June, 2008
The Exchange Visitor Program is pleased to announce Cecilia Chouhy Balbi as June's Exchange Visitor of the Month. Each month, we select an exchange visitor who has made an effort to get involved in his/her community and explore American Culture.
Cecilia Chouhy Balbi, of Uruguay, works at an architectural, planning and development service firm in sunny Sacramento, CA as a J1 trainee. When she's not climbing hills in San Francisco or driving along Highway 1 to San Luis Obispo for a long weekend getaway, you might find her on a hike, at the beach, in an art gallery or at special street event enjoying the street performers. You might also find Balbi standing in right field with a softball glove just praying that the ball isn't hit in her direction.
Balbi was invited to play softball by her coworkers about a month ago and without knowing much about the game, jumped at the chance to participate.
"One of my coworkers was trying to get the office to play softball this year and they needed at least three more women to complete the team," Balbi said, "so I jumped in. It sounded like lots of fun and I wanted to try something new."
Although Balbi claims she's not much of an athlete-a few trips to the gym here and a little tennis there-her softball team has won two games out of four this season, or at least at the time this article was written.
And even though Balbi's company softball team plays "just for fun," participating in an American staple like baseball or softball can help you understand a lot more about American people and culture than you might actually think. For Balbi, playing softball with her coworkers has enriched her J1 experience and she has enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends.
"I enjoy having the opportunity to meeting all kinds of new people because each one shows me a different aspect of American culture," Balbi said. "I think that sports, especially baseball/softball, and teamwork are such strong characteristics of American Culture. I get the chance to bond with new people, and of course, laugh at my terrible mistakes during the game. Fortunately, we only play for fun and my team is really supportive."
Now that summer is finally here to stay, don't miss out on any opportunities to participate in an outdoor activity. Nice weather is the perfect excuse to invite a friend, coworker or community member to play a sport, go for a run or just enjoy being outside.