My Departure-itis

So, you know the saying about seniors who can't wait to finally be done with high school having "senioritis"? Well...that's me right now. But if you have been reading my blog, you know my departure-itis “symptoms” are caused by something much more…emozionante! Side affects include anxiety, random thoughts, restlessness, over excitement and a wee bit of stress.

Hey guys, it's me again, Emma. I am one of many exchange students (to-be) sitting at home right now while all of her friends are in the freshly waxed classrooms of their high school. Yep, the reason I am able to write this blog so early in the day is because I am not at school. Some call me “lucky” while others call me a “ditcher”. No matter the name, my chance has finally arrived. It's weird to think back on the days I was counting down from 150 days and now its less then 10. I fly out of NY on the 8th September!

Through time, I was able to contact helpful people in Italy as well as my host family, and received information about my school. I will be attending Liceo Scientifico Leonardo da Vinci. For those who don’t know how the Italian school system works: The word “Liceo” refers to a class of secondary schools. These schools each differ in their overall subject. (Liceo Sientifico (math and sciences), Liceo Languistico (languages), Liceo Tecnico (technology), Liceo Artistico (arts and history)…etc) Each school also provides more basic key classes as well.  I was placed in a Liceo Scientifico where I will find good chemistry and math teachers. Also, classes consist of about 30 kids who stay in the same room all day, while the teachers switch from class to class! Much different from high schools in the United States!  

After I had received my host family, my excitement and occasional sadness of leaving family and friends had over ridden some of my hopes and determination. I failed to find a summer job to keep myself occupied during summer, and instead had a summer well spent with my friends and learning the Italian language. Looking back, I wish I could change things. Mostly, I wish I had stuck to a job offer that was offered by a dear friend of mine and I regret that I didn’t follow through with my plans to help fundraise. My big yard sale still hasn’t worked out yet since Mom is busy working and weekends seem packed with what seems like endless Italian lessons and family visiting to say goodbye.

Beginning yesterday, I started packing. Let’s just say 44lbs should be a minimal for a teenager like me. You got it; AFS only allows one 44lb suitcase and one 22lb carry on. At first, I freaked out! There was no way that all my clothes were going to fit in those 2 bags. After hours of rummaging through my closet and cleaning out the clothes that I should have gotten rid of years ago, I finally started rolling my clothes and “test packing” them in my suitcase. To my surprise, it fit! I was shocked to find that all those clothes only weighed 30 lbs! Then……..I realized something. Those 30lbs was not including shoes, boots, jackets, or my host family’s gifts!

This has been one of the hardest things to prepare for, but I have no doubts that it won’t be as simply amazing as I imagine it to be. Now it’s up to me to finish packing, keep up on my language courses and prepare for hours on a plane.

I will make sure to update when I arrive in Italy.

Arrivederci!

Being Accepted

Hello again!

     Well, basically, my dream came true! After waiting two months to hear back from AFS Italy to see if I was accepted, the email finally came! But, I didn't just receive an email from AFS Italy. It just so happens that my host family in Genoa had accepted me and told me the news first hand on my sixteenth birthday. I couldn't ask for more! Now, it is up to me to successfully raise my tution costs and slowly but surley teach myself the Italian language. (:

P.S. AFS has designated the month of April as the "fundraising month" whereby each dollar (up to $500) raised here on my (and other AFSers') blogs, is matched by them.

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.