Finding a Sister

Finding+a+Sister

It is not very often that our small school gets the opportunity to experience as different as International Weekend.  Every year, for one weekend, a group of international students spend a Friday at VHS and stay that weekend with a member of the International Weekend club – a small club that dedicates its time to ensuring that the students from all over the world have an unforgettable experience in Verona.

This year, my family and I were lucky enough to be a host family to one of these international students.

The process for becoming a host family was rather simple; all you had to do was sign up and have a background check and boom, an international student was immediately assigned to stay with you.

This procedure, although effortless was somewhat scary. I had no idea who was about to be living with me, all I knew is that she was from Thailand and that her name was Pich.  I would come to know her better as “Milk” (her nickname).

As the weekend drew closer, my excitement increased- I was about to have a “sister” even if it was just for a weekend. The only one who seemed to be more thrilled than me was my mother, who quickly redesigned my brother’s room -he is away at school – and replaced all of his things with new, “prettier”(in my mother’s words) things.

When the day finally came and I met Milk we instantly clicked. I’ve never met someone so happy, outgoing, and wholehearted. Throughout the school day we shared many laughs as she got to know my friends and followed me around to my not-so-rigorous spring of senior year classes.  I quickly learned that it was impossible not to be happy around her as she always had a smile on her face.

As the weekend continued, our new friendship grew stronger and stronger. We got to know each other really fast as we tried to pack everything we possibly could into 72 hours. Outside of our school-planned activities for the weekend which were ice skating, a party and a brunch, I tried to take Milk to as many places as I possibly could and show her everything this town has to offer. Milk loves my friends and loves Verona. She was amazed by the tight-knit family factor our school has and she was shocked that everyone knew everyone. This was very different from the large urban areas where she grew up. Over the course of a weekend Milk and I shared some unforgettable memories.  

Now here I am months after that weekend and I still talk to Milk every single day whether through texting, Facetiming or Snapchatting. Her main host family, who she spends the rest of the year with before she returns home, actually lives in Montclair, so we also get to see each other as much as we can.

I never would have thought a friendship like ours could have formed from a single weekend. I got pretty lucky to have randomly been assigned Milk, and she is really considered part of my family now. She knows everything about me – from what classes I’m struggling in to what potential roommates I am talking to for college (I need her approval). She also keeps in touch with my friends and parents, who miss her so much.

I am thankful that I met Milk, and very thankful that I chose to be a part of one of the best programs our school has to offer. There is nothing like getting to know someone who is so different than you yet shares so many similarities. When Milk leaves to return to Thailand I am sure that we will keep in touch. After all, she is my new sister