National PDO

Talk about an exciting week! This week was our National Pre-Departure Orientation. YES Abroad students gathered to our nation's capital--it was the last time we'd all be together in one place.

I arrived by plane to the Dulles airport where I was greeted by friends and other YES Students, all excited to start off this trip. We had no idea what to expect, just that it would be fun and a lot of work. It was definitely both. Definitely.

The second day of our stay was full of long workshops that were both informative and helpful, but LONG. It was alright, though. I met all of the Indonesia group, and we took a group shot!

From left to right (top row then bottom row): Sara (Our group leader), Aiden, Me!, Helene, Madison, Victoria, and Lindsay.

As you can see, we were all excited to take a break from our workshops and get a chance to take this shot. I was so excited to meet them all! I knew the names, but not the faces or personalities. Let me just say that I have an excellent group, and we're going to have a GREAT year in Indonesia. I can't wait to see them again in August for our Gateway Orientation!

We talked a lot about cultural differences we would run into and how to handle them. I was super excited to learn all of that. I feel a bit more prepared for my exchange now that I've not only talked in depth about what we may face, but also got a chance to talk to my group leader who is an alum who went to our country and could give us her experiences. That made these workshops fun and easy to get through.

The third day of PDO was to be our Embassy Visit Day. I faced one of my first disappointments as an exchange student, though minor. Indonesia was not going to our embassy. It wasn't a huge deal, but I did want to go and practice my Indonesian there. Luckily we went to a museum full of Asian art. That was great, and there was plenty to learn and see. I also got to get well acquainted with some group members, and that was the most fulfilling part of that trip.

Here are some pictures:

There were lots of cool things to see beyond these few pictures I shot. I really enjoyed this part of my morning. So much so, that I forgot how early in the morning it was to take this selfie with my friend Brandon (Thailand) on the bus!

I didn't know the flash was on, nor that the picture had been taken. Who cares, we're still too fab for words.

Also, outside of the museum and in front of the Smithsonian Castle, Indonesia group took another picture: this time with a real flag!

We were so excited to get that flag!

 After that was our Department of State visit! We loaded back on the bus and drove down to the Department of State, only to realize we were an hour early. So we took a walk to the park and chilled in the grass for an hour to kill some time. After we had completely relaxed from our morning excursions, we walked back to the Department of State building. I won't go into too much detail on what happened there, but it was very interesting and I believe we learned a lot!

Next we headed off to the Lincoln Memorial to take that well-known group shot that seems to be infamous each year. And boy was it great:

No, no. That wasn't the real group shot. I mean, it was a group shot, but it was taken after we took this amazing one.

Your YES Abroad class of 2014-2015!

Yes, don't we all look great? I can tell you that everyone was looking forward to this shot. I love it.

After this shot, Indonesia took one quick group photo, and then we were back on the bus and to the hotel. Our last day of PDO was tomorrow, and I was honestly feeling a bit down about that. I really wanted to stay longer with these wonderful kids, but it wasn't meant to be. At least I'll be seeing Indonesia again very soon in August!

Our last day was full of goodbyes and there was a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness in the air. We had to say goodbye to the Philippines, who are headed off as I type! And then another goodbye to the groups heading out the next week and so on. I think it really wasn't a goodbye, though. I believe if we want too, we will all meet up again. Fingers crossed.

So overall, PDO was great. I learned a lot, met more people (all of the Indonesia group, except Victoria, were people I hadn't met at IPSE!), and realized just how real this exchange is! It hasn't fully blasted me that I'll be spending a year in another country, but it should soon. Right now I'm reliving my time so far and getting ready for the year ahead. I don't have much more to say, except good luck to all of those traveling now, and halo to my Indonesia group. You guys are great. In memory of that short lived chant our Indonesia table had:

Satu, dua, tiga: Indonesia Raya!
(One, two, three: Great Indonesia!)

Until next time,
Selamat Tinggal!

-Baillie

Regional PDO and Getting Ready to Go!

God, it feels like a year ago when I got the notification that I was going to be spending my junior year in Indonesia.

