OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED!!

Today, I opened my mailbox to find a fairly large package from YFU. I opened it to find my offcial acceptance letter and a T-shirt! My information file has been sent to the YFU office in German. So, I'll be finding out any time now (potentially) where I'll be living! I'm so pumped! I'm probably wearing my T-shirt tomorrow, even if it might be a bit dorky.

Woohoo for exchange! :D

Bis später!

Five-Month Countdown

You've guessed it: I've got just five months left before my exchange. I'm sitting here, 11:00 at night, and this chunk of time just seems so short and yet so long. I can think about it and break it down into various parts that make is seem so short, but at the same time, when I think about all that's going to happen between now and then, I can't believe how much time I have. I think it's time for a new list of up-coming events (I think this one will be a bit more detailed than the last ones).

March:
18th-20th My mom and I are going to Madison for the weekend. I'll probably do some kind of campus tour at that time.

April:
1st My tuition is due in full (which I don't have to worry about, thanks again to my generous Uncle Ralph and Aunt Dorothy).
9th I am taking the ACT.
Spring break is at the end of this month, and possibly a YFU meeting.
I might receive word about whether or not I'm getting the scholarship.

May:
6th Prom is this date, and I've already bought my dress!
Sometime this month - I think - my mom and I (and possibly my dad) are going on a college tour of the UW La Crosse campus.

June:
School ends early this month.
Louise leaves for Denmark at the end of this month. So, there will probably be some kind of party for her.

July:
4th I don't think I need to explain this one.
In the middle to end of July, I'm going to be having a going away party.
Then at the end, I'm leaving!

So, that's pretty much all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there are a few more things, but it's late and I want to get some sleep. So...

Bis später!

365 Project

I've just signed up on a website where I can upload a picture a day for a year (I don't think there's really a limit on it, but that's the idea of the site). I figured it would be a nice way to visually share with you people what's going on in my day-to-day life. Plus, I think it would be good for me to find something memorable/good every day of my exchange. I probably won't start uploading anything until July, though.

Here's the link to my (currently) empty album: 365 Project. I'll post it again once I start uploading pictures.

Bis später!

Interview!

I had my interview with YFU today! It was right after school, and I was a bit nervous, but my interviewer said I did well! There were a couple of times it felt like I was just answering how they'd want me to answer, but that's not to say I lied at any point. Whatever. It was pretty fun and it's excited to have finally gotten this far! I think my next step now is to just wait until I hear back from them (in April or May). From what I understand, this interview is also used for the CBYX scholarship. It's exciting I've come this far, but it sucks that I just get to wait. Oh, well, I'll get over it!

Bis später!

HOLY CRAP!!

I just got back from visiting with my great uncle and aunt. My tuition is now fully covered! I even have plenty left over for spending money, pre-exchange purchases and my visa. I don't need to worry about every cent I spend, now. It's a great feeling! Not only can I relax my last 7 months or so in the USA, but I think I'll have a pretty comfortable exchange!

Things are definitely going well! :)

Bis später!

Getting Closer! (financially)

I received a call from the Deutschstadt Heritage Foundation. I was told they want to give me $1000 toward my tuition! This is amazing! That means I have just over $3000 left to raise! I can't believe how close I am to getting there!

Also, they want me to pose in pictures of them handing me one of those fake, giant checks for the paper. It will be kind of silly, but it should be fun!

Bis später!

I see Funding in my Future...!

Wednesday, my grandma took me to see my Uncle Ralph (who is really my great uncle, but I suppose that's not entirely important to the story). He was interested in helping to fund my exchange to Germany, but he wanted to talk to me a bit about it first. Of course I agreed to do it. It would be kind of rude of me not to.

Anyway, I enjoyed myself, despite realizing just how inadequate my German is at the moment. Uncle Ralph said some things to me in German, but he was either talking to quickly or in too much of a dialect for me to understand all of it. Oh well. I have plenty of time to improve! Other than the whole German thing, he asked me some questions about the program, the scholarship I may be winning, what the next step is... things of that nature. My grandma, Uncle Ralph and Aunt Dorothy also talked a bit about other things, like family history, old family friends, and stories from their pasts. I have to admit, it was pretty cool being able to listen in on those conversations!

Also, I heard back from one of the organizations I sent a sponsor letter to. I first received an email and then a letter. In the letter, it said I'm invited to their next meeting this coming Tuesday, and that they want to hear more, but are interested in helping me. This is great! It's more of a response than I ever thought I would really receive. I'm excited, but kind of nervous about the meeting. I'm not too sure what will be expected of me. However, I'm really looking forward to it!

Bis später!