III. Long is the wait

   With about two months stretched before me like the sand dunes of a barren desert, I cannot ignore this nagging discomfort of waiting. There is so much to be done, but I am powerless in speeding up time.
   I am waiting probably most importantly to receive my Visa information from AFS, and unfortunately I've heard that the Visa process can be very stressful. I'm also waiting to get my braces off (this will be dangerously close to my departure date), to get a suitcase and various other items for my travel (such as a laptop, camera, Skype, journal, etc.), to buy some fantastic gifts for my host family, to have my Goodbye/Birthday party, to finish my graduation project for school, and just about a million other things. Really all I want to do is just hop on the plane right now and go, especially since I was emailed my travel

II. So real

   I've been praying for a host family, although I didn't really know when I would get one. It could be today or it could be in a month. I walked home from school as usual, and I was dismissed early because we have finals. I checked my email right away, in some small hope that I got a family. Nothing. Slightly disappointed, but not any more than usual, I got off the computer, made myself a big snack, and got settled to watch a movie. One of my pet peeves is when the phone rings when I am busy, especially when I'm comfy, and my mouth is stuffed with food during the middle of a movie. So I grudgingly paused the movie, set my food down, kicked off the blanket, and grabbed the phone before the end of the third ring.
   The caller ID said AFS...

I. Anticipation of the summer before

   Unfortunately there isn't really much for me to say right now. If you know that I'm going to Switzerland, you know just about as much as I do. I have yet to be assigned a host family, so I do not know which part of Switzerland I will be living in. The good thing is, the country is so small that it doesn't really matter where I live. That is, unless I'm placed in the French canton (state). Then I might be in some trouble.
   So far, I have learned that my departure date is August 22, less than three months away. Now the summer appears very short, but at the same time, I am even more excited. My mom is, quite understandably, the opposite of excited, since I am the last of the nest to leave.
   I haven't gotten to do extensive research of Switzerland yet, but I've realized in recent conversations with