It has been a while, but this is Colton Cagle, and I am back in Arizona. As most of you know, I was on exchange in The Netherlands for the 2019-2020 year. However, due to the unfortunate situation with the corona virus, the coordinators in charge of the exchange program in the Netherlands thought it was the best and safest option to send all students on exchange in the Netherlands back home. Although the situation was very heartbreaking and difficult, I am happy that I am home safe and healthy with my family. I am especially grateful to have been able to travel back home without any complications with TSA, Passport Control, or the CDC. I am beyond thankful for the time that I did get to spend in the Netherlands where I was able to make amazing connections with Rotarians, my host families, and new friends. Of course the situation is not ideal, but I feel very appreciative and lucky for all the experiences and memories I did get to have. Even though I am no longer technically on exchange in another country anymore, my duties and responsibilities as a Rotary Youth Exchange ambassador for 2019-2020 still remain. As members of the Rotary family I know that despite moments of chaos and difficulty in our world we can come together as leaders to spread kindness and help within our means. I will still continue to work hard to ensure my goal of building peace in this world. I am excited to work with Mesa West under any circumstances to help uplift others during these trying times.
I want to thank everyone who supported me during my time on exchange but also for the amount of love and support you all have provided during my time coming home as well. Once things return to normal I look forward to being able to share all of my wonderful stories and experiences from the Netherlands. I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and happy.