My Great Uncle Jack: Phoebe, there is an exchange program that goes to Germany. It’s called Congress-Bundestag I believe.
Me: I want to do it.
In a nutshell of a conversation that is basically how I found myself where I am today. I came home from a year abroad trip with AFS to Argentina wanting to go to Germany to learn German. Languages fascinate me and I can’t seem to get rid of this travel bug I only assumed I picked up genetically. When my uncle heard of my desire to head to Europe he told me about a program called Congress-Bundestag that a nephew of his was going to Germany through. I wrote down the name and kept the idea open in the back of my mind. Then my old AFS advisor called to ask a few questions about hosting students, and my mother told her of my plans to go to Germany someday. My advisor suggested the same organization, which evidentially operates via numerous exchange groups including AFS (American Field Service). She said I was a good candidate, so I began the application process.
I kind of feel like I am constantly bombarding my poor folks with new ideas and plans every day. I always get the same response, “Yeah okay, Phoebe.” At first they brush off these plans thinking that I am just daydreaming again. Then I am asking for parents’ signatures and medical records. “Oh? She’s serious!” is usually the next thought going through their brains. Maybe I am wrong, but I feel as if this gives a relatively accurate picture of how things tend to go.
The Germany trip started as talk and after applications, signatures, school transcripts, interviews, and follow ups, I’m here, ready to go to Germany to spend a year. Wow. It’s not even real for me yet.
Congress-Bundestag offers a full paid scholarship to students who would like to spend a year studying in Germany. The program is somewhat competitive and I didn’t think I was going to get it. I figured that they would overlook my application because I am graduated and had traveled abroad before. I guess I was wrong because now I am preparing to leave Labor Day weekend.
An exchange student is always learning. Not necessarily from books either. A lot of the learning actually happens before you ever set foot in your new host country. Patience is a virtue? Well exchange students are forced to be patient, like it or not. We wait to be accepted by the US…Then by the host country…Then you wait for a family…Then your passport…Then the VISA…Then orientation. After a long drawn out waiting period you are saying goodbye to your family and friends at the airport. It may not seem like a big deal, but when your life is up in the air and you are waiting to find out with whom and where you will be spending the next year of your life you can see how one may get anxious.
That’s why I was through the roof with excitement when I was placed with a family.
I will be moving to Brackel, Germany to become a part of the Hanke family. Brackel is small town of maybe 1,800 residents, and it is located 30 minutes south of Hamburg in northern Germany. I will be living with my host mother, father, and a 13 year old sister. I also will have two dogs. I have another sister, who is 21, and is living in another town to study at an university.
Now the only waiting I have to do is for Labor Day weekend when I am to leave. I am excited to go, but there is no rush. I am soaking up the time I have left with my family and friends.
I have graduated High School and I am 18 years old. When I return from Germany in 2012 I will attend Chatham University (I have already been accepted and have deferred my acceptance until next year).
I am looking to major in either International Studies or International Business with a double minor in Public Relations and Sustainability. Things in my life tend to change constantly so my direction education wise probably will too. As of now I am hoping to one day be involved with the promotion of renewable (green) energy.
I will go to a high school in Germany and for those of you who remember when I took my trip to South America on exchange it is basically the same thing. (I am just expected to study more).
I will try to update this Blog at least a couple times a month once I arrive in Germany in order to give you all an update of what is going on in my life. That way I need not worry about a bunch of individual emails. However, for those of you that would like to email me my email is phoebearmstrongs@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: My spelling and grammar are awful, so please don’t pay too much attention to the many mistakes you are bound to find.
The picture of Germany is from http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/germany.htm
