Getting Started

Hello Everybody! Before I get started, I would like to say that this is my very first time ever blogging and I do not intend on boring you with some of the tedious realities of my small town life. Instead it is my goal to, more or less, excite you with the fact that you are reading about an extremely curious girl... who had a big town dream...and made it come true. If you are already bored, I recommend kindly leaving my blog, no hard feelings. So here I go...

My name is Emma Knight and I was raised in the small northern California town of Yreka. I am the youngest of 3 kids and just recently have come to accept the reality of being a "new" only child. My time alone has boosted my willingness and extreme curiosity of studying abroad and has opened my eyes to endless opportunities. I had been planning to apply to be an exchange student since the 7th grade and it has always been my dream to travel the world. Growing up in a small town, my awareness of the outside world is limited to what I have around me. What do I have around me? Let's just say that my everyday life consists of eating my bowl of Raisin Bran in the morning, going to my local high school, coming back home and begin preparing my favorite part of my day; dinner. I am happy to say that my mom and I share our passionate love for food and it has always brought us together and has created a flavorful hint of creativity and curiosity into my life.

My decision to study abroad with AFS was based on the positive feedback that I had received from past AFSers. I have heard nothing but good things about AFS and when I went to their website, I am proud to say that I was then positive that they were a good match for me, offering me the perfect experience of studying abroad. I have no expectations of my trip abroad other than I know that I’m going to learn a lot. I am going to physically and emotionally immerse myself in a new family, a new culture, and a new language. I am curious about how this experience will change my views on life and our country as I know it. I plan to really put myself out there while I am abroad so that I can get the full experience and bring everything back to my community. I plan to try new cuisine, be apart of new traditions and create long-lasting friendships. When I return, I plan to speak at my high school and encourage others to welcome a new culture into their life.

To cover the cost of my trip abroad, I have developed a fundraising plan that will help add to my parents’ contribution. My plan includes: summer job, community fundraising dinner, a huge garage sale, corporate sponsors and you, my blog buddies. Whatever you choose to contribute to my trip, I am extremely thankful. To end my first blog, I would like to say thank you. Over and out….for now.

To sponsor my AFS program now, please click the ChipIn button.