See You Later Arizona

I've always wanted to know what's going to happen in the future. Who I was going to marry, what I was going to look like when I turned 16, where I would go to college, what it would be like to drive... all of the things that seem so exciting when you're young. I don't know what it is about knowing things, but I've always been a fan of it.

If I knew that I would be traveling out of the country for 10 months when I started high school about three years ago, I think I would have sat on my bed until the day the opportunity came to me. I don't think I would have cried as much as I did today. I also don't think that I would have taken for granted the things that I'm leaving behind.

Don't get me wrong! My posts sound utterly depressing, but I'm completely happy with my decision and this opportunity. It's a once in a lifetime kind of thing, I haven't even considered the option to turn it down! I think I'm just getting through the harder parts at this moment.

As for Arizona, goodbye! I'm leaving tomorrow at 5 p.m. (hopefully) sharp to go on a family vacation in North Carolina. Rent a beach house, make smores, relax for a week with family? Sounds good to me! So, if you happen to be wondering "Where is Alex?" I'm right on the beach!

I Feel So... Oh So...

Feelings. What do they mean anyways? We can't trust our heart to lead us out of a chess game that will win us a grand prize of money, or to perform surgery and save somebody's life, so what's the point?

Obviously I can't be talking about the happy feelings. I absolutely love feeling happy. I'm more complaining about the heartache and hurt that accompanies the good, joyful, and inspiring. Yeah, that's about what I'm feeling right now.

I spent the day with my mom and it was full of seeing the dentist about my aching missing wisdom tooth that was just extracted along with three others, and shopping for necessities to bring with me to Germany, and it was absolutely wonderful. I was glad that I had the chance to spend alone time with my mom for one of the last times for a while, but unfortunately it reminded me at what heart strings were going to be tugged once I was away for ten months. I took a good long look at my town as well, and hugged my boyfriend for a while. It's so easy to think about how much I'm going to miss things.

However, because of how supportive everybody is being of me to go to this strange new place, I know that they really wanted this for me, and I become reminded of how much I wanted this for myself, no matter how much I'll miss everybody and everything.

What I learned today: the heart is the thing that drove the chess player to do what he loved, the surgeon to care about some stranger, and me to go explore new parts of myself and the world;

and, things change.

Global Online Exercise

A. What are the five things that you are most looking forward to about studying abroad?
1. meeting incredible people
2. bonding with my host family
3. becoming fluent in the German language
4. total immersion into the German culture
5. maturing as a person
B. What are the five things that currently worry you most about going overseas?
1. will they like me?
2. not being able to communicate
3. many unknowns
4. dispersing from my family into someplace completely new
5. what will happen while I'm there
C. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss most from home when abroad?
1. My family
2. My boyfriend
3. My friends
4. My town
5. Performing in concerts, plays, musicals, etc.
D. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss least from home when abroad?
1. My school
2. Working
3. Taking standardized tests
4.
5.
E. My greatest single challenge overseas will be:
To accomplish everything I have in mind: learning the language, bonding with many people including my host family, and learning in school while learning the language.

Hallo!

Hello for the first time! My name is Alexandra Glick and I'm 17 years old and I'm a senior in high school. Because my school has a strict dress code and a closed campus lunch on occasion, I'm leaving it forever. No, really, I'm just kidding. However, I am leaving my school. This may not be of interest to you yet, but in November of 2010 I applied for a scholarship that Congress-Bundestag was offering. Congress-Bundestag is a combination of Germany's government and the United State's government, and their goal is to connect Germans and Americans in a way that nobody could ever teach in school. Moving on about 3 or 4 months after I applied, I received an email telling me that I was a semi-finalist. Next I went to Big Bear, California to be interviewed and I met some of the most amazing and interesting people in my life. Next step was anxiously awaiting the verdict. My mom was upstairs one morning while I was emailing my teacher that I was sick. The next thing I knew, an email popped up and my answer was a shriek. I was a finalist! I had to complete a secondary application that was full of doctor's appointments, immunizations, and a preference for a host family. In May, I received my final email telling me I was a member of the CBYX exchange trip of 2011-2012, and yes, I cried. So in a month, I will be traveling to Germany, fully-paid, and living there for 10 months, and I have the opportunity to tell you about everything that goes on! Keep in touch with me and I'll let you know about German food, German culture, my journey of learning the German language, and anything else that might be of your interest!

I'll see you soon!
-Alexandra