Tuesday, July 31, 2012

V. The prime age

   I am officially sixteen years old now, and I have been only since the 26th. This is the age that every child wants to reach, when Americans can begin to drive, and when originally I would have been allowed to date. Well, I don't really feel much different, I won't get my permit until I come back, and I'm still not allowed to date either, but I don't really care that much because I am going on an adventure for the best year of my life, and it is going to be amazing. It practically ensures that I will never forget my sixteenth year, and it will be something special.
   Yesterday I had my birthday and goodbye party. It wasn't really much of a goodbye because several of my friends couldn't make it, and I still have three weeks before I go. As much as I wanted July to disappear

Friday, July 20, 2012

IV. Little surprises

   Somehow, slowly and painfully, a watched clock does move, and the days of the calendar do change. Now I have only about one month living here at home.
   As of right now, my mom and I are trying to get my Visa. We got the instructions not too long ago, and basically we have to gather lots and lots of papers, fill them out, and send them to the Swiss Consulate in New York. It's not quite as alarming as my original application was, but it's still taking a lot of work, and we barely started. You might say that a lot of AFSers are stressed out right now. At least I don't have to get an FBI check like some of the students going to Spanish-speaking countries do. Every country's visa process is different.
   Last Saturday, all the Speedwell scholarship winners and a few recent returnees went to Refreshing