No more going to France

So on Wednesday, I attended the Virginia Peninsula rotary club's meeting and I had a fantastic time! Something you learn when you talk to and have friends who are rye students is that Rotary meetings have the best food, and this meeting was nothing short of delicious. I had Salmon and caviar, salad, and a little sandwich, if you know me I hate fish the smell of it makes me gag but I put it on my plate and sat down and was hopping I wouldn't gag when I was eating it but it was really good, I enjoyed it.

Now to the title. I've been waiting since ESSEX released the 15-16 app for them to release the country list so I could print it and put down my top five country choices. Well this year they decided to drop the age limit for arrival for many countries... including France. So now you oldest you can be when you get to France is 17.5 and I'm a January baby which means I'll be 1 month and 16 days to old :/

I emailed my districts YEO (Youth Exchange Officer) yesterday asking about if this age limit is absolute and he said chances are it is but after I have my district interview he will put me in touch with people who know and could possibly change it for me. But honestly I'm not stressing it to much. I know I will go to France for university, so I'm not that upset that I can't do an exchange year in France. I'm kinda glad because now I get to set my sights on somewhere new!

I've changed my countries since I'll be too old for France and Germany, I wrote down countries that I am eligible for and I'm interested in going to (also countries that my mom approved of) and narrowed them to my top 5!

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Belgium
4. Iceland
5. Sweden

I'm pretty sure my only warm country up there is Belgium and maybe Denmark, but I will live!

I think I will write a post next month on tips of getting your parents on board and having them agree for you to do exchange, since it is something I know I struggled with but thankfully overcame :)

“Exchange is going from thinking, you know who you are, to having no idea who you are anymore, to being someone new.”

-Hailey

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Update!

On Wednesday September 17th I will be attending the Virginia Peninsula Rotary Club meeting! I was supposed to attend a meeting on September 10th but it rained really bad the day before so I had car troubles but no worries since I will be going to the meeting on Wednesday. I will be going there to see about sponsoring also so they can meet my mom since last year they only met my dad.

The saying "Everything happens for a reason" has been on my mind since April 10th. I've been pondering the reason why but the answer didn't come until I was ready for it, I assume. I've been butthurt that I didn't get accepted, actually still a little am, but I now know why I wasn't accept and I'm sort of glad. I was meant to go through Rotary I am destined to go through Rotary!

One of the things that make Rotary exchange students different then all the other exchange students are that every Rotary exchange student receives a blazer. Blazers are really important to us, they itself documents our exchange. They document the other Rye (Rotary youth exchange) kids we have met by the hundreds of pins that lie on our jackets, they also document whatever we put up there from out exchange. Basically our blazers mean a lot to us. Well I will be receiving mine sometime in the next 7 months and I honestly tear up. Imaging myself with my blue blazer and my suitcase and carryon in hand at the airport about to leave, makes me excited as hell but also a little terrified. I'm just ready for that moment, but I need to enjoy everyday until now til departure!

"Being a child with a good childhood is something good for everyone, but having the opportunity to be an exchange student is even better." 

Hailey


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Drum Roll Please

So I've made a decision on who I want to apply to and I've chosen ROTARY!

I did have help in making my decision and their help may have been biased but hey they were right haha.

I have so many friendships with the people who do exchanges with Rotary and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I know I've made the right decision!

Somewhere in the next four months I will know where I'll be heading for the 2015-2016 year. I've grown A LOT since this time last year and I'm very thankful that I have. Well since you know I have chosen Rotary it's only right you know my top five countries!

1. France
2. Norway
3. Germany
4. Denmark
5. Czech Republic

So since summer started I've basically started choosing my top five countries and every time I thought about it I would change it but these are locked in and I will not be changing them. At one point I did have Iceland listed as my second choice but after talking to rebounds (People who went on exchange with Rotary and have returned) I was told only about 7 people go each year with Rotary so I know my chances of going to Iceland are very very slim so I decided to change it up a bit.

This blog shall now document my pre-exchange, my exchange, and my after exchange with Rotary.

Also my friend Caroline leaves for Bolivia on the 19^th so I wish her the best of luck on her new life and I hope that your year is wonderful and same goes to my friend Anya who leaves for Croatia on the 26^th!

“People who don't travel cannot have a global view, all they see is what's in front of them. Those people cannot accept new things because all they know is where they live.” - Martin Yan

-Hailey

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July update

If you haven't noticed yet, I have changed my blog url and name. Since I'm not going to Germany for 2014-2015 it seems appropriate that it changes.

As of right now it's the end of July and all the CBYX kids will be leaving for Germany and the CIEE kids will be in DC on Thursday for PDO and then Saturday fly out to Germany. I so happy for them but at the same time wish I could be in their shoes. I was in Maryland at my Dad's and he lives inGreenbelt which is right outside of DC and I'm glad I left because knowing I'm a mere twenety minutes from them but not leaving with them would kill me. Everyone I talk to says there's a reason why weren't suppose to go but I'm still waiting for that reason and I hope it's a god damn good reason because as the days go on, I see reasons why I should go.

Since it is July I am trying to figure out who I want to apply to for exchange for 2015-2016.

                           -Rotary? I love everyone with Rotary. Most of my exchange friends are/were Rotary exchangers and tbh the best exchange students are from Rotary.

                           -CBYX? CBYX is pretty cool I definitely like the program and of course the best thing is that it's free.. besides passport, visa, and stuff like that. The people who do go on exchange with CBYX are some of the coolest American exchange students

                           -NSLIY? Last yer when I applied I bs this app and kinda regreted it. I don't know really much about it but I do some kids who are on exchange currently with the NSLIY summer exchange program.

                            -YES? The only thing I'm scared about with YES is that I believe only 65 kids from the entire country are chosen but I'll regret it if I don't try. Which I was planning to apply to but got to lazy after waiting last minute to do my CBYX app. So I do regret being to lazy for that.

This is how I see it: Apply to Rotary and not to any of the government sponsored scholarships

                                                         ---or----

   Apply to all of the listed government exchange programs and not to Rotary

I have to have a choice by the beginning of September, so if I do choose to apply to Rotary I can start on my application.

I would love for the next ten months to go by so I can be packing and waiting for my visa but I'm trying to remind myself to take advantage of today because I don't know who I will lose in the next ten months and I don't know what this school year has in hand for me.

On a good note I am looking at college's. My minor isn't at all college's which does prove to be a bit of a challenge but I'm not going to a college that doesn't have it. My minor is Teaching English as a Second Langauge(TESL) and my major is French. When I do see that college's have my minor I start to look at their French programs. I do want a college with an amazing French program that includes study abroad and immersion to the fullest. I have seen college's that do have their students who are majoring in French and want to be a teacher go to France and intern which is major points in my book.

I don't know what the future holds but I can only hope good is in it.

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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.