If you never try, you`ll never know.

Wow. 

I lay in my bed and look at this saying. Yes. It´s right. What if I don´t do my exchange year? Later, I will be really sad, if I can not say: It was the best deicion that I made!.

So the first thing WHY I DO MY EXCHANGE YEAR was that saying. 

It´s always like that. You had to be brave enough to do that. Maybe in the beginnig it´s hard but later you love it!

What about...?   

School: What happen to your classmates when you are in the USA? You will be one grade lower and you will know nobody.

Well... in a German High school you have from 5th to 10th grade all subjects with one class. So you really know your classmates. But after this you choose your own courses and you will have other classmates. Of course you know some of them, because you meet them at school. 

So your class no longer exist and you had to sit with other students in the lessons. It´s the same as when you come back from the USA. New people. Of course you have no chance to have lessons with a old classmate. But this also could happen when you stay. And you will know how to get along with other people, because in the USA you will really know nobody.

So school was no problem for me.I just see my advantage:

- getting along with new people

-speak perfectly english

-one year more till the exams for you High school graduation ( You go to a High School in the USA and will learn also useful stuff) 

Friends & Family: We will miss you and you will miss us. 

Of course it´s hard but I know so many people who are really glade to do that exchange year. Exactly, it´s just 10 months long. And real friends will stay for ever. So I trust them.
My family understands that really good and support me as hard as they can (I mean my older 3 brothers has done /are doing a exchange year and two cousins also has done ...)

Oh man, you have Skype & Whatsapp! 

I was always nobody who was sad, when the parents weren´t home. I mean, I have a own house with one of my brothers. ( Just because the other house was to small for 4 kids, so my parents built a secound in the yard, Now my older brothers live in their own appartments in the city.) My parents leave as alone for weeks to travel. And I never miss them mutch. I´m soory if that´s sounds hard. I love them really, but we are a little bit different. *laugh* I guess it´s because really everybody does a exchange year in our family.

So this is clear. I guess I will miss them, but maybe it´s also good for the friendships? A huge test and it´s really cool to see them after a long time again.

My biggest problem: What happen with your horse? You really want to let it alone? Who will care about your little cutie? 

And that´s the horrible question. It beaks my heart to think about that. All nights the same questions about your horse. What if somethings happen? Will he stand sadly behind the fence and wait alltime for you to come? I could cry if I think about this. Really. 

So what do you do? 

It was a dear friend of mine, who make me to relax about that. She is the owner of the stable, were my horse (and the horse from my mother) live. 

She said to me: It´s good for your horse. A big break . He can relax, can be a horse. And when you´re back, he will be really lucky and motivated to work with you. He is young and you will have enough time with him in your life. I trust her.She wouldn´t say that if she thinks it´s not true.

And all of my friends at the stable will care about my little cutie. I know that. Maybe it´s true, that my horse isn´t sad about this. Maybe it´s just me who is afraid of the distance between us. I really hope so. But I know everybody will care about him and I remind myself everytime of the awesome feeling, when I will see him again. That happy feeling. 

I would be ultimatly happy if I get a host family with horses. So I will get a host horse, so I will not miss my cutie that mutch. And when this not happens I will spend my time with other cool things like cheerleading or something awesome. I had to think about the family there, not at my homecountry. That´s how it works. I guess that´s okay. But don´t be afraid. YOU CAN DO THIS.

YOU NEVER HAVE THIS BIG CHANCE AGAIN!

-go to a real American High school

- feel the American spirit

- live like a real American

- see that awesome landscape

-maybe meet real cowboys or be a real cowgirl

- a second home

- learn to speak perfectly english

- be independent

- travel alone

-meet new people

- and so mutch more!!!

Now, I am really excited. Of course I am a bit worried but it will be the best time of your life! I am sure that this was the right desicion. JUST DO IT.

<3 Snowboarding Christmas Vacation 2014/15 Austria

  

Exchange year?

"You want to do a exchange year?"
"Yes."
"One year? Wow that´s quite long. Don´t you will miss your friends? Your family? And school? You had to stay one year longer at school. Then we´re already done!"
 "I know."
"That´s stupid, after school it´s better. If  I were you, I would go after school." 
Yeah. You stand in the middle of your classmates and they are just... they do not undestand.
In the first moment, I had to take a deep breath. I knew that this would happen.
So I smiled and answered:  Yes. I will spend a year abroad. In the USA. 

Where is this idea from?
I will tell you all about it:
I´m the little girl in my family. My oldest brother is 13 years older than me. And he begun a big tratition (I guess you can call it already like this^^) in my family. He wanted to spend a year abroad, in the USA. So he informed hiself and search for a organization and my parents just had to accept it... and of course they had to pay it. My parents are really cool, so they acepted it.I was to young, so I did not even noticed that he wasn´t there and how my parents reacted on this new situation. Probebly they had enough kids arround them... I mean they had my other two older brothers and of course me. However, my oldest brother was happy and came as a new boy back. He was a real adult now, he knew how to be independent. My other brother, who is 11 years older than me, also spent a year in the USA. It was right after my oldest brother came back. They learned so mutch and they speak now perfectly english. They were in two really  differnet (really, really like day&night) host familys, but it´s to long to tell you about this. Maybe later. So it was a really great desicion.
Now, my other older brother (the last one, I swear), spend his exchange year also in the USA.
For him, it was clear, to do the same as his two older brothers. It was no question. I guess he want be like them. That´s cool an I really understand. So my parents already knows that he will go to the USA.
For me, there was always the Question "Are you going to do a exchange year like your brothers?" My mom said: "Don´t hurry you have time to decide this big question." And my dad said laughing: "My little girl will stay here. At home with her daddy." But I knew, he will let me go, if I want to.
And the time pass over and then I was already 14. My brother had to write the application for his exchange year. Health certificates, school  certificates, visa and all this stuff. It was a huge mountain of paper work. And I know: "If I want to spend a year in the USA, I had to decide it now."

Sunset at the coast of Belgium. Summer Vacation 2012

  In the next post I will tell you why my desicion is YES.  

Welcome!

That´s me!

Welcome to my blog :) 

It´s not easy to say who you are, but however :
Some facts about me:

1. I am from Germany.
2. I am going to spend a exchange year in the USA.

3. I love animals. Especially my horse, a cute quarter-mix.

4. My birthday is on the 30th april. My horse also has birthday on this date :) (he is 10 years younger)

5. I love to travel. Iceland is one of my favorite countrys, an amazing landscape!

6. I have 3 older brothers. Yes, I like to play videogames. 

7. I love to do sports. Snowboarding, surfing, horse-riding, hiking, climbing,...

8. I love to try something new.

9. I love to draw.

10. I am who I am. And I am happy about it! 

^^ That was funny:D I guess I will tell you later a bit more about me ;) 

See you!!

January 2015 My horse Silver Go Easy and I. We love to feel free <3