Poems of Home...

As an AFS exchange student, there are a ton of little orientation/preparation materials I have to read/go through before departing in August. (as mentioned before). Yesterday I was reading though my Culture Trek material, and there was an activity that I had to complete which I really enjoyed. It was to complete poems for your home town with a word corresponding to each letter (a word that described the town). I thought it was a really cool way to describe somewhat of what my life is like here at home, and therefore I decided to post the poems here in my blog.
          
R-ural
A-nimals
N-eighborly
D-evine
O-ptions
L-ively
P-eople
H-ome

V-arious
E-nergy
R-ural
M-ountains
O-pen
N-eighborly
T-ime

A-moung
M-yself
E-xciting
R-ural
I-deas
C-itys
A-mazing

I then decided to make one for Switzerland, and what it was like to me now before I leave. Maybe I can make another one while I'm there, and when I come home and see how their different?? (If you havent noticed I've been doing a lot of these preparation activities lately :)

S-chool
W-ide
I-nteresting
T-rains
Z-anie
E-scape
R-eal
L-anguages
A-dventure
N-ew
D-ifferent


Thanks :)

Time

x

       I just returned from vacation with my family on Cape Cod, and I must say that is going to be one of the things I miss the most next year is seeing my grandparent who live down there. Its hard when I think about all the things I will miss next year, like the Tumbridge fair in September, or my cousins new baby due in December. However I expected these, and understood I would miss them when I applied. The strange thing is all the little moments I never though about. Such as earlier this week when I went to the movies with a friend. During the previews we both found a movie we wanted to go see and were talking about it a lot until the preview ended and we realized the movie didn't come out until October. At first this didn't mean anything, but then all of a sudden we realized I wouldn't be there to go see it with them here in America. While normally my friends and I will have a quick laugh about  it, it's these things I am finding are the hardest when I sit down and think about the things I am going to miss next year.  

       

       With less then a month until I embark on one of the biggest adventures of my life I've noticed my life here at home has become more hectic than ever. Its like the past ten months of consideration, applications, fundraising, and waiting has all added up to this last month which is now just flying by. Its strange because while I can't wait to leave and start my life abroad, I also wish there was a little more time for me to spend here with friends and family enjoying the summer. Unfortunately, unlike many of friends believe, my last month in little old Randolph is not just a time for going to work at the flats, hangout with friends, getting my license, and enjoying summer like many of my peers. (okay well maybe some of it is :) ). However, in less than four weeks I have to finish a check list of things so long it beats any Christmas list I ever had. From thousands of appointments to get the final check, to learning as much German as I can, I never realized how much goes into the preparation part of being an exchange student. Ever day I get more and more information in the mail from AFS. From simple things like where to go when I get off the plane, to application info for my Visa there is so many little forms and details that go in to simply entering the country in august. I have piles and piles of information to read, and learn about what its like to be an exchange student, safety, rules, expectations, etc. etc. etc. However, while all of this work can sometimes feel out of control, in the end I can see how much it is helping me to prepare, and just gets me more excited to go!! 

        So much has happened in just the past month since school got out that its hard to remember what I have, and have not told others. Therefore I thought I would simply put all I know about my exchange here. While I may seem pretty calm about all this information I must tell you that when I first found out even the most basic information such as when my plane would leave NYC, I was jumping up and down with a huge smile on my face for days!! (which is nothing compared to how I was when I learned about my host family!!)

       It was the last day of classes at school when I learned I had a host family. I was walking to the car with a friend, and my mom told me she had some news....right away I screamed "I got a host family!?!?!?!" and ran and hugged my mom. Unfortunately, this is all I knew as the actual information about my family was sent to my e-mail at home. The ten minute car ride home lasted hours and I couldn't wait to know who I would be living with. Would I have siblings? Would they be my age? Where in Switzerland would I live? In the city? The questions flowed endlessly through my mind. When I finally did get home and checked my e-mail I couldn't believe it. I had two new e-mails that caught my eye....one from AFS with a subject declaring I had a host family, and one from someone I did not know with a subject simply reading "Hello!!". In the end I read the e-mail from my host mother before I read the e-mail with information on my family, however that e-mail was plenty. I have a host mom named Ester, a host father named Martin (who is my host siblings step-father), two host sisters (Rahel-15, and Carla-17, who just returned from an AFS exchange year in Homer, Alaska), and a host brother (Lukas-19 who is currently serving his military service.) I will live in Ormalingen, Switzerland, which is a small town (only 1900 people!) however only a 20 minute train ride from Basel (a city on the France, Germany, Switzerland border). I will attend school a few towns over at the Gymnasium Liestal which is a large school (1500 kids!!) much bigger than my own (only 350). Since learning all this information I have talked with my host family many times, and have realized that I couldn't have asked for a better family. In AFS exchanges, the host families pick their host students, and I am so thankful that they chose me. My parents couldn't be happier and have talked with my host parents a number of times. Knowing I have such a good family to stay with in Switzerland has been a huge relief.    


      In my journey abroad I am only allowed to bring one suitcase, and one carry-on (How will I ever figure out what to pack?!?!?) I will leave the Burlington, Vermont airport around 11:15am on Wednesday August 18th, and fly to JFK where I will land at about 12:40pm. There I will join other AFS'ers from the USA headed to Switzerland for a pre-departure orientation. On the 19th at 5:30pm I (along with all the other USA-AFS exchange kids headed to Switzerland) will leave the USA, before landing in Zurich  Switzerland at 7:30am. Our host families will then pick us up at the airport and take us home. The following Monday I will start Language camp, which will last for my first four weeks in Switzerland, before I start regular school in Liestal September 20th. Two weeks after arriving in Switzerland I will attend another orientation with about 25 other AFS kids from around the world. I then have about 2 other orientations throughout the year before a final one just before I return to the USA. It is strange to think that I will need an orientation to prepare me for the USA, that I will get Culture shock when I return home, however I guess when you think about it, it makes sense. :)  


      There is so much to do before I leave, and while I am very nervous about the idea of leaving my family, friends, and life behind, I also wish August 18th would come faster. I can't wait to meet my host family, and many of my fellow AFS friends). I can't wait to see Switzerland, and have been counting down the days. :) That's all for now, but I promise to write again as I go through the famous horrors of figuring out what to pack!! :)   I'm off to work!!