It's that time of the year again... part two

Time for part two. This time I'm just going to list everyone who has inspired me to prusue my dream of exchange and who I have followed them for the past 9-10 months on their journey of a lifetime. I've had conversations with all of you and you have all made me laugh. I'm glad I got to know all of you because knowing all of you have showed me how much exchange students need one another.

Jessica (USA->Belgium)

Moses (USA->Belgium)

Megan (USA->Belgium)

Claire (France->USA)

Joyce(Italy->USA)

Levi(USA->Italy)

Matthew(USA->Czech Republic)

Anna(Germany->USA)

Katie(USA->Germany)

Andrew (USA->France)

Lauren(USA->Germany)

Maddi(USA->France)

Alis(Scotland->USA)

Stephanie(USA->Thiland)

Marc(France->USA)

Val(France->USA)
Camille(USA->France)

Julie(Norway->USA)

Carmen(Spain->USA)

Fanny(Belgium->USA)

Kaley(USA->Poland)
Niccole(Canada->Austria)
Gabi(Spain->Canada)

Astrid(Belgium->USA)

Rebekka(Denmark->USA)

It's time for me to say goodbye to some wonderful people. Exchange students are family I have learned this from Rotary and from them. I love you all hope your life from this point on is full of wonders and travel.

I hope this time next year I'll be writing on this blog for travel of own to a foreign country.

Until next time(which will probably be July)

Hailey

It's that time of the year part 1

Even though I did not get accepted and yes I'm applying again I'm going to coutninue to write on this blog and it will be exchange things... My post today is one that I wish I would not have to write. It's the time of the year where schools ending and all my exchange friends are leaving to go home. I've met so many and I can't get my head around that I won't be in the same country as them anymore. I wanted to say thank you too all of you that I have had the pleasure of being friends with.

Judith is my friend from Norway who spent her exchange year here in Virginia. I started talking to her before she even got here to the US. We started talking July 31, 2013 and now sometime next month she is leaving. I was her first American friend and she was my first Norwiegan friend. I love the frienship we have because we're close even though we've never actually met in person (which is crazy considering how close we are.) I will come to Norway one day to hang out with you. Even though you are a big meanie to me haha! You'e going to be 18 on June 13th which is crazy considering you look sixteen but I hope you turn up for your birthday. I love you, you Hora!

Carina is my friend from Germany who spent her exchange year here in Virginia. She was the only exchange student at my school. I've loved being friends with her. We were on the same soccer team for indoor season, high school season (Varsity might I add), and we're on the same sand soccer team for the upcoming tournament. High school season we've gotten pretty close and I'm going to be a mess when you leave. Even though I know your heart lies with fockey (which it shoudln't!) I know you enjoyes your shot soccer career. Thanks for teaching me the word Dumme Schlampe I shall forever use that word on people I hate! haha! I have so much more to say but I'll wait for the day you leave to tell you everything.

Katrine is my friend from Denmark who spent her exchange year in California. Okay to say it all I'm jelous of you you got to live in southern California! You're the sweetest! I still don't believe you're only 16 you look soooo much more older(in a good way). I'm pretty sure one day I'll see you walking down the runway at all the top fashion events because I think you're destined to be a model. Oh and how could I forget to thank you for being my "Starbucks Twin"! When I get over to Denmark we're having our Starbucks date that we set back in like November. We'll go to Coppenhagen were the only Starbucks in Denmark exsit and have so many frappachinos we'll be Starbucks drunk! Haha! One last thing is that she's with Rotary which is one the main reasons I love her! Oh and apparently no one has said her name correctly while she was here on exchange so I'm going to try and be the first!


Aude is my friend from FRANCE! who spent her exchange year in California. She also lived in Southern California -.- How lucky these people are. Lately we haven't talked much but I still adore you! You're also a felloew Rotary youth exchanger so even if you  weren't you're automatically awesome and cool.

Carlos is my friend from Spain who spent his exchange year in Michigan. I just recently met him in a group chat of exchange students and boy is he perfect (emooji that's laughing so hard there's tears) I think Caroline would agree. I can't belive you are leaving in like 13 days like woahhhhh!

