so this is it

Well, here it is. After months and months of waiting to go, here I am sitting in my new bedroom posting a blog. Huh. Crazy how time can drag and rush by at the same time. Saying goodbye to my parents was hard. Really hard. I know how lucky I am to have gotten a good pair and I love them both so much. Anyways, I stopped crying halfway through security because the man asked if I was alright and I couldn't say NO. The other emotions took over from there. It was a crazy long day of flights and sitting. As tired as I am now, when I should be sleeping, I know I need to adapt quick. I'm being thrown into the thick of things. Meeting Rotarians, going to a conference, getting to know my family, and starting school soon. It's a lot to take in. I have to say, for a while this experience has been something to talk about, something that never really came, but now it's here! It's crazy. The surreal dream has become a body-wrenching reality. Speaking of body-wrenching, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to use this downtime to nap. Until next time, auf wiedersehen!--sjinternational

inching my way to o'hare

Bags: packed. Goodbyes: said. Room: cleaned. What's left? Departure: ALMOST. No worries, though. Today is my official last day in Fremont, Michigan. I leave for Chicago tomorrow and my flight is on Thursday from O'Hare International Airport. It's about time. In between the two trips I am meeting with family and friends in Evanston, eating scrumptious food, and finding last-minute necessities. I am ready. Or, at least, I feel ready. Perhaps I will get off the plane in Munich and fight my way back on to a flight home, but I don't think so... It's a funny picture though. With all the preparation I've been through with other Outbounds, I believe I would be shunned if I wasn't ready to start my adventure in Germany. Talking to my host family makes everything seem so real, which it is. Manuela and Henner are going through the same transition that I am with their daughter gone to Brazil. Through our conversations, I believe that we will get along and learn how to live through this program together. Back to preparation; I got my debit card, which I had to bend the rules for because I'm not yet 16. Talk about confusing. I now have an even greater respect for the adults of the world. Dealing with the sheer amount of paperwork and information was intimidating, but now I have to learn PERSONAL ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION? It's all too much! It all seems pretty easy until I'm calling my parents, crying over my third lost emergency credit card. Yikes. I doubt that will happen, but being prepared is what Rotary is all about! Anyway, until next time: Auf Wiedersehen!--sjinternational

anticipation killed the cat

August 2010. Outbound exchange students say their final goodbyes to friends and family. They board the planes that swoop them into their new lives. Sarah Jane McGinn sits at home reading her book and chilling with her cat all day. I guess you could say I'm a bit anxious, but I have SO MUCH time before I leave. I still have plans to fufill before the end of summer; a trip to Chicago and another to North Carolina. These are my mini-vacations before I depart. I find that I am slowly letting go of my life here. I see less of friends and more of my room. The rush to meet up with friends is laughable as we try to find corresponding dates. I'm more excited to say my final goodbyes than to say rushed hellos. I can feel my mind already drifting to the life that waits for me in Friedberg. Don't get me wrong, I'm terrified despite the calm demeanor my mother and I are enforcing. But I'm ready. Well, I'm ready but not quite prepared since my final flight plans haven't been sent to me yet. Oh well. The first lesson in Rotary: Patience. It really is a virtue. One that I was not hardwired with. --sjinternational

ready, set, go

Let me lay out the situation for you: I just spent the weekend with hundreds of past, present, and future exchange students, sharing experiences, asking questions, and getting answers. It's been great to see friends from 6290 and to meet new ones from across Cental States. I've learned so much from the Rebounds who were fresh off of planes from their own exchanges. I'm pumped and ready to go. All my friends are leaving in 2-3 weeks, when all of a sudden HAHA I have to wait until September! It's quite bittersweet actually. I get to spend more time in my life here, but I could be embarking on my new one in Bavaria with my host parents, Henner and Manuela. I am anxious to meet them, bring them into my life, and learn from them. However, I am going to cherish the time I have left with the people I love and my parents, who happen to be my best friends. I feel ready to let go and dive head first into this new world of Rotary exchange. Until then, Auf Wiedersehen!--sjinternational

and here we go...

To say that "time is flying" would be an understatement. Let me put it to you this way: Time hopped on a Japanese bullet train and is headed straight for Germany- Do not pass GO; Do not collect $200. Our summer conference at Calvin College is in two days! I've been so busy as a counselor at Camp that the conference has taken me by surprise. I want to make sure that I have done everything I need to before we get to the conference. With so many forms and correspondences, it's easy for a girl to get turned around. Now that I have laid out all of the information, my mind has become considerably less tangled. The preparation stage is so intricate. Sometimes I forget that everyone else has to go through the same thing and even have it harder with visas and country correspondence. I have to say that Deutschland is great at getting information to me quickly. They have made this so much easier. I'm excited to see everyone at the conference and see how they're doing with their preparation. Also, I get to meet some of the Rebounds fresh off planes from Germany and even Bavaria! It'll be enlightening to hear their stories and get some advice. The next time you hear from me will most likely be right before I leave. Until then, Auf Wiedersehen!--sjinternational

rewind and freeze

So, funny story. I know where I'm going in Germany. You don't. I told you who my parents were, but reading through the blog again I've realized that, what do you know, I made a mistake. Chop on SJ. Alright, I'm going to Southern Bavaria, which is one of the largest regions in Germany. I am being hosted by the Friedberg Rotary Club. Friedberg is about 10 minutes from Augsburg, the third largest city in Bavaria. I am a half hour train ride from Munich as well, which is quite exciting. Oktoberfest, here I come (kidding, Mom). Anyways, I'm going to be in an area surrounded by culture and history. I've had to pinch myself black and blue to convince myself that this is actually happening. Well, sorry again for the mix up. Hey, maybe after a year of blogging I might get it right. Auf Wiedersehen!--sjinternational

e-mail of truth

I recieved an e-mail from my first host family in Germany! They are the Klingelhofers. They seem very nice. Well, as nice as people can seem over e-mail. They gave me so much information about where I'm going to live next year. I thought that this would calm my anxiety a tiny bit, but I seem to be increasingly wrong about stuff like this. That one small e-mail made this whole ordeal snap into perspective. These strangers are going to be my parents. With my mom in the other room, I felt like I was cheating on her. I had to go wash my hands or something, I felt so dirty. However, the Klingelhofers have a daughter going to Brazil in August, so technically they're cheating too. This thought makes me feel a little better. Of course, I informed my YEO, Sandy, about the contact I made. I love Sandy: Her help keeps me sane, which is a ridiculously hard job these days. Struggling through Spanish and German along with my other classes seems so much smaller than the life I'm going to step into. Well I'm going back to my beautiful Friday afternoon of English homework. Auf Wiedersehen!--sjinternational