Two weeks from today, I arrive in Germany to begin a 10 month adventure. I will be representing the U.S. and living with a host family, meeting people and attending high school. The scholarship enabling me to embark on this journey is the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX), which was created over 30 years ago and is funded by both the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag.
I will travel with 49 other students from the southwest region, and spend the first four weeks at a language camp in the village of Hedersleben. Ability to speak German is not a requirement of the program, though I am lucky enough to have studied German in high school for the past six years, and so we will study German in groups organized by previous German knowledge.
After the language camp, we will head our separate ways to move in with our host families, which are located throughout Germany. I have not yet received my host family placement, though it could come any time. I look forward to finding out where and with whom I will be spending my year!
For now, I am enjoying my last days of life as it is now, in America. And packing, which has proven to be quite a task, considering I am taking just one large suitcase and a carry-on. It is a test in my knowledge of myself and my ability to pack what I think will be most useful and most important to me!
Bis später,
Abigail
