An exchange student from Denmark thanked Hamilton Rotarians for "an amazing experience" during his stay in Bermuda.

Thomas Houden spent 11 months on the Island as a guest of three families from the club. During his exchange he also got to know much of the membership personally.

The 17-year-old, who is due to return home on Friday, spoke at the club's weekly luncheon on Tuesday.

He came to the Island as part of an exchange programme dating back to 1929, which sees Rotary societies from around the world select teenagers to spend a year abroad.

Typically, Bermuda sends and receives up to five exchange students a year. Yet, when Thomas first made his application to Rotary, moving to a remote island was hardly on his agenda.

"I had never heard of Bermuda," he admitted when he spoke to this newspaper on Tuesday.

"I originally had three different choices, which were the United States, Australia and New Zealand. But now I would rather be here than any of those places."

Aside from his studies at Saltus Grammar School, Thomas visited the United States with his host families, went open-sea diving and even crewed on the Spirit of Bermuda sloop.

Living abroad for the first time was occasionally difficult, he said, especially the separation from his family. Settling into island life also took some adjustment, especially when it came to the Bermudian accent.

"I remember the very first day I was here, my host brother came up to me and said something in Bermudian slang. I had no idea what he meant it definitely took a while to understand it."

When he returns to Denmark this week, Thomas says he plans to spread the word about his adoptive home. He will also stay in contact with many of the friends he made here, and plans to return next year for a visit with his family.