It's hard for me to even believe that I am here in Germany now! Since the time that I started filling out the Congress-Bundestag application in the winter, leaving my home in the United States for a year to live abroad seemed like such an abstract concept. It was just something I thought I would do in the future, and as a teenager, or at any age, really, the future is a difficult thing to grasp. When I found out that I had received the Congress-Bundestag scholarship to go to Germany I was thrilled because since I had heard about the idea of doing a foreign exchange as a gap year I was sure that it would be a good experience for me. Especially being a year younger than most of my classmates, I thought it would be a fantastic way to mature for a year before going to college.
One of the things I have noticed while explaining my plan for this year to people, especially people who are unfamiliar with gap years, is that they think of it as a "year off." I'm sure this is not meant to be offensive, but for me, it makes me think of going on vacation for a year. Yes, I am delaying my normal schooling in the United States by one year, but I did not come to Germany just to hang out. I am just starting my year here, but in my mind I think that it will be one of the most challenging things that I will ever do. Coming to a new country by myself and functioning at school all in German are just two of the many things that are scary about this year for me. Nevertheless, I am so happy to have the support of so many people this year! It is nice to know that the college I will be going to, Amherst College, believes in this program and thinks that it will help me do better when I get there. It has also been encouraging to hear all of the nice stories from others who have also done foreign exchanges. I know it will be hard but I think it will all be worth it. Maybe by the end of the year I will even be able to express my feelings all in German too! Vielleicht
Very good start to what promises to be a great year. We need more discretions of your experience and your interactions with new friends you have made and the family who is kind enough to host you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment dad! I hope you like my new post where I talked more about my life here and what I'm up to. Love you and miss you!
DeleteHey Miriam, your adventures in Germany sound fascinating. It seems like you are having a great time. Your host family sounds like great people and dogs. I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation in Germany. Though it does seem a little long for a vacation but who am I to judge. I hope the rest of your time there is as exciting.
ReplyDeleteHi Abel! Thanks for commenting and I'm sorry I'm just now seeing this! Yes, I'm happy that my host families here are sharing so much of their culture with me. Haha, the "vacation" is good so far and I hope it stays that way! Thanks so much for calling me too, it was nice to hear familiar voices :)
DeleteHello Miriam,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are going to have a fun time during your year in Germany! It will be a great way for you to experience cultures and lifestyles from different parts of the world. I am sure that you will be able to make many new friends in and out of school. And for your host family, I am sure that they will treat you well and enjoy having you in their household. Good luck in Germany and hope to hear from you soon!
Yosi
Hi Yosi thanks for the nice comment! Yes, I'm already starting to meet people and compare American and German culture which is really cool for me. I feel very lucky with my host families and I'm learning so much with them. I'm glad we got to talk and I hope you're having fun at your school too!
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