Here's Hoping . . .

Hello Blogger World! Good afternoon, or evening or morning, depending on where ever you've stumbled upon this. Me? Still writing from Iowa - hopefully not for too much longer though! I've missed the first day of my school in Spain - September 15 - and now I've missed Spain Inbound Orientation in Madrid - September 22-24. *tear* There's still about fourteen people across the U.S. waiting for their visas to Spain though, so there's going to be mini-orientation in October for us, which is a relief. I can't wait to meet all the other exchange students!

As for the status of our visas . . . I heard on a Facebook group -- for those of you who don't know, exchange students connect like crazy on Facebook -- that three were issued today, and that we should all have our visas by the end of the week. After it's issued, we should be departing the day after! I don't know how things will actually play out, and I don't want to get my hopes up, but being in Spain by next week would be amazing. I thought I would have to go to Spain's consulate in Chicago to pick up my visa, but now I'm not sure. I was looking forward to going to Chicago, because my mom and I were going to spend two days up there together as bonding time before I'm off to the other side of the world for ten months, you know? I guess we'll just have to figure out something else to do. We both just want me to be in Spain as soon as possible.

Shout-out to Caroline from Kentucky who knows exactly how I've been feeling. She's still waiting for her visa too. About a week ago on Facebook, she said, "My life is a shallow pool of loneliness. Everyone goes to school and I sit at home and watch Friends all day. I need to be in Spain." I don't know about you, but that sums it up for me! Except her Friends is my NCIS. Did you know that Friends and NCIS are on TV pretty much all day? And That 70's Show!  Anyways, I think you get the idea . . . I'm going kind of crazy and am somewhat depressed, but I'm receiving an excellent lesson of patience at the same time.



Well that's about I got. Hopefully I'll be writing to you soon about a departure!

Here's hoping,
Josie

Word of the day: Unpredictable.

What can I say? My exchange has been unpredictable lately.

If you're an exchange student, then you already know that one email can make all the difference in your day, week, exchange year. I check my my email daily, probably about ten times daily. This has been going on since about February. I know it probably seems obsessive, and I even considered writing a blog post about "the obsessed exchange student." But truth be told, I think every exchange student would fall into that category. We're aching to know more information. From, what city am I going to? to Who are my host families? and so on. Right now, though, I need to know when my visa is ready and when I can go.

Within the past four days, I have received three significant emails. In summary . . .

1. August 22
My district's outbound coordinator contacts the travel agent at It's Your World Travel that is organizing Matthew's and my exchange. We have no idea what the status of our permission to apply for a visa is, or if our visa is being processed yet. Our outbound coordinator believes we have a departure date of September 2nd(one week from tomorrow).

I was so happy to have a departure date, even if it was only tentative! I still had no idea how my visa was doing though.

2. Today, 12:55 AM
The travel agent finally gives us an update on the status of our visas. The Spanish government still hasn't issued the approvals to apply for a visa. Both consulates of Spain in the US, in Chicago and San Francisco, will not re-accept our passport and documents without a prior approval issued by the Spanish home government in Madrid. She gives us a list of fourteen students who are going through the same thing. She seems doubtful that we will make the September 9-11 orientation. There is nothing we can do right now - everything on our end has been completed.

I'm upset. I'm glad that the travel agent bothered to keep us in the loop of our own exchanges though. I go to sleep frustrated and exhausted.

3. Today, 6:58 AM
The Long Term Coordinator  in Spain informs all of the Spain 2011-2012 inbounds that the orientation has been moved to the 22nd - 24th of September.

Many people are having troubles with their visa. I'm glad I'm not alone, but still disappointed about everything in general. At least orientation isn't so early. I'll probably be able to make it.


I feel stuck right now, but I'll just have to go with the flow I guess. School started yesterday, and it is so strange being home! I also don't have work anymore, because my last day was Sunday. I put in my last day since everything is so unpredictable; I didn't want to all of a sudden find out that I'm leaving in a few days and leave Hy-Vee hanging. Now I wish I would've stayed another week or two. At home . . . I've started packing, I've been reading, I've been watching cheesy morning shows.

