April 12th 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...
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