Hey There!

I  believe that we discover ourselves through experiences. Our identity is built on them. You only like something because you tried it with no knowledge of how trying it would genuinely go. You took a chance to do something unfamiliar and discovered you enjoy it.

For reasons like these, I've decided to participate in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange. I want to discover myself rapidly through a year surrounded by unfamiliar tastes, sounds, and sights. When we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations, we grow. I want this year to be my year of growth.; even though I know it's not going to be perfect, I think the value of the experience and knowledge I will gain while in Germany outweighs all else. I will come back from my exchange a more confident and German-speaking Carmen.

Let me not get ahead of myself though; present-day me is pretty cool! I'm a freshly 17-year-old girl who has a thing for many things. I love watching movies and analyzing them afterward, practicing yoga, writing poetry, playing soccer (or should I say Fußball), listening to music, and laughing with my friends! I also love learning about other cultures, which is a big part of why I'm embarking on this journey. 

Last year I decided that I wanted to do a foreign exchange. I didn't know where or how to do this, but I had this goal. I presented this idea to my parents, and we all agreed that an exchange year was perfect for me and my aspirations. Growing up, my Dad always strained the importance of having a global perspective and staying open-minded to other cultures. For this reason, he obviously was supportive. My mom was mainly supportive because she knew how much an exchange year would help me grow and mature into the person I wanted to be and just because I wanted to do it (love her).

And so, I began searching for exchange programs that I thought would fit me and my goals. I honestly have Google to thank for finding this fantastic program! I remember reading the description of the type of student they were looking for to partake in the program and thinking I was a perfect fit. One thing that was a little frustrating was that applications had already closed, so I had to wait until the following year, but when that time came around, I was prepared. I wrote my essays and submitted the first portion of my application, and after waiting a couple of months, I was alerted that I was a semi-finalist. 

I was ecstatic! I then began preparing for the interview portion. When I was interviewing, I was so nervous I forgot all of my prior preparations, so my interview was much more honest and raw. Because of this, though, I felt as if I had bombed my interview. My Mother reassured me that as long as I was myself, they wouldn't have a reason to dislike me, which turned out to be true because now I'm going to be living in Germany for the next year!

I am honestly super excited to start this adventure and can't wait to take you all along with me. If you are interested in following along, I plan to post on the 1st and 15th of every month, so stay tuned for more German content!