# data[].attributes.body
My host family was very welcoming and I can't wait to meet them again! However, I've encountered similarities and differences between the host family and the Youth Ambassadors from the Caribbean. During the session, I found out that all of us love listening to music of different types of genres, which was astonishing to me. Also, our nlifestylees are very different.

# data[].attributes.body
It was sooooo amazing meeting new persons, even more cool that they are from different parts of the world. We were told to brainstorm a name for our group and we all agreed "4lifersss" which I think was really really cool. We spoke about many different stuff including but not limited to how covid was being handled in their country and their way of life. They were all so sweet and I enjoyed the breakout rooms with them. I am definitely looking forward to meeting many more amazing persons in the coming weeks. :)

# data[].attributes.body
I learned about the different communities people lived in and how the school system and government system was different. I also learned about the the geography differed island to island.

# data[].attributes.body
Well to start off with, I enjoyed seeing and meeting everyone for the first time. It was cool to briefly see different cultures. During our time, we all seemed to like similar things like the medical field and similar extra curricular activities.  We also all had plans that were pretty similar like having/going to a sleepover. While those were some similarities, it was interesting to see certain differences like the weather and certain traditions that would not be celebrated on other islands. The conversation about ice was quite interesting as well, and was a good way to break any tension or shyness that was there. :)

# data[].attributes.body
First off I loved getting to meet and get to know the people in my group. We have a few things in common that this is our last year of school. But school is also a major difference in the way school runs and the structure of school. We also talked about how it's not super common to have a job or drive but in America once you turn 16 it's normal to get your license and a job. I liked hearing about the day-to-day life of the people in my group and how different our days are. Overall I liked getting to meet everyone and I'm excited for the rest of this expirence.

# data[].attributes.body
Differences that we quickly noticed when speaking to each other is how different life is currently in different locations of the world. This was an interesting conversation, that restrictions in the Caribbean is much more controlled than in the US. Similarities we had were talking about food and tea!

# data[].attributes.body
It's was fun meeting the host family and meeting the group ' the 5 musketeers'.
Being able to make our own group, getting to know the group, learning about what they like or what they do, learning about what they're studying, all that was a fun experience. We learned how some of us go to a private Catholic school and others go to a public school. The differences in music, what we listen to the most. I'm excited to meet everyone again and learn more

# data[].attributes.body
I absolutely loved this week and learning about new cultures not just abroad but also in the Caribbean. Meeting my group was a bit shy at first but we came together so well after a few minutes. We were able to talk as long lost friends instead of complete strangers. I definitely had more in common with my fellow Youth Ambassador from the Caribbean than from the US. Our educational systems are definitely different as well as our driving age. It was also surprising to find out how normal it was to work during school in other countries. I cannot wait for tomorrow’s meeting to learn more.

# data[].attributes.body
Meeting  everyone on Friday enlighten me. I was super excited especially when we were divided in our subgroups i got to learn a little more about my peers and most of us share similarities. The scavenger hunt was the icing on top of everything to end the day well, so yeah I’m excited for another meeting !

# data[].attributes.body
Meeting my host family brought me great joy. I can speak for all of us when I say we created a very inclusive and accepting bond. We constantly asked questions and answered them respectfully. We even mentioned the Grammy’s 😂. I learned that another YA (Greta) attends a catholic private school which comforts me in a way. I say that because I like the fact that although we are all different we share similar aspects of our lives that allows us to sync our perspectives. I think that this picture shows the idea of unison no matter the color and/or background. Our differences may outweigh our similarities but we should balance that with acceptance and kindness. <3

# data[].attributes.body
At first I was a little confused on how to connect with the wonderful people from the Caribbean. I had never done an exchange with people from this end of the world, but I was delighted to see that they were all great to work with. We shared various interests such as: debate, law, outdoor activities, and foods! It truly was great getting to know my new friends from the Caribbean. I can't wait for next week when we have a more specialized meeting so I can see my friends reactions!

# data[].attributes.body
I enjoyed this week and getting to learn more about people’s lives besides how my god mom’s family in Nassau and the way they do things I now got to hear new things and learn more about them through this program and I really enjoyed it.

# data[].attributes.body
To say this was good would have been an understatement...........it was superb, uplifting and a blessing of 5. The blue and black sides of my incomplete painting depict our differences: The structure of our education systems(Esli's and mine have a distinct uniform), fluency in other languages(Esli is fluent in dutch) and our daily routine. The Rubix cube represents our similarities that shunned our differences... Bella, Esli and I go to public schools while Malaysia and Greta go to private catholic schools. Another similarity was the Spanish dialect that the three of us were fluent in. What surprised me was that Bella is a good singer and that Esli does not really listen to music. It was a wonderful experience.

# data[].attributes.body
It is guaranteed that the first few seconds of any zoom meeting are filled with shy smiles and awkward silence, but once we got past that it was smooth sailing. A similarity we share is that we all are interested in studying a STEM subject. My school's system is more similar to the United States system than the other Caribbean countries represented. We have many preferences that are different. In The Bahamas, we have summer and winter, but other Caribbean countries have wet and dry seasons. While in the states, they have all 4 seasons. We also now know that Erica loves ice!

# data[].attributes.body
I was really nervous to meet my host family, wasn't really sure how it was going to play out over zoom but in the end I really enjoyed it. We clicked instantly and it felt so easy to talk to everyone! There were several differences especially in regards to education and the freedom of teens in the US compared to the Caribbean. We all had similar interests in subjects, hobbies and even our schedules were alike. So excited to see my host family soon and make some more memories!

# data[].attributes.body
I loved meeting our new friends within the Caribbean during the week which lead up to meeting some more new friends who are in the United States. This year is different not being able to meet in person, so I'm excited to have Friday sessions which gives us a closer connection virtually. Excited to learn more about our cultures!

# data[].attributes.body
My host family and I instantly clicked. We had lots of fun learning about each other's lives and our personalities were a vibe. There were some differences especially in terms of our educational systems. Some persons did not know about the educational system in the Caribbean and it was a pleasure to enlighten them. We shared many similar hobbies and preferences and generally the ambiance was very welcoming