Most of the outbounds from my district are in their host countries already. I thoroughly enjoy stalking them on Facebook and on their blogs. It's fun, but sad at the same time, because I wish that I could be one telling you guys about my exchange in Spain right now, rather than telling you about my waiting for it. However, I'm glad I'm not alone. It's so nice to have Matt to talk to about everything, since we're going through the same thing. Hopefully we can be talking about out lives in Spain soon, maybe even in Spanish.

I almost forgot to tell you . . . I got my braces off two days ago! Even orthodontia cannot stand between me and Spain! I love how my teeth turned out and I find myself smiling all day. Even though I'm in quite a sad state right now with all of the visa complications, it's hard to feel upset for too long because I am constantly smiling! Have you ever tried to be sad while smiling? It is difficult, my friend. I couldn't have got my braces off at a better time!



Cliché "I just got my braces off" Photo



Guaranteed!

After much anticipation, my guarantee form finally came in the mail last Wednesday, the 15th! It basically means what it sounds like - my exchange to Spain has been guaranteed; I have one host family so far, an address, a school, a sponsoring Rotary Club . . . It feels good. It's so strange to think that I didn't realize the significance of the form that I filled out months ago in November, applying at the district level. Now that form has been around the world, signed, and back! Right now I am working on attaining a visa, which I have found out, is much work between background checks, notarizing a seemingly endless number of documents, and going through applications, among other things. At the moment I am a bit jealous of my friends going to Germany, as Germany doesn't require a visa, or at least to live there as an exchange student. The next time all of us District 6000 Outbounders will see each other will be in about three weeks at a picnic for our final training - ahh SCARY! Soon we will all be boarding planes to places all over the world. People keep on asking me when I leave, but up until a week or so ago, it was basically a guessing game. "Late August/early September....?" I'd reply. Now I know I will most likely be leaving between August 27 and September 3rd. My guarantee form said I need to be in Spain by September 4th, and that there's an orientation for all the Spain exchange students in the outskirts of Madrid from the 9th to the 11th, so I know that I'll be in Spain by the 9th. One of my friends going to Germany already knows the day she's leaving - August 9th or something like that . . . stinking Germany kids!

As of now though, I am preparing for my third and final garage sale in an effort to raise funds for my exchange. It's in about two weeks and I have much to do! On a completely different random note, braces are something I hadn't really considered as something to hinder my exchange, way back in November. However, they are hindering very well right now. Around March or so I told my orthodontist I may be leaving anywhere from July to September and he said it's going to be close . . . I just want the braces off before I leave, so right now I am "wearing the heck out of my rubber bands" as my orthodontist instructed*.(*I am not trying to ramble; this is just so that those of you considering embarking on youth exchange know to get on top of your orthodontia better than I have, if you haven't already!) On a another random note, I bought my Spain luggage last week! I got a supa big suitcase, a large suit case, and a medium sized carry-on . . . I really hope it all will be big enough to carry all my stuff, but not too  big that I'll exceed weight limits at airports - it's so difficult finding a happy medium! A few days ago my mom was searching the web and she found some good packing lists online. Generally, Rotary says to put everything you want to take abroad on your bed . . . then pack half of it. I have awhile to pack, but these links are helpful nevertheless. I would recommend checking them out. Click here for a list we found from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, geared towards students planning on studying abroad. Click here to see a a random list we found as a google document (it was originally a doc for Microsoft Word), created specifically for Rotary Exchange Students.

Lastly, I finally got a job X- ) I've been working at Hy-Vee for about two months now and it's going well. It stinks that I'm going to have to leave so soon, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to continue working when I get back. Speaking of getting back, people are are starting to come/go home from exchange. It's such a weird mixture of feelings - sad to see friends leaving back to their home countries but happy that they get to really be home again, happy to see people back home from their exchanges abroad... I'm sure all the feelings will be 10X more intense in Spain, but many parts of me don't know to expect. I've been reading many "To Sum it Up" blog posts lately, and it's sad to see so many things ending, but then I think, "With every ending is another beginning", and my beginning is coming soon. It's hard to believe that in about two months, it'll be me leaving . . . and my sister taking my bedroom for the year! I really am going to miss her and my other family and friends. I must make the most of the time I have left here.