Arda Yıldız

From Stine Family

As is always the case, short term exchanges, such as this one with these wonderful Turkish students, are never long enough. However, two weeks is more than enough time to develop a meaningful and lasting relationship; and that was definitely accomplished during this brief visit. We have found Arda to be a kind, intelligent, and funny young man that we have grown to love very much. of the world, and his pride in his We have been very impressed by Arda's knowledge country. He has us many interesting things about Turkey and its culture. Additionally, he has also shared with us information he has picked up in his studies and travels to other countries as well. As part of this experience we have been fortunate enough to be able to taste a few of the many delicious foods and beverages commonly served in Turkey. enjoyed them all very much and plan to continue enjoying them for many years to come. The last two weeks have been spent engaging in a wide variety of activities. We have played games, watched movies and a theatrical production, visited the Mall of America also joined us on this overnight adventure), enjoyed dining in a variety of restaurants (including restaurant in St. Paul), bowling and just exploring the everyday activities of life in America. Although we enjoyed going out and participating in different activities together, some of the best moments we shared were when we were just sitting at home (or driving around in the car) and talking and laughing about life! We have discovered that we certainly have more in common than we have differences. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Arda and sharing our home with him. We will miss him very much when he returns home to Turkey, but we are definitely blessed to have had this opportunity to get to know him. our hope is that it will be possible someday in the future to visit Arda and his family in Turkey and get to know them all better.