the call that would inevitably change our lives forever.  October 9, 2010 was the start of something big, something important, something memorable.  It was the day that brought together five strangers and made them family.

We each had our own reasons for applying for the GSE program, and our own experiences that lead us to that decision.  We are each truly thankful to those people (a co-worker, a friend, a volunteer, a boss, Rotary) that helped us discover this tremendous opportunity.  Without the goodwill of those around us, we would be spending March and April in very different places.

Yesterday we finally met the entire team (photo is in this order from left to right: Kristen, Larry, Mariel, Jennifer, and Dan) for the first time and started the training process.  We learned some of the basics, expectations, and the importance of an adventurous attitude.  We instantly seemed to click and the conversation flowed smoothly, allowing laughter and many moments of necessary redirection as we pictured the journey ahead.  It seems we will fit in quite well with the people of Australia.

We already have a better understanding of our role in the journey before us and the opportunity to truly be ambassadors of goodwill and peace.  We foresee wonderful opportunities to create lifelong friendships and experiences that will last a lifetime.



Many of us have already started reading books, researching anything and everything, and sharing our fears about some of the animals we may encounter along the way.  It seems Arizona isn't the only place with creatures that some of us would rather avoid during the night.  Adventurous attitude, check.


There is no way to properly thank Rotary for this opportunity, but we will do our very best to be positive ambassadors for Rotary and for the United States.  We each take this opportunity seriously and are honored to be part of such a wonderful experience.