My Three Weeks at NIST, Bangkok: A journey of growth - Amelia, Grade 9

Being chosen as one of only six students for the Global Alliance was an honour but it was also a challenge that pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. The opportunity included an unforgettable trip to Bangkok, Thailand, where I proudly represented my school as part of the first pair of students to participate in an exchange to Thailand. For three weeks, I attended the New International School of Bangkok. 

When I first heard that I had been accepted, I felt a mix of excitement and fear. I was incredibly happy, but also nervous because it would be my first time travelling to another country without my parents. My dad was unsure about sending me so far away on my own, and it took quite a bit of convincing before he finally agreed. Despite my nerves, I was excited about the opportunity to become more independent. I wanted to learn how to handle situations by myself, whether that meant going to markets and asking vendors for prices, or approaching teachers and students for directions. Normally, I would rely on my parents to speak for me because I was too shy, so this experience pushed me out of my comfort zone. Travelling without them helped me grow in confidence and independence in ways I hadn’t expected.

What also eased my anxiety was knowing that I would be travelling with one of my close friends, Mika

. When I found out we were going together, I felt relieved and even more excited. Having a familiar face by my side made the exchange feel less intimidating and far more memorable from the very beginning.

After my parents booked the flights, the nerves really set in. I had never flown without my parents before, and suddenly there were so many documents and papers I had to keep track of on my own. At the airports and through immigration everything went smoothly, except for a small issue when we arrived in Thailand. Thankfully, my host family sent someone to help me through, which immediately made me feel reassured.

Once we met our host families, the coordinator welcomed us and gave us our school uniform and key card. My host student, Ilka, and I got along straight away. We talked the entire drive back to their apartment and continued chatting late into the night.

Because we arrived before the Global Alliance students from the other countries, I was able to see the campus and meet some students first. After looking at pictures of the school for weeks, finally seeing it in real life was amazing. The campus was huge and beautiful. We used key cards to enter and exit the school and even to buy food in the cafeteria. The cafeteria itself was very large, with a wide variety of food available each day.

When the rest of the exchange students arrived, I felt even more comfortable because I was no longer the only exchange student in my classes. In my homeroom there were two other girls,one from America and one from Perth, and we quickly became friends. We still keep in touch to this day. Our schedules also included a study hall period when our host students attended foreign language classes, so all the exchange students spent that time together in the library. Being there every day helped us bond and form close friendships.

Adjusting was not too difficult overall. I adapted fairly quickly to my host family’s routine and to the longer school day. However, the weather was challenging at first. In Windhoek we are used to heat and dryness, but in Bangkok the heat and humidity were intense. I also had to adjust to school ending at 3:25 instead of 1:40, which took a couple of days to get used to. Despite these challenges, the experience greatly improved my confidence and independence.

Outside of school, my host family took me to many places so I could experience Thai culture and different parts of Bangkok. We visited temples, the Royal Palace, Chinatown, Chatuchak Market, and several malls. I especially enjoyed visiting the temples and learning about a different religion. For example, we had to remove our shoes before entering temples with a Buddha statue, and when sitting down we could not point our feet toward the Buddha as a sign of respect.

The school also organised two trips for all the exchange students. Our Global Alliance group bonded quickly, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The first trip was to Sam Roi Yot and Hua Hin. We travelled four hours to a hotel near the beach. While there, we hiked to Phraya Nakhon Cave, which contains a small religious structure inside. The hike was very difficult because of the humidity, but the cave was worth it. Spending time there helped us grow closer every evening we walked to 7-Eleven and then sat together on the beach, which became one of my favourite memories.

The second trip was to Ayutthaya, where I learned about the history of Thailand’s ancient capital.

Phraya Nakhon cave

Doing this programme helped me develop social skills that I was usually scared to use. I was able to make a lot of new friends, I asked people for help when I was lost, and I talked to the receptionist in some small Thai words like saying hello, excuse me, etc. So by going to Thailand it helped me get out of my shell and be more confident and independent.