Rianne traveled from Estonia to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for her exchange year — and along the way she picked up a host sister turned built-in ride, a cross-country and show choir schedule that wore her out (in the best way), and an accidental new language she calls “Estonglish.”
In this episode, Rianne opens up about weighing a gap year against finishing high school on time, the nerve-wracking first video call with her host family (turns out her host dad’s deep voice was the real culprit, not the language barrier), and the small moments — like a surprise plushie during a sick day — that ended up meaning the most. She also shares the trip to California that connected her with exchange students from around the world, and why she’d sum up the entire experience in one word: life-changing.
Since recording this episode, Rianne launched her own podcast, Growing Through It! Give it a listen:
🎧 Spotify: Growing Through It
🍎 Apple Podcasts: Growing Through It
📸 IG: @growingdiaries.pod
Follow Rianne’s exchange year on Instagram: @rianne_usas_