I'm Thankful For...

Hello(:

I just wanted to say how thankful I am for everything. My great friends, AFS, my family's support, all the people that I have started talking to through AFS, everything! I don't know how this all seems to be working out (even though I haven't quite been accepted yet), but I am thankful, happy, glad, giddy even, that it seem like it is going to happen!

Time has become a constant motion, and when I say this I mean that I know that it has always been a constant motion, but now it actually feels like it. I feel like every day is slipping by, and today I realized that HOLY CRAP, it is already Thanksgiving. Since when is it even November? Heck, I don't even remember celebrating Halloween, mostly because I didn't, but that is irrelevant. I don't remember specific days anymore, and time seems to be going by me so fast.

And then boom, I realized that next year, if everything goes as hoped, I won't be here, at my cabin (A tradition to come down here for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter) in Boulder, Utah, and I will not be eating turkey dinner with my family and friends who are here every year. I will be somewhere else, somewhere that right at this moment, I don't even know about. And that place will be my home. It is so weird to think about. Weird, but amazing.

I know that this post was just me kind of writing out all my thoughts, but I needed to get it down(: By the way, if everything goes as planned, I have a little over 9 months. Which is kind of crazy.

Arrivederci-
Rachael 

A Watched Pot Never Boils..

Hello:)
So.. I just got an email from AFS, and it said "We will start reviewing submitted applications in late January" Oh my goodness.. That is a REALLY long way away. But I can do it. It will be worth it! But still... It will be tough to wait so long to know if this is a reality. But you know what they say: a watched pot never boils, so I think I need a distraction from this for a little while. 


ALSO, I got an email from AFS yesterday, and received 200$, for a family award scholarship! It absolutely made my night. So that means that I have $3,350.00 left to raise for myself! (My parents agreed to pay half, just in case I hadn't mentioned that before) I now have $3,400.00 dollars that I have raised through babysitting, birthdays, and Christmases. So, I am a little more than half way done with raising money!! And I can't help but smile when I think of that! THANK YOU AFS FAMILY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP! If anyone, and that means anyone, wants to donate, anything helps. Even 1 or 2 dollars would help, so please sponsor my dream, and help me make it a reality!(: And I have been trying to figure out some possible fundraisers, so if you have any ideas, let me know by commenting below, or emailing me at rachiiramsey@hotmail.com. Grazie 

This isn't really the longest post, but I thought that I would let you know my GOOD news, and my....application news. And I am so happy that this program exists, because I have already connected with so many people, that I wouldn't have ever talked to without AFS(: 

Arrivederci-

Rachael 

Just a Random Postt...

Hello Everybody(:

I don't really have any news, but I felt like saying hi and giving a little update about how nothing has happened yet...

I have been checking my email 100X a day, hoping that by some small chance that AFS has emailed me back about my application.. no luck so far! I know that it has only been a couple weeks since I submitted it, but what is life without hope? I have heard from many people that I will probably not hear back until January, which is a while off.. but I am an impatient person, so I cannot sit by idle, doing nothing. Therefore, I check my email all the time, daydream about AFS, and hope that January will come around the corner in a blink of an eye.

That is all that I can come up with to say for now.

Arrivaderci-
Rachael 

P.S. I AM SO SO EXCITED (and I haven't even been accepted yet) Ohh man.. I hate this waiting game.

Hurry Up and Wait!

Hello!

Oh my gosh.... I just did the most exciting thing/scariest thing that I have ever done. I SUBMITTED my full application. I can honestly say that when the little "pop-up" came up and said "Are you sure you want to submit your full application? After you submit it you may make no changes." (Or something around that) I closed my eyes and clicked "yes." Afterwords I was jumping and screaming... quite an event. Now I get to check my email 10000 times a day, until I get accepted. I wanted to turn in my application fast... now I have to wait, and wait, and wait some more.. (Hence the title)

I can tell that this is going to be the most amazing experience I am going to have, I have already met some really wonderful people, and I hope to meet so many more(:

Please sponsor me, and donate to this magnificent experience! I would be so grateful if you did. Just click the safe "ChipIn" gadget on the upper right part of the blog, it would be awesome if you could!

Arrividerci-
Rachael


P.S. I might not post a lot until I get more information, or until I get accepted.. Because up until then all I can say is how excited I am, which is REALLY, EXTREMELY, excited, but that would probably get old after a while.. So until next time. Ciao.. 
P.P.S. If you have any ideas about fundraising, comment below, or email me at rachiiramsey@hotmail.com. Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks so much :D

A Happy Interview.

Hello All!

I guess it isn't really the most crazy news, but two days ago was a great day. I had my in-home interview!! At the beginning, I was scared, but little did I know, that it was going to be so relaxed. Barbara, the women who gave the interview, my parents, and I just sat and chatted for about three hours. That's it. It was so exciting, hearing about the experiences to come next year. I know it seems impossible, but it made me even more excited for the year to come.

In other news, I am planning on TURNING IN my FULL APPLICATION in the next couple days.(: I have everything finished, it is just the matter of checking, and re-checking, and probably checking again, that I have everything filled out. Then it turns into the matter of clicking "submit", and waiting... and waiting!

Well I think that is all for now.
Arrividerci-
Rachael


P.S. If you have any ideas for fundraising, comment below, or email me at rachiiramsey@hotmail.com. Thanks!!

ChipIn!

Hey Everybody!
In case you haven't noticed, I added the ChipIn gadget to my page! If you want to sponser and support me, that is a great way to do it. It is a safe way to donate money towards my study abroad! It would be wonderful if you could help out, but if you can't, that is alright as well(:

In another subject, my AFS local representative called me today to set up an interview!! Yayy!
(And I won front row tickets to Taylor Swift!!!!) What a great week!

Arrividerci-
Rachael
ChipIn is right there!----------------------------------------->

Beginnings, Introductions, and other fun stuff!

Hey everybody!

I'm Rachael, a 15 year old planning on studying abroad in a little less than a year with a program called AFSUSA Intercultural Program. When I go, I will be a junior in high school, and I am so extremely excited! I think that it will be an amazing experience, and I hope to become fluent in another language, and experience another culture other than the one I am used to. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to travel, and this gives me the opportunity live and go to school abroad for 10(eeek!) months. From the moment that I introduced the idea to my parents, they have been supportive and helpful with everything. I got lucky with that(:.

Right now, I am in the middle of the end of my full applications. And man, it was tedious. For all of you that haven't filled one out, I'll tell you that it is A LOT of work, but I am crossing my fingers that it will be worth it. Some questions I get a lot are: Where will you be going? Well... The answer to this is HOPEFULLY Italy, but my other choices are The Netherlands, and France. Where in Italy will you be staying? I have no idea, and unfortunately I won't for a long time. Who will you be staying with? I don't know the answer to that question either, but I will be staying with a host family that lives over there. Do you speak Italian? No, not exactly. I know a total of about 35 words. Ouch. But, I am planning on doing some online classes, and maybe have a tudor, but for now, no. How expensive is it? REALLY expensive, I have raised a little money, but it costs around $13,000 dollars, so I need to keep working at that.

My To-Do List:

*Copy all the forms onto the online application

*Turn in application

*Schedule In-home interview

*FUNDRAISE

*Cross my fingers

*Wait...

Well, I think that is about it for now. I promise to post again soon

Arrividerci-

Rachael