This is FAR from everyone and I relies that it's getting long so i'll make another but for now this is it. I don't want any of my friends to leave because that means you'e thousands and thouands of miles away from me. Thank you for being my friends. It's crazy how obilvious I was from the world around me and all the exchange students that exsited in the world. They have helped me open my eyes to the world they have taught me things that happen in their culture and taught me words (mostly inapportiate words) of their langauge. I hope when I read this 5 or 10 years from now I'll still in conatact with every single one of you!

Hailey

Rejected; like always

As you can tell from the title I am a reject of cbyx 2014-2015. I should have expected it I kinda did but ithougjt maybe for once something good would happen in my life. Boy was I wrong. Yesterday they started calling people at about 3 and I didn't get a call I was starting to get worried and even more worried then at I think like 5:10 I got an email saying I was rejected, I known I wasn't an alternate at this point because like 30 mins before they sent the alternates their emails. I hate this so much. I chose cbyx over rotary and now I'm not going anywhere. I only found 2 other people who were rejected but I know that there isn't no more then probably 15 rejects as they probably have 15 alternates. I keep asking myself what the hell did I do wrong? I can't find an answer. I'm going to call Julia in a bit and ask because I need to know. I'm probably going to apply again next year but if I couldn't beat 15 kids to become an alternate how am I going to beat another round of kids next year. I honestly feel embarrsed because by being flat out rejected means I couldn't beat 30 kids to be a finalist. 30! Last year I think someone said there were 120 semi'a but this year there were 80. I keep crying and I'm dying on the inside because exchange means so much to me and now I was told no your not good enough to be an exchange student. Now I have to watch all my Rotary friends leave for exchange and also the cbyx people I bonded with leave. It stings really bad. I hope the best for them. Congrats to my friend Diana, we've stuck out this journey since before they announced semi's and now she will be headed to Germany! I'm so proud of you if you are reading this. Also congrats to Nataila and Sophia! And congrats to all the CBYX CIEE finalist and all CBYX finalist.

Delay in Finalist notification

On Friday we were suposed to receive word on weather or not we are a finalist. Then at 9:20 I think in the morning Julia sent an email to inform us they hoped to tell us on Friday but it still hadn't had the final clearance from Congress so we have at the most fifteen more days. I really hope they are just days days not Congress business days just regular days.

If a person learns anything from this process is patience because patience is the key. When I hear word on the day we will know or when I find out, which ever happens first, I'll be sure to update.

-Hailey

Tomorrow is the day

Today is Thursday the 27th which makes tomorrow the 28th the day I have been waiting for since I turned in my application. I can't believe that it's already time for finalist notification just two weeks ago I was thinking about what I was going to wear to interview and now I'm about to pee my pants (not literally) because I will know what my year ahead of me will look like!

Tomorrow I have a soccer game from 4:30-6 so hopefully I won't miss my phone call from Julia but if she does call during my game I already have a plan so if she does I won't miss it. Every night for the past 12 days I've try imagining what it would be like to get a phone call saying I'm a finalist it honestly doesn't seem like it would happen for me. I do at times feel like I have my hopes up to high but I don't think it possible to bring them down because I'm trusting in myself that I did well enough to get in.

I do however just wish I could of showed them all the passion I have for exchange because I don't think I showed them just how deeply exchange is for me. Just have to hope the universe is on my side! 

Until tomorrow,
              Hailey

Interview!

The day was finally here! I had a hard time believing it! Leaving everyone this morning/afternoon (depending on what you count 12)was hard knowing we could never see each other again. I had a lot of fun the people there were deff. the best! I wish we could all go to Germany I think we would make the best CBYX CIEE group everrrrr!

We had to be there by 12 even though interview didn't start till 1 because the hour between when we got there and when interview started was to give us time to go get settled into out room and meet everyone. Unfortunalty the rooms weren't ready yet, so I was told to go up to the Williamsburg(Had a little panic attack that I would have to drive all the way back to Williamsburg turns out it was just the name of the room) on the 2nd floor and everyone will be in there. I was one of the last to get there, with three other's who still hadn't gotten there yet, it was honestly quit terrifying because they had the chairs in a big circle so everyone was sitting cross from one another talking and what not. I sat down beside Caitlyn and Hannah. It was torture honestly because everyone in the room had to sit there and kind of size everyone up I guess. We sat like this, at least for me, for an hour no one but us were in the room.

