Friday, June 15, 2012

J'AI FINIS... Oh wait Bosnian..

   HIGH SCHOOL IS OVER. Well. American high school to say the least. I still have that glorious year of high school in Bosnia. It doesn't feel like summer. It totally didn't feel like I was leaving NHS for the last time today after school. I went through all of my classes today kind of passively, just a normal day and I'll see all these people again. I felt this way until Avalon decided to cry and I hugged some of my closest friends good bye.
    There have been times when I said American high school stinks and I really wish I was far away. But I always forget to realize the great things in my high school. The fantastic theater program that I was a part of, the top eight choir in the state that I sang in, the sports team that I played one season of soccer in and FAILED at (but still made friends), and the classes where I have spent so much time (FRENCH), I can't help but feel that I have established a sense of belonging at my high school and I realize that I can see the entire school in my head and I realize I adore my school. Even the stupid sports teams that I definitely dissed probably way too much. Lunches were never boring, French class never lacking some sort of joke (Erich and Jacob, I'm writing directly to you), and everyday seeing familiar faces and even the rare occasion of seeing a new one. I will miss you NHS from afar in Bosnia (not Bulgaria, not Bolivia, not Belgium. BOSNIA) and I will remember NHS in the best light :)
My Advisory class 2009-2012
    And to my dear mother who has made my lunch for the past eleven years for school, I love you so much and appreciate you making my lunch every day without fail. And finding your note in my lunch made me extremely happy and very sad that I won't ever get another lunch from you. I love you, Mom! <3
 
  On to new news! I was in the Newberg Graphic! Otherwise known as the local newspaper. It's my duty as an Ambassador to spread the word about YES Abroad and that's exactly what I'm doing. Because I love YES Abroad.

    I also got my flight details for the PDO to Washington DC. Leaving at 7:53 in the morning from PDX and arriving in DC at 3:27. Such exact minutes. I am so excited for the PDO, though. We're going to the State Department, doing lots of touring (maybe White House, who knows?) and country oriented activities! Meaning officially meeting the SHAKE girls. I honestly believe that these girls are exactly like me. I've never met people that were very much like me, so this will be more fun than I thought it could have been.

    As for other exchange related news, still no official departure date. I know I originally said August 15, but that's just the rough estimate. Could be sooner or later, who knows? All I know is that my summer is busy and it began at 3:00pm today. Summer is supposed to be long, but with all the things I'll be busy with, I won't have a lot of summer/chilling time. I also still don't have my host family, but with any luck, it'll be coming along soon. Crossing fingers for the end of the month.

    Anyway, I'm going to get back to wasting time on Pinterest and remembering the early days of high school.

    Until probably after the PDO,

-Katie

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Almost There

    SATs are over, one final for Human Bio (gah) done, and only 4.5 days of school left. Can it really be done that soon? It's crazy to think that this is my last week in American high school. Eating lunch with my friends at the same table for the past three years has become routine and seeing those familiar faces every morning is just part of me. On Wednesday, we said good bye to our Seniors (which I didn't say good bye to most. I am so sorry!) and now, with my last 4.5 days of being the top dog in school, I'm going to live it up. By "live it up" I mean complete five finals and take a butt-load of pictures. I think it's just beyond me to think that the next time I step into a school, I will be in Bosnia. My sister freaked out when I told her I was having my eighteenth birthday in Bosnia. She couldn't believe I was so old already. My next Christmas will be in Bosnia and, who knows? My host family may not even celebrate it. Speaking of which, I have yet to receive my host family. I have a feeling I won't receive my host family until the end of this month or next. I'm not too worried though, just a little anxious I guess.

     On the school note, we sent in all our forms for school! I registered for Bosnian, French, English, Math Studies (the easier of the two choices. Oh well.), Biology, and Theater Arts. I'm already extremely excited for my Bosnian school and I haven't even finished with American school! Us Bosnian bound girls (SHAKE) have been communicating and, most likely, one of them will be in each one of my classes. Which I'm grateful for, I'm just hoping I'm open enough to burst out of my comfort zone and go talk to some legit Bosnians. It's going to happen, I swear.

    And on SHAKE news, I don't know if I mentioned this, but we are secret quintuplets. We all have long, dark blonde/light brown hair (which three of us are cutting shorter), we are all going to be Seniors next year, and we all dress alike. Seriously, when we first got our country, we did introductions and our personalities are nearly identical. This will for sure be the best year yet! We have all also decided to wear "matching" outfits for the PDO in DC. It won't be noticeable. Just something like, we all happen to be wearing Bosnian colors when we arrive and are all "surprised" when this happens. We've been planning this. We're weird. And I promise I'll post a photo of our look-a-likedness. Which isn't a word, but I don't really care.

    As for SHOCK news, we have decided to do a Sisterhood of the Traveling Journal. Pretty much, we'll have a journal that starts off with Hannah and she keeps it for a month and writes in it and then passes it on to Carly, then Sara, then Olivia, then me! I get it last because I'm the farthest away. Sara, Carly and Hannah are all in southeastern Asia. We all also promised to send postcards because only one of us will get to keep the journal. The postcards we all get to keep.
SHOCK just hanging out :)
     Anyway, I am really excited. This summer is extraordinarily busy with the PDO, camp, Canada, VBS, Bosnian learning, work, and plans for all my good byes. So many freakin' good byes. But there will be so many hellos that I think everything will be alright. Wish me luck on finals!

    Until perhaps before the PDO when I have more stuff to talk about,

    -Katie