Very exciting opportunity, but...

[nerrad]

I stutter!!! I got a letter in the mail from "people to people international". It's basically an exchange program that sends you all around the world to help other people and explore different cultures. Check out the website:
http://www.studentambassadors.org/
They want to send me to AUSTRALIA for 20 days to do various activities. Scuba diving, feeding dolphins, surfing, sand dune tobagganing, ect. Sounds awesome right? But wait! I went on the website and found out you also stay with families, meet new people, do theatre, and on other trips, do things like debates. That's too much speaking! That's the only thing keeping me from joining. And lately my stutter has gotten worse. What do I do? I want to do it, but it might be to much for me. How am I gonna introduce myself? I always stutter. If I can't do that, then how am I gonna debate? Help!

[nate]

I would go, so u'll suck at debate! :)
No Biggie, I bet you are handsome, charming, a good scuba diver, intelligent, a hit with dolphins and other like sized water mammals, have long girly surfer dude hair, etc(i dont know about tobogganning, but i wouldnt do it!).
Look the reason there are so many activities is so that everyone will have fun. I'm sure there will be kids there who are afraid of water and wont surf, or afraid of dolphins... so you'll be afraid of debate...i dont see what the problem is.
As for introducing yourself, I recently heard someone say, "When here is an elephant in the room introduce it". Think about that.

This is the perfect oppurtunity to represent for yourself.
"Nerrad in the Hizzo!" :cool:

[nikita]

"When there is an elephant in the room introduce it".

Randy Pausche. The last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University(Just FYI)

[nerrad]

Ok guys I an reserecting this because, this is it. I got the application yesterday. And I'm freaking out because this trip is all together about 9,000 dollars. And I don't wanna bail at the last minute. At some times I feel like 'bring it on I'm ready' but then other times I think 'if I go I might be miserable'. Introducing my self 60 times won't be easy at all. And I'm forced to make conversation with a lot of Aussies. So... What do I do? Go for it anywayz? Risking a bad time? But there are more pros to this program than there are cons but my stuttering is such a burden. And it's not gonna magically disappear on my trip.

[MyFaceSpaceBook]

Well, what's the worst that could happen?
A couple of people you'll never see again might laugh at you or give you funny looks?
Please pardon the platitude; I know it's always harder to actually DO something than just talk about it like I'm doing!
Honestly, the worst part will be the HUGE spiders!

[nerrad]

I talked to my speech therapist and she thinks I should go. She told me I should tell the group I'm going with, upfront that I stutter so we already have that bond and they won't be suprised or freak out when I stutter. If I need help with anything, they'll already know what to do instead of worrying about how to react or eliminate a tough situation. I'm a little more confident about going now.