I just got an email from the "It's your world" travel agency and my travel agent, Ed Piekarczyk. Basically I have to fill out a registration form with my payment information and other random info (I'm a a pro at applications after having to do Rotary's application), enclosed was also a packet with a bunch of information regarding traveling. Maybe I'm just weird, but I thought the information was interesting.I love how I don't have to get a VISA! Germany is so organized :) I LOVE IT!
Okay... now for the exciting news. I know I don't have my itinerary, but I found out my official departure date. it is... drumrolll please....
AUGUST 20TH!!!! I'm really happy with this departure date because its sooner than I expected. (I was expecting 23rd or 24th) . What a fantastic way to end May :) This feels so official... It's weird.
Need I say anymore? haha... That's a picture of me up in Door County, WI. I went up with a bunch of friends for Memorial Day weekend. Its crazy that there's only 2 weeks left of school! After those two weeks... I will be stress-free, and I won't have to come back to Memorial for A WHOLE YEAR! I seriously... can not wait for school to end. Once it finishes... I only have a summer in the way of me and Berlin. I'm ready to get this ball rolling!!!
I've been in pretty good contact with my host family so far. I've mostly been talking to their daughter who is exchanging to Ecuador. I think the family found me school after some searching, and It should be interesting to see where I end up! I'm not really sure what to wait for next... hmmm... Rotary conference in July???
Okay. I think I can breath now.
Now that the initial shock of finding out my city has sunk in, I'm going NUTS!
I always told myself... I never could get Berlin... no one ever gets Berlin. BUT I DID GET BERLIN! believe it or not... crazy! I'm so excited to be able to say that I've lived in Berlin... of all places. I'm so excited I didn't get stuck in a little hick-town. All I'm going to say is that this... next year is going to be HUGE!
I'm also realizing that I'm DONE with the main exchanger- information. I have my country. I have my city. I have my first host country! It feels so weird. I always would imagine what it would feel like, and now I'm feeling it! I have a dot on a map- A place I'm going to LIVE!
SERIOUSLY... FIGURES!
Tue, May 19, 2009 at 2:31 PMDear Benjamin - welcome in Berlin,
dear Mr. and Mrs. Mau,
we are happy to welcome you in our family in Berlin, the capital of Germany.we, that are Ralph (50), Christiane (47), Maximilian (17), Sabrina (15) and Constantin (12) Meyfarth and our dog Baxter a 5-year-old Labrador retriever. Sabrina will leave on August 22, 2009 to Ecquador for her Rotary exchange visit. Hopefully you will fly in before, so that you can meet each other. We live in a house with a small garden in the south of berlin.
Address: Mohriner Allee 68e
12347 Berlin
Germany
Please tell us about your German expirience, that we can find the right school for you. In our house you will have your own room and there is also a piano, waiting that somebody is playing on it. Ralph is busy working as the CEO of lesswire AG. Christiane stays at home taking care of the children and the dog. All Children go to different schools. Sabrina and Constantin go to different catholic private schools in Berlin. Maximilian goes to an economic school.
Enclosed you will find a family picture.
We all are very excited and looking foreward to see you soon. We hope you will have a great time in Berlin.
Best whishes to the whole familly - we can't wait to see you here.
Take care,
Christiane and Ralph and the whole familly
I really can't believe that i found out my host family.
I really can't believe I found out the day after I posted such a downer-post.
I really can' believe I'm going to BERLIN!!!... I think my body is in shock right now! I don't understand how one day I was so clueless... and when I least expected it...
BAM!!! Maybe when my mind is a little bit more straight I'll post another one up... wow. my mind is blown at how ironic this is.
I've gotten to the point...
where I really don't care anymore...
okay
I take that back.
I do care........ (mental fighting)
but... I mean- I've used up so much energy being excited about going to Germany, that I'm kind of spent! I haven't received the least bit of information in months. I used to be excited everyday to check my email... but now I've gotten into such a routine of NOT getting any info, that I've lost the whole excitement of actually finding out my city/family. I know it will happen. I won't be city/family -less forever, but my mind is
not on Germany at the moment (*gasp)
Hopefully... this attitude will change soon
*blah*
Just putting it out there... I think I'm 100% obsessed with checking my email!I feel like a complete looser because every single day I check my email MULTIPLE TIMES!!! sometimes I'll check it in 10 minute intervals... hoping that a message from my host family will come!!! I hope I'm not the only one out there, because seriously... this is so lame! I hate checking my email sooo often, but I'm dying to know where I'll be living!!! Do you know what... I'm going to cut it back! I'll just check it after school every day... THATS IT! My information will come, even though it may take a while, I know that it will come!
----Breeeaaaathhh----
There arn't really any words as to how I can explain this conference I went to this weekend in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. I guess this is the first time I've ever been around other exchange students, and it was the first time I experienced the unexplainable, indescribable feeling of understanding and friendship between foreign exchange students. I literally got out of the car an hour or so ago, and the feeling is still fresh... Its kinda a mixture of excitement, and sadness. Anyways, despite the fact that we had to sit through some REALLY boring speeches, and attend some awkward dinners (with Rotarians), it was totally worth it because I met a ton of super cool people from all around the world! We laughed, we chilled, we talked, and we were bored together during the long talks! In all ways, this experience has gotten me incredibly excited for whats to come. If one weekend with exchange students from around this world is this much fun... I can't even imagine what a whole year will be! I'm also a little scared because I already miss the people I befriended, and I met them 3 days ago. If I miss exchangers who I met a few days ago... what in the world will be the emotions that I will feel when I leave all my future friends in Germany?
I think its kinda funny because I had to miss the whole morning and afternoon of Saturday to go to a speech compitition for the Optomist Oritorical Contest, and I was super hesitant, and not looking forward to going! I had to wake up before 6 am, get dressed in a suit, drive down an hour or so to Kalihari, and perform two rounds of speeches. I wasn't very confident with my speech, but strangely I won, and recieved a $1500 scholarship, which really made my week a good one! Everything about this weekend was so incredibly cool! All I gotta say to future outbound students, is that LOOK forward to this weekend! If your like me, there are only 2 conferences with exchange students until you leave, so have fun during them, don't let awkward get in the way, and just reach out! If you have any conflicts, try as best as you can to get out of them, because these weekends are not to miss! You'll regret it!