I still have so much to do, and so much to learn, but I thought I'd give an update on how things are going!

Last night I left my home at 2:00 A.M. to take the 3 1/2 hour drive to Raleigh, NC where my Regional PDO was taking place. With only a few hours of sleep I arrived on the campus of a university where my orientation was taking place. There were only a few students there who were going abroad, but luckily there were also a lot of current exchange students to talk to (we'll get to them later).

"Costa Rica."

"China."

"Argentina."

"Norway."

"Japan."

"India."

The list went on as people named interesting and popular destinations. Each place seemed a little special to the person saying it. It seemed that each student received a smile of glee or awe as they named the country and their duration. When I stood up and said "Indonesia, for a year," the reaction was a bit different. People seemed to know so little about it, or just found it an odd place to choose to go.

When we had a one-on-one group talk with returnees and students getting ready to go abroad, the students' reactions were much better. When I repeated my country, I heard a couple of "Wow's" and "That's so cool." That made me happier and more relaxed. We talked about many different topics ranging from host families to support, and got a little insight to what it would be like as an American exchange student.

After that session we joined students who were in America and would be returning home soon. It was interesting to see their perspective of the U.S. and how different or similar things were for them. Unfortunately, Indonesia was not represented today by any returnees/current exchange students. But I was still glad I went. It was fun and informative.

Now onto the nitty-gritty. I've still gotten none of my immunizations, but I have gotten my passport. I've also been trying super hard to figure out what's going to go on with the credits, but that really can't be determined until I have a host school.

I've practiced my Bahasa Indonesia a bit, but I am procrastinating with all the exams and state tests I have coming up. Still, I've made time to make flashcards and practice when I have nothing to do.

I've also had some time to visit NYC. That was great! It not only helped me get used to those awkward "I-don't-know-where-I-am-but-I'm-trying-to-navigate-this-big-city" moments, but also helped me realize that seeing the world is not only in another country but also in your backyard! Everyday I now I take the time to appreciate something about my hometown or my city or my state, trying to take on the perspective of someone who's never been. You'll be surprised at all the things you'll see or amazing things you'll experience by stepping out and trying.

Overall, it's been a pretty laid-back month getting ready for exchange. I feel the next couple of months will be busier with a lot more to update about. But for now, that's all that's been going on with me!

Until next time,

Baillie.

Selamat tingaal! 

I'm going to Indonesia! (From IPSE and Beyond!)

That is the flag of my future home!


I can't believe it, I'm going to Indonesia!

I'm going to try to make this post sum up the past month of my life in the most timeliest of manners, so bear with me.

On Feb.28th, at around 9:40 P.M EST, while getting a new haircut, I received an email on my Nook HD. The little notification popped up and stated:
Yes Abroad: Semi Finalist Notification-ACTION REQUIRED.

I couldn't contain my excitement. I was literally shaking. The email read that to keep my semi-finalist status I had to attend the mandatory In Person Selection Event (otherwise known as IPSE), and they didn't have to tell me twice!

Within 3 weeks, I found myself at a train station, hugging my dad goodbye while clutching my brown duffel bag in my right fist. The conductor gathered my luggage and put it up in the train, waiting for me to come aboard. I found my seat moments later, and anxiously text my family that I was on the train, and had succeeded in keeping a seat all to myself.
The train ride was extremely long, but that was most likely because I was so nervous! I did message some friends thanks to AmTrak's free wifi, but time did not fly any faster, especially considering I had a 30 minute delay in Richmond.

When I arrived at D.C.'s Union Station, I was happy to see I had successfully memorized the map enough to easily find the police kiosk, where I met with the chaperones who would be leading us to the 4H center. They were really nice, and I was super excited to get this weekend started! (My introduction was a bit awkward, considering they thought I had been wandering around the station because my train was 30 minutes late. I had to explain about the delay.)

Moments later, my friend Victoria (Indonesia as well!), whom I had met on facebook before hand, appeared beside me and we shared a hug. The rest of the group started appearing, and we decided to have lunch on the other side of the station before our Super Shuttle arrived. My new friend Ama (also Indonesia!) convinced me to try Chipotle for the first time, and I was glad I did. After all, YES is all about trying new things, and Chipotle was definitely something new for my taste buds.

