Host Family!

I got my host family! I'll be living in a village called Reken, which is close to the western border. I have a host brother who's 16 and a host sister who's 14. My dad is an engineer. The family enjoys taking trips and walking their dog, who's a golden retriever. The school I'm going to has over 1,000 kids, which will be a major change from the 128ish in the Stuart Hall upper school. (woot woot!) I don't know too much more! I'm so excited!

Under 50 Days

Unter 50 Tagen! Maybe that was correct grammar. Maybe not. I actually have been practicing my German, though! Pat on the back for me. I've been using duolingo and to be perfectly honest, I don't really have much to write a post about. I don't have my host family yet, but that'll happen any day! 47 days left in the U.S. and I'm insanely excited but also pretty nervous. I'll post again once I get my host family, but until then, Bis bald!

CBYX, Explained

I was looking at my other posts and realized I never really explained what CBYX is, exactly. So here goes: CBYX stands for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, and is a program funded by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag. Each year, for about ten months, 250 American students go to Germany and 250 German students come to America. No, a German student won't be coming to live in my house while I'm away. I don't "trade places" with anyone, but that would be cool. Anyways, in about a month I'm going to get the information on my host family, who I'll live with for the majority of the year. Students are placed in small towns and attend the local public high school. The classes are taught in german, and the student can only return home in the event of an emergency. Family can visit after January 2nd. To start the program, there's a  three-day orientation in Washington D.C., followed by a three-week language and culture camp. There's so much more I could say, but this is the jest of it. I'm so excited. Sometimes I'll still just smile and shake my head, thinking I'm actually going to Germany. Wow. I know I'll get tons of papers, important booklets, and that sort of thing, and I'm working on my german, I can now conjugate verbs in the present tense. *pats self on back*. I've got a lot more to do before I leave in exactly 130 days, but then again, I have 130 days to do all that needs to be done. Until next time!

Finally!

Over twenty-five pages later (I had to add a couple to the twenty-three page packet), the second app has been submitted. Putting it in the mailbox and putting the little red flag up felt like the weight of the world had lifted from my shoulders, and now I just wait! I can't wait to see who my host family will be. T-minus 139 days until Washington D.C!! I've passed that OMGWHAT phase and now I'm more in the "Wow. So much to  do" phase. I hope my second app gets to where it needs to be, and now I just sit back and relax.