While I was filling my application form and writing the presentation letter last winter I knew that all of that was aimed at what was to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life but I wasn't expecting it to be so fulfilling, exciting, full of emotions, friendships, respect and mutual understanding for one another.
My flight to Canada was on the 29th of June, right in time for Canada Day!
To greet me at the airport alongside my host family there was the camp director, an understanding, lovely woman full of resources who made us enjoy and feel at home for the whole lenght of the camp.
My Canadian family lives in Woodstock, about an hour and a half from Toronto. Fortunately some other youths were hosted in the same city, so we had the opportunity to meet before and after camp for a pool party.

With the family I experienced their daily life but I've also had the opportunity to visit nearby cities like Stratford; Brantford, for the International Villages Festival; London, where we went to a water slides park and saw Brescia College, named after my city.
The ten days of camp have been the most intense and meaningful of the exchange.
At camp we were 23 youths from 20 Countries and that gave us the opportunity to get to know both Canada and each other's countries as well.

The camp program included lots of fun activities like canoeing and going to Canada's Wonderland and amazing trips to Niagara Falls with dinner on top of the Skylon Tower and to Toronto, where we've got up in the CN Tower and attended a Blue Jays' game.
During the time spent together we've created a special bond, an authentic friendship that ties us all and when we said goodbye it felt like we'd known each other for years.