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Seattle Sounders VS Portland Timbers Soccer match in Seattle, August 21 EleneOk, WA.

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My first quick trip in Washington DC - a city that must be visited ^_^  Nia, VA

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 გამარჯობა. რაოდენ ნაცნობი და მობეზრებული ფრაზაც არ უნდა იყოს, "ახლა ამ პოსტს ამერიკიდან ვწერ". მეც ერთ-ერთი ფინალისტი ვარ და ბედის გამართლებით, იმ შტატში მოვხვდი, რომელიც ბევრს მოსწონს, ბევრსაც კიდე - არა. კალიფორნიას ზოგი "ამერიკის ამერიკას" უწოდებს, ზოგიც კი "უდაბნოს". ალბათ, ორივე ეს გამოთქმა სიმართლეა და იმაზეა დამოკიდებული, თუ საიდან შეხედავ.   როდესაც ჩავფრინდი, პირველი მხურვალედ აქაური ჰავა შემეგება, ხოლო შემდეგ - ოჯახი, რომელმაც აქაურ ტემპერატურაზე არანაკლებ თბილად მიმიღო და პატარა ქალაქში წამიყვანა, კინგსბურგში. აქ მექსიკური, ამერიკული და შვედური კულტურა ერთმანეთს ერევა და გიკვირს, ცივი ქვეყნის კულტურას როგორ აფასებს სამხრეთის ხალხი. აქედან ყველაფერი ახლოა, თუკი დასავლეთით წახვალ - 3 საათში მთებს მიადგები, აღმოსავლეთით - ოკეანეს, ჩრდილოეთით და სამხრეთით - სან ფრანცისკოსა და ლოს ანჯელესს, სადაც ამ ქალაქზე გაცილებით მეტი ადამიანი ცხოვრობს. ამ ოჯახთან, კოორდინატორთან, შტატთან და ბევრ ახალ ნაცნობთან ერთად ეს წელი მთლიანი და მრავალფეროვანი ��ნდა გამოვიდეს.    თუკი გაინტერესებთ "კალიფორნიული ისტორიებიც", თვალი ადევნეთ ბლოგს ;)   Davit J, CA 

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My very first baseball game!!! (On the picture: me, my local coordinator, exchange student from Senegal, Sean) EleneOk, WA

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Met my amazing host family in Seattle, WA! Well, my first impression in the US is that everything, EVERYTHING is way bigger. Second, people notice little details, in a good way. I'm like an alien here but this is so temporary! I feel like a new person ALREADY. Looking forward to more and more. EleneOk, WA.

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Heyy! ^_^ So here I am. Another finalist who is already spending her exchange year in the US. I’m in Manassas,a city located in northern Virginia. I’ve been here for 5 days and only now I can actually realize that I’m FLEXer and I’m staying here for a year. I have to say that FLEX has always been a dream that I didn’t even dream about, cuz it always seemed so unreachable. I’m such a pessimistic person sometimes and I never actually expected to win. One day I was planning my next year at school with some friends when the phone rang and that phone call really changed my life entirely, not just because of America. I mean people, a lot of great people that I met and become friends with. I also have a great host family here. I already love these people so so much. It’s been 5 days here and have already done a lot of cool stuff. It’s been 5 days since I said goodbye to my family, friends, city and country. Life here is entirely different. There are bunch of things that really make me surprised. I have my eyes wide opened for the whole time. I just pay attention on every single thing and think of the way that things are in Georgia. Can’t wait to be a student of American High School. I’m just so glad that I’m a FLEXer. 

P.S Good luck to all future participants. Here is my advice for you: simply, be yourselves guys and be sure that it is possible to win. It’s an opportunity that can be given only once in a life time so don’t lose your chance you really can be next  Nia, VA

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Third group. Left: August 10.

EleneOk, WA.

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Hello! Get my regards from America! Well, I am FLEX finalist 2016-17, the one who is already in the US. I used to be just a fulfilled and indulged child but despite all that kind of 'Prince life'(as my friends say) I always had a burning desire deep inside to do something great on my own so I aimed that and everything began on October 25th. the most significant day in my life when I resolved to participate in FLEX, not just participate but WIN! So I won. And today I feel, that beside that kid I used to be, I am also a person who has reached succeed on his own. I feel proud and I feel special. So that's it, with FLEX I found glorious freedom in independence, Marvelous life, sensational experience and tremendous confidence with which I will become a person that I longed for to be. But still all the dazzling things are yet to come! Spartak, MI

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Second group. Left: August 2. 

EleneOk, WA. 

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First group. Already in the US (in blue FLEX T-shirts).

Lia, Giorgi, Spartak, and Tina.

Left: July 26.

EleneOk, WA.

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Getting Started

It all started in October 2015. 80 high school students from the republic of Georgia went to FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) round one. There were more than 4000 other contestants, all ready to win, and therefore spend 1 exchange year in the United States of America. 

Students passed 3 rounds, had an interview, filled big applications to be sent to the US and started waiting for the results. Some were confident, knew for sure that they would win, some didn’t put their hopes up... Everyone wanted to become a finalist, and study in the US for 1 exchange year (2016-17).

March 22, 2016. 

80 phones rang. 80 hearts were filled with joy. 80 lives changed.  80 families started getting ready to say goodbye. 

And now, here we are. August 2016- part of us 80 is already in the US, with their wonderful host families. Others are waiting for their departure. 

WE have known each other for nearly 5 months now. We have had some wonderful days together, including PDO (Pre-Departure Orientation). We’ve also had tough times (80 COMPLETELY different people can’t always get along). It’s all part of being a family, the FLEX family. 

We’ve started this account to share our (fl)experience from the beginning to the very end of our exchange years.

Each of the finalists will have their very own Nickname, which you will see with the initial of the state they’re in.

Warm regards,

EleneOk, WA.