Hello! This is my first ever blog post, so just bear with me please. Anyways, my name is Anne, I'm currently a Freshman in high school, and I have received the Congress-Bundestag Scholarship (For more info click here: http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/) This means I will be spending approximately ten months in Germany starting August 10th! After a 3-week language and orientation camp, I will live with a German family and attend German high school. I have wanted to be an exchange student in Germany ever since I was in sixth grade, when my family hosted a German girl for a school year. It is crazy to think that now I am in her place. I still don't think I fully have a grasp on the fact that I will be in a foreign country speaking a foreign language surrounded by strangers in four months, and will be there for a year. But I guess it'll register when I'm there...
So, this is how it all happened: I found out about this scholarship a little over two years ago when I was a seventh grader and knew I wanted to apply. For two years, I obsessively read every web page, blog post, and forum discussion about this program as well as watched many, many videos multiple times waiting for the time when I would be old enough to apply (it's a high school scholarship). Finally, this year it was my turn.
The application process involved writing many short essays, telling about my hobbies, memberships, and experiences, filling out basic info, and getting my transcript and two teacher recommendations. Very...thorough. I had a little scare there in January right before they started reviewing applications. I received an email one evening saying that my application was incomplete. They had only received one of my recommendation letters and they needed the second by morning or I wouldn't be considered for the scholarship. Of course, I started crying hysterically. I frantically texted and called my teacher, and we managed to get everything together in time, but...yeah, that's pretty much the story.
Thankfully, I look great on paper (not to brag...actually, yes, to brag), and was selected as a semifinalist in February. That was nice, but I was fairly confident (perhaps a little too confident) that I would get that far. I knew that the real decider would be the interview. Unfortunately, all the interview locations were really far away from where I live, so I had to settle for a Skype interview.
I was actually interviewed by the main lady over this scholarship (Juliette Van de Geer), which, for me, was like meeting a celebrity, but she was really nice. And I guess my interview went really well, because 11 days later (on March 13) I got the scholarship! I got home from school on the day the finalists were to be announced and immediately yelled at my sister to bring me my phone from where I'd left it charging for the school day. When I saw that I had a missed call from a number I didn't know, I couldn't believe it. I had an email too, which would have told me what I wanted to know, but I wanted to hear the words said. I called back and Juliette Van de Geer told me I got it. I just couldn't believe it. I proceeded to read the first two lines of my acceptance email, but I still wasn't really sure I'd gotten it (as if "We would like to be the first to congratulate you..." left room for other interpretation). I just want to know what made them pick ME over the others, as a Freshman no less. I just don't know.
Well, as life changing as this news was, I still had to go to soccer practice. This felt a little ridiculous, considering the situation, but I was not about to find out what coach would do if I was late. While I was on the phone and checking my email, I had my one of my sisters put my socks, shinguards and shoes on for me. I had to run to make it to practice on time, and I probably looked super crazy because I couldn't stop smiling and laughing. I kind of screamed at every semi-acquaintance that I met on my way to the soccer field that I was going to Germany. Crazy to think that random people I never talk to found out before my parents. When I got to practice, I was desperate to find more people to tell, so I told everyone I made eye contact with pretty much. I actually forgot to tell my soccer coach until the next day. Ha. He said we might have to start practicing someone else at my position (center mid). I told him yes, yes, in fact maybe I should just not play center mid at all anymore. He thought I was kidding.
Finally, I remembered to call my best friend. She was pretty shocked I think. I was too. Then I couldn't call anyone else because soccer practice had to start. Fate stepped in and Coach decided to let us have a super easy practice that day (which never happens) thank goodness. I talked to my older sister, texted and called some other friends, and finally, after I'd been home for about half an hour, remembered to call my mom (my sister had already called my dad). In celebration, I spent the night with my friend, Amy, watched so much TV, ate way too much ice cream, and basked in all the social networking love I was receiving.
I've spent the past few weeks completing the secondary application, which is what they use to place you with the best host family for your personality, applying for my passport, buying a plane ticket to Washington DC, where we meet for a pre-departure orientation on August 8th, resuming my online German learning, and making sooooooo many lists. I am also now the proud owner of my dad's old laptop which I have personalized with not one, but two, countdown extensions to the day of my departure. I'm excited.
However, there is much to do before I leave, like shopping and completing my pre-departure bucket list, and holding many, many going-away parties. Well, I just thought I'd introduce myself...in a super long, way too detailed blog post that probably no one will read. Ah, well, you can't have everything.
Oh, I almost forgot. With each blog post, I'm going to also post a song that I've been listening to a lot lately or that is just an awesome song that I can relate to at the time or something. Really, I just want to share my amazing taste in music with the world.
Today's song: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrfMMP2NTCE
Till next time,
Anne
