Introduction
Hello friends, family, and those who found my site through some crazy black magic kind of way (the internet and social media). Welcome to my blog! Chances are, if you're reading this you either know me personally, as a friend or family or a school acquaintance, or you heard about my exchange through one of my mothers Facebook posts. However you found out about this, I'm glad to have you here. If you couldn't tell already, this is a blog for when I go abroad. Every week I will update you with a new post about what I did, what I saw, how I'm feeling, the language, school, or anything else that occurs. So, let us begin.
My name is Leah (lay-a), I'm 16 years old, I have an 11 year old sister, Amelia, I was born in Colorado, moved around a bunch, found my way back but only to leave again. My destination this time: Germany. A small town called Papenburg, to be exact. Through one of my friends, I found this organization called Rotary that not only helps the world, but also gives kids the opportunity to do student exchange. I applied, interviewed, and got in! Since then, I have been getting ready for this exchange. Since it's not free, I've also been working to get some spending money.
A little more stuff about me just for your entertainment: I'm very family oriented. I love my family (and friends) more than anything else in this world. Thanks to one of my best friends, I longboard now. I adore animals (not insects) and I have a dog, Denver, and a cat, Cheche. They're perfect-- except for when they're not. I like to read, bake, watch Netflix, and be comfy. One of my favorite landscapes is the beach because its just amazing and fun and I have good memories there. Now that you all know a little more about me, here's some stuff about my exchange.
Germany
When I was interviewed, the program had me and all the other applicants give them a list of our top countries. Germany was my top choice and I got it. I chose Germany for a few reasons. One, my last name is German so I hope that I can do some research into my ancestry. Two, I am Jewish. While that may not be the best thing to shout from the rooftops in this day and age, it's true. I am not going to hide that part of me from the world. I am proud of it. This gave me a special connection because of the Holocaust. I've been learning about if from an earlier age than most kids, and would love the chance to go to museums and/or memorials to pay my respects. Reason number three, my parents went all around Europe before I was born and they loved Germany. In my mind, the country just has so much to offer me. And I want to jump at every chance I get to learn and grow as a person from being there.
I recently found out who my host family is. They're a family of four but their younger daughter is leaving to do an exchange and their older daughter is going to college. This means that I may be an only child. My school is called Gymnasium Papenburg. They are celebrating their 150th anniversary as a school by taking the student to Rome for a whole week! And I will be one of those students. Papenburg is a small town in northwest Germany that has a small population and is kind of isolated. One of the closest big cities is Amsterdam, which is about 2 and 1/2 hours away.
How I'm Feeling
So this is a tricky one because it's like everything else in my life. I have mixed feelings about it. I am mostly excited, giddy, and happy to be given this opportunity. Oh god, I am so incredibly thankful that I was chosen for this. On the other hand I'm kinda freaking out just a wee bit. I don't know much of the language yet, I'm worried about friends (here and there), I don't know how school will work, public transportation, and the list goes on.
In a way, I feel like my life has been leading up to this. Every time I move, I get better at it and I learn something new. I've learned how to say goodbye to people that I won't see for a long time. I've said goodbye to friends and family so many times that I've lost count. Never living near my grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins, I've learned how to deal with being away from family for extended periods of time. Moving to new climates and regions, I've learned how to adapt to my surroundings. Moving to areas where even the people are different has taught me how to make friends and get along with others (for the most part). So, yeah. I think I'm ready for this and I can do it. But the real question: can I really do it and am I actually ready?
Special Thanks and Extra Love
First on my list is Rotary. My local club and the district. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to have this chance to better myself and my life. I will forever be thankful and indebted to them for believing that I would be a good ambassador for them and this country. They also have the most amazing and supportive and helpful people who work for them. To every rotary member reading this, thank you so much for everything you do.
My parents. Without them, I would not have life. Not only that, but they support me, trust me, encourage me, and love me. They helped make me who I am today, and for that, I am grateful. It was also my mom who gave me the idea for study abroad. The very beginning of freshman year I told her "I want to try graduating a year early." And rather than just accepting the fact that I was unhappy in school and trying to make me suck it up, she encouraged me to do more. She told me about how I could get more school credits by doing study abroad. How good it would look on college applications. What a phenomenal experience it would be. So thanks to her, I started researching and I am now about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
Adrienne Kast and Danielle Kissack. Adrienne has been one of my closest friends for a very long time and when I told her about my plan she was so supportive and thought that it was a great idea (I actually love her a lot). She told me that her older sister, Danielle, had done a year of study abroad through Rotary. Adrienne gave me her sister's number and Danielle helped start me off on my exchange. She told me about the process that I would have to go through in order to apply. Without her, I would have been completely lost.
All of my friends who have supported my plan to do this. I love all of you so much. Although I already live hundreds and hundreds of miles away from some of you, it'll still be sad leaving. And my friends that live here, oh boy am I gonna miss you. But don't worry, I'll be back. Until then: Grace, I'll find a cute cafe to drink some tea and read. Olivia, I'll learn the dirty words just for you. Jack, I'll keep long-boarding (maybe even with a cowboy hat). Sarah, I'll find some good European pastries to make for you once I get back. Jovi, I'll still call you for advice when it comes to everything. I know that there are more of you that I would like to say something to. A lot more. But it doesn't matter if you are on that list or not, I love you all and will never forget you.
The Last Bit
Well you made it through! I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you would like to subscribe and be notified whenever I post, just enter your email address right where it says subscribe. Also, you may have noticed that there are 2 Instagram connections. One is my main account where I post highlights and important things. I will continue to use that account, but not very often. The other account is set up to be my travel account. Whenever I go somewhere new or have some cool pictures to post, that will be the place to find them. So you can follow me, subscribe to my blog, or just visit this site whenever you want to. Stay tuned for the next update! :)