Signed, Sealed, Delivered...

   I just sent in my Finalist Acceptance form to American Councils so its official, I'M GOING TO BOSNIA NEXT YEAR! I can't tell you how happy and excited I am. It still doesn't seem real that I got accepted to the program and I'm going in a few months. My life is crazy and I love it. I sent in my acceptance form before hearing back from CBYX because mentally I already knew that Bosnia was my first choice so knowing whether or not I had the option to go to Germany wasn't a big issue. (I mean I've already named the blog Snippets of Sarajevo so my intentions were not hidden)

Me with my signed acceptance forms! (No, I don't know why I'm in the garage either)

     In reality I had my parents sign and scan the form the night I got my acceptance email, but my dad wanted me to wait for a bit to see if CBYX would announce their finalists. They haven't and I'm pumped to go to Bosnia. I know that whoever gets CBYX will be just as pumped to go to Germany. So in the end everything has worked out perfectly. :)

So where is Bosnia?!

Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina is nearly landlocked, except for a 16 mile stretch of coastline along the Adriatic Sea. The central and southern interior parts of the country are mountainous, while the northwest of the country is moderately hilly, and the northeast is predominantly flatland. The majority of the country has a moderate continental climate, with hot summers and cold and snowy winters.

 
Sarajevo is where YES Abroad students will spend their academic year. With a population of over 300,000 people, Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in the country.
 
Often called the “Jerusalem of Europe” or the “Jerusalem of Balkans”, Sarajevo is famous for its traditional religious diversity. Adherents of Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism have coexisted here for centuries.
 
The history of Sarajevo dates back to prehistoric times rising to prominence during the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires. More recently, Sarajevo was at the center of the Bosnian War, when it lay under siege from 1992-1996. Today, the city is undergoing a post-war reconstruction, and in 2011, Sarajevo became the first city outside of the European Union to be nominated as a European Capital of Culture, for 2014.
 
The country is home to three major ethnic groups or so-called “constituent peoples”, a term unique to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosniaks (Muslim) are the largest group of the three, with Serbs (Orthodox Christian) second and Croats (Catholic) third. Traditional religious identifications do not always match up with current religious practices, however. Regardless of ethnicity, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina is usually referred to in English as Bosnian.


From:http://yesprograms.org/yesabroad/bosnia-herzegovina

Drum Roll Please....

   April 12^th 2013 will forever be known to me as the day I learned an email could change your life. It started out as a totally normal day. I went to school and the minutes crept by,  as I sat waiting for the final bell to signal the start of spring break. After school I went to German club and loitered around McDonalds and Wal-mart for a bit with a few friends. (You know normal teenage stuff) Then I got home and I turned to my mom and said “Mom I think notifications went out today and I haven’t heard anything.” And she gave me this “Aw shucks” look. I walked to my computer out of habit and opened my email. Then I saw it.

Dear Emma,

Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a Finalist for the 2013-2014 Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad scholarship for study in Bosnia Herzegovina!

    I just kept staring at the email, then staring at my mom who was smiling like a maniac, then staring at the email, then back to my mom. I could not comprehend the words I had just read, and for the first time in my entire life (friends and family can attest to this) I was speechless. I turned back to my parents and just burst out into happy tears. Then they took me out to dinner with some of my siblings. I still can’t believe I have reached this intangible goal I have been wanting for almost a year and a half (I found out about it after the deadline last year)  And now I get to make a new goal!

     CBYX AFS hasn't announced its Finalists yet, but Bosnia has been my dream for so long that I don’t think I will turn YES down. I would have a harder time deciding this if I hadn't gotten my first choice country, but I did and I’m over the moon. The other nice thing about this is that I have so many connections to Germany that I know even if I don’t go with CBYX next year I will eventually get to Germany, maybe in college, maybe to stay with my exchange student and her family, it doesn't matter how but I know I will get there. Now I don’t have any connection with Bosnia so YES has given me my big chance to go explore it! It’s rare when every piece of the puzzle falls exactly where you wanted it to, but for me it did, and I still can’t believe it. AAAHHHH BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA HERE I COME!!!

Me telling my German exchange student. Her happiness for me is the reason why I love her

    Until I hear more news...