One finally came around before I knew it we were introducing ourselves and what not, the problem is I have bad hand and eye coordination and we were throwing a ball to one another >.<  so of corse the ball I threw was horrible. We did a game to remember each other's names called the "Name Game" we had to find something that started with the first letter of our first name and we also had to remember everyone who was in front of us' name. It was pretty difficult when your towards the end.

-Sam: Santa
-Hannah: His suspenders (John's)
-Ian : Ice
-Eddy: Entertainment
-Mera: Magic
-Shannon: Showbiz
-Sophia: Seeing movies
-Natlalia: Night time
-Joey: Jiff
-John: Jogging
-Cameron: Coffee
-Lauren: Lauhging
-Lena(I think >.<): Lamps
-Sabath: Saturdays
-Jericho: June
-Abagail: Airplanes
-Ava: Acrobatics
-Vanassa: Violen
-Evan: Excat change
-Sierra: Sugar
-Lauren: Lemiers
-Ben: Beans

That's all I can remember off the top of my head and I hope I have them all right. I had my interview sometime between 2:00 and 2:20 not sure it was schedule for 2:30-3:00 but I was out before 2:35. At first I thought I did pretty good but as time went on I started regretting saying some things like I said I was pretty attached to my phone I also regret not saying something's that I really wanted to say. I was asked what 3 things do I expect to gain from Germany and I wish I would have said that I expect to grow as a person and find myself on the journey of my year abroad but that totally was not in my mind when I was thinking of what to say for an answer. Especially when it was time for bed and I couldn't fall asleep so I thought about my interview and what I said at least what I could remember.
I gave it my all and on or before March 28th I'll know the truth if it was good enough.

I can't imagine not being able to go to Germany with everyone from the Richmond interview. It was a lot of fun and on the whole ride home it's all I talked about I'm still talking about it! It's great to be with people I can relate to sooo much! They understand everything! It's crazy! It's not like how at school people ask why would you ever want to go live in another country for 10 months because everyone here wants to too! It was just ahhhmazing!

 I have to wait 12 days until Finalist Notification aka the 12 days of Hell. I'll post when I find out if I'm a finalist or not fingers crossed I am!


-Hailey
    -P.S Here are photo's from this weekend! Also I forgot to write about a lot of other things I wanted to talk to but it's late and my brain is foggy.

           Here is the Richmond group <3 Photo creds to Julia!

             













                                                      The view from my hotel room

    
           Natalia, Sophia, and I

 

 

An update! T-minus 14 days till interview!

In exactly two weeks from now I will be packing for my interview that is in Richmond. I can't believe that I only have 14 DAYS  left but at the same time I have 14 DAYS left. It's close but far ya know? Tomorrow is the Atlanta interview and a few of my friends (okay all but one) are going to that and if any of you are reading this,

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!

On the Saturday of my interview I have a field hockey game at 8 in the morning then I go home and wait until 11 comes and I will be leaving for my interview. Since where we are having our interview at is only an hour and ten minutes away I should be there by 12:15 giving me enough time to put my stuff in the hotel room and meet everyone else before interview starts at one.


I did find out that if I will know if I get accepted on or before March 28th!  If I do get accepted we leave either for Germany or when everyone has to be in DC I'm not sure) on July 24th! That's when the program starts giving me about 5 weeks from the time school gets out to pack and spend time with all my friends.

I want this opportunity so bad it just honestly means the world to me. All that stands in front of me being a finalist is interview. I was able to get passed application and now I have to show them in person that I deserve this and have a passion and heart for it.

I do think I will make vlogs also but I think I'm going to wait until I find out if I'm a finalist or not to start that... Everyone please wish me luck and think of me when I have my interview! That's all for now I think I will post again in exactly two weeks aka pre-interview day :)

"Exchange is not a year in a life, but a life in a year"

~Hailey

P.S I think I'm going to end every blog post with an exchange quote!