ACCEPTED!!

This is just a quick post--I wanted to let everyone know that I've been accepted by AFS France, and the next step is a host family! I'm so excited, this makes everything real. Even though I know it's still almost three months away and I probably won't get a family until December, I can't stop thinking about how many great experiences I'll be having shortly. Thanks to everyone who helped me get to this point, and thanks to those who continue to support me. I know I'll have a great time thanks to all of your help!

France Update

It's been a while since my last post, so I just wanted to give a quick update. I finished my application and it's been accepted by AFS USA and forwarded to AFS France. I should hear about whether or not I've been accepted in a few weeks, so I'll be posting then. After that I should receive my host family and placement information. I'll be leaving in late January for the whole semester! My best friend is in Bourges, France for the whole year, and hopefully we'll be able to meet up once I arrive and she'll be able to help me out a little, but other than that I'll be on my own.

Here in the States, I'm taking AP French at school, hoping it will help prepare me for my arrival in France (though I know there will still be some pretty serious culture shock and the French speak a lot faster than my teacher, so I won't be completely prepared), I'm participating in the AFS club at school and building up my good exchange student karma. Last weekend I had a sleepover at my house with a few exchange students and members of the club, and while many weren't able to attend because of annual mid-September colds, we had a great time and I hope I was able to help them learn more about the American culture. We made t-shirts and watched movies and shared our cultures, and it was a lot of fun.

A few weeks ago there was also orientation for the students who are here in the United States from other countries. It was a sleepover as well, and they were allowed to bring guests. My friend Mary from Kenya invited me, and it was so much fun. We played games and listened to music and I was surprised at how little our cultural differences affected our friendships. Even after years of participating in AFS and planning to go abroad myself, it was inspiring to see how much staying up late, giggling and telling stories, and just sitting around talking when it got late, was just as great with foreigners as it is with my American friends. I hope that my experience with AFS France will be as great as my experience with AFS USA.