Don't ask me why, but I've started an official countdown to September 1st, which is the day I'll most likely leave for Spain. -notice my countdown on the right side ----> 298 days. 42 weeks. 10 months. whichever term you want to use..until my year in Spain. You may think I'm completely crazy for starting a count down this soon, but hey! i'm not going to deny my craziness! I haven't even been accepted by AFS-USA or AFS Spain yet..but I'm not really worried about it. I'm the perfect candidate! (hopefully!) It may seem like I'm overdoing this whole wait and process, but it shows how determined and excited I am! I honestly think I have an unhealthy obsession with checking my email a million times a day..but it's all part of being an AFSer! The wait is the longest part of this process. I have to wait another eight or so weeks until it's even January. AFS begins to look at fall departure applications starting in January. So hopefully by January or February i will be accepted by AFS-USA. Then AFS sends my application all the way to Spain, where they review it once again and determine if they want me or not. Hopefully I will officially know if I'm going to Spain by March..or April. If I'm not accepted by Spain my application goes to my other country options which are Italy, Germany, then France. But, I have no worries and I'm sure I will be accepted into AFS Spain. After my acceptance into my host country, AFS will immediately begin searching for the best host family for me. There have been cases of people finding out their acceptance into a country AND their host family in the same day..and of course, there have been cases where someone doesn't find out their family until they are on the plane. Either way, I'm positive AFS will find the very best fit.
I know all of this is familiar to all you AFSers, but I'm just informing anyone who is new to the whole exchange process.
I know going into exchange, that you're not suppose to expect anything. But honestly? It's very hard to go into this completely open-minded. I try not to expect anything..for example, almost everyday my mom asks me if i would be okay with living with a single parent or sharing a bedroom with my host sibling. My answer is always yes, every single time. I am going into exchange not knowing at all what to expect. I want to make the very best of my exchange year, so for now, I'll just stick with my usual daydreaming!
As of now, I have no big news. I submitted my full application October 30th..and now I am waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Oh, did I mention I have to wait? I also am in the process of scheduling a home interview with my coordinator, Marien. If all goes as planned, we might meet on November 15th. She is on vacation this week and hopefully will return my email soon! After my interview, my application is fully complete and AFS can review it and give me the big news.
Since I'm probably the world's biggest creeper, I found two other people planning to go to Spain the same time as me. As of now, Dylan and Vivian, are the only people that understand my uncontrollable excitedness! I'm glad to have them here to ask any questions and just talk about our feelings and such. Like, earlier today, Dylan and I were talking about how crazy it is to think about leaving everyone here in the states behind for ten whole months. It made me realize that giving up my senior year is a lot more than I thought it would be.
It's crazy to think that I'm only an upperclassmen for one year.
It's crazy to think that I'll only have one prom and one homecoming..ever.
It's crazy to think that I'll only have one powderpuff game.
It's crazy to think that I will be graduating with my class, but I'll never attend my own graduation.
It's crazy to think that this is my last year of American high school and the last year I'll see most of my friends.
It's especially crazy that in just ten months, my life will completely change..for the best, of course.
Since I'm an organization freak..
Things to Do:
-Schedule my in-home interview
-Sign up for a college English class from January until June at my local bible college (yay..)
-Get through the first semester of my junior year ( chemistry? KILL ME)
-Keep driving and find a car
-Get a second job (which I have a job interview in two days!)
-Wait, wait, wait..!
As you can see, I don't have any good news and just a bunch of random AFS-related thoughts.
So for now, I'm done!
-Paige
