My first two weeks in Germany!

Hallo Leute!

I have safely made it to Germany and have been here for two weeks so far.

The plane ride was 7 and a half hours long and very boring… the food was okay but I couldn’t sleep… and then I had to sit in a bus outside of the airport waiting for the other group for 7 hours (their flight had gotten delayed). All in all it was a very long day.

So, I’m in this town called Hedersleben right now for a language camp that lasts until September 8^th. I’m living in a monastery on the third floor without air conditioning. There is a church next door that loves to ring its bells. This town has own grocery store and a shady ice cream machine outside a butcher shop (the ice cream is actually REALLY good… but there is a possibility of getting mad cow disease…JUST KIDDING). Also, this town smells like manure.

It can get boring at times but it’s cool because I’ve formed a group of misfit toys. They come in the form of humans named Kate, Fiona, Robert, Olivia, and Laurah with occasional others thrown in. J

I have six hours of classes Monday-Friday and three hours on Saturday. We get Sunday free except for the required meals at 8am, 12pm, and 6pm.

We’ve been on day trips to Leipzig and Quedlinburg so far and tonight we had a talent show at the monastery. It was hilarious.

I finally got my host family this last week.  They seem pretty cool. I’m located near the Dutch border and will be in the 10^th grade at my school. My host sister is 17 and has been an exchange student in the US on the program I am on. There is so much stuff to say and I don’t know how to express it all… so … maybe I’ll add more later.

Also, everyone here is getting sick… I hope I’m not next. Any questions about my experiences thus far? Comment and ask!

Picture to come!

I Think My Head Might Explode... Less Than a Week to Go

I'm reposting this because I accidently deposted it... It's from over a month ago...

There is so much do... but I don't know what to do.

I leave at 8am on August 12. That's this Sunday... less than 6 full days away.
I need to finish copying my German1-3 notes into one notebook. I need to make a list of things I want mom to send later (Food and stuff). I need to take photos of clothes that I may want mom to send me when it starts to get colder... and the clothes I don't want Alex to permanently kidnap. And, among all of those things, I have to pack clothes, electronics, and personal sentimental items for 10 months... and make it fit into a 50 pound max checked bag, an 18 pound carry on and a personal item no bigger than a laptop case.

Where do I even begin? I feel like I've been running on autopilot; I can't even remember half of the things I did today, which pretty much consisted of me sitting in the living room staring at my over full suitcase.

I have made at least 10 different lists... I'm not even sure I know what they all mean anymore.

I need to get my picture taken for mom, my picture taken for a visa, fill out paperwork for a visa, find all the paperwork I need to take, help mom at work, get my haircut, possibly clean my room (it looks like my closet exploded, which it kind of has), and maybe actually get to spend some time with my family.

I am SO stressed out right now.

Less than 6 days to go... and I still have 20 different things to do... that's what I get for being a procrastinator, I guess.

2nd Conference Call

So, we had our second conferance call orientation tonight. We talked about German Schools, how to pack, and what to give your host family as a gift. You pack light... but for all seasons, make sure you have something for all the weather. Take your class notes in english, a German/English dictionary, a backpack, camera, pack your valuables in your carry on. Don't pack past a certain weight. It's all  a lot to take in and is stressful... though I guess that should be expected. What to do with medication? How do I pack everything the right way.

It seems that the calls just leave me with more frustration and confusion... though that should be predicted. I'm stressed and confused but I think that's because I know I'll be missing my friends, family and school for 10 months. I know that I'll just have to wait and make mistakes myself... I'll then write about them so that everyone can know my stresses.

I'm not sure what else to write... my mom is the one who wants me to have a blog.

Only a month and one day until I leave...

           ~ Madison Jeannine Wallace

The Application Process

So, this is my first blog post....

I first heard about this opportunity to be a foreign exchange student in Germany in my German 3 class but, I completley brushed it off. I later heard about it again in my Pre-AP US History class and decided to apply even though at the time their was only three weeks before the application deadline. The application process for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship has been LONG. There were quite a few steps and they are as follows:

1. THE FIRST APPLICATION

This application consisted of essay questions, a list of your class grades, many signed papers, and personal information.

It took a lot of work and I honestly didn't expect to get past this first step but... I DID!

2. THE PHONE INTERVIEW

The phone interview was about a month after the initial application and consisted of... well.... a phone interview and not every person that has been accepted recieved one.

3. THE IN-PERSON WEEKEND

During Spring break I was beckoned to Colorado along with about 60 other applicants. After an hour and half plane ride and a a two-three hour bus trip, I finally arrived at Camp Santa Marie. The weekend consisted of group activititys and team building excercises as well as In-Person interviews. The weekend was used to see how we all interacted with others and lasted for about two and half days.

4. THE SECOND APPLICATION

This application was less extensive than the first. It involved applying for a passport, answering some more essay questions, sending photos of yourself and your family, writing a host family letter as well as your parents writing a letter for your host family.

After all of these steps we played the waiting game for weeks. We then, found out if we were semi-finalists and then played the waiting game some more until we were fully approved.

Now I have mandatory phone orientations and online German lessons and much more to do before I go.