We arrived at the 4H center where after signing in, I ran into Lili (Bosnia) and Brandon (Thailand) whom were also Facebook buddies. I got to spend the weekend with lots of awesome people, and they helped me get through my interviews and group evaluations without a hitch. There was so many positive people, that the weekend was so great, I can't even explain it! Here's my favorite picture from the weekend:

From left to right (top row, then bottom) we have: Lili (Bosnia), Abeeha, Brandon (Thailand), Me(Indonesia!), Faber (Macedonia), Andrew (South Africa), Trecia, Victoria (Indonesia), Leah (Turkey), and Va'Trelle.

 

This group, plus Ama, were my good friends that weekend. We had so much fun together, and were all super supportive of each other! I'm so proud of all of us!

So then we had this excruciatingly long (or so it seemed), wait. The guess was we'd receive our notifications by Friday, April 11th, based off of the past years. But we were all sorely disappointed when nothing graced our inboxes.

Finally, the next morning, around 11 AM EST, notifications began coming out! Unfortunately, rejections came out first (for the first time, but the reasoning is understandable: not everyone wants to watch their friends get accepted, then wait and wait and find out they were rejected). My friends and I messaged each other nervously, and some of them were sad to find the email in their inbox. I called my mother and father, who were both away from home at that moment, to tell them that notifications were coming out, and at that moment I was in the clear.

Then around 12 PM, alternates began coming out. I suspected if I hadn't gotten a rejection, I was going to get an alternate. There was no way I was making it into the program!

I waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing came to my inbox. My mother told me she'd call me if she got an email. I waited and waited some more. Around 1 PM, a student got accepted into Bosnia. Did this mean I was in, since acceptances were now coming out? I prayed that was the case, I wanted this so bad! Email after email came out for Bosnia. Then my phone rang. I saw it was my mother, and at that moment I checked my inbox. All I could do was scream when I answered the phone. The subject read:

YES Abroad Program- Indonesia

I ran around the house without even opening the email, flying up and down the stairs and screaming to my grandmother I had gotten in. After my 15 second show, I ran back to my computer and told my friends that I had gotten Indonesia! We were all so excited as acceptance after acceptance rolled in!

Today, the day after I received my email, I sent in my acceptance forms. Now I just have to wait for AFS Indonesia to accept me, and I'm officially going to Indonesia!

I can't even explain how I feel. It's so beautiful and wonderful and I'm so thankful for the opportunity. I can't wait to begin my year (it's a whole 11 months!), and I'm so excited to be reunited with my friends at the Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). This year is going to be rocking!


-Baillie

Veni. Vidi. Vici.

The title makes much more sense if you've taken Latin.
Veni. Vidi. Vici.
The famous words of the great Julius Caesar.
They translate to this:
I came. I saw. I conquered.

And that's how I feel.

I don't even remember writing that post I apparently wrote last year. I just remember always saying I would apply, and try, and try.

The summer was full of my attempts at practicing writing essays (I tried to apply to AFS's scholarship to Japan. But my heart wasn't fully set on it); reading tons of blogs, and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.

The day the YES Abroad Application came out, I flew to my laptop and began writing essays. It became draft after draft after draft, most of the original scraps of my essays saved on a file and bits and pieces can be found in the final drafts. During the process, I also applied for NSLI-Y, my heart set on South Korea.

Perhaps I should explain what these programs are.

Kennedy-Lugar Yes Abroad

  
This is a wonderful program funded by the U.S. Department of State, to take 65 students from the United States of America, to Muslim populated countries. The goal of the program is to create cross-cultural understanding, as well as intercultural learning experiences to all those involved. This amazing scholarship not only sends United States students abroad, but also students from various Muslim populated countries, to the United States for a year!
For those who are wondering, the countries the U.S. sends are as follows:
India, Indonesia (that's where I'm headed!), Thailand, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Macedonia*, Philippines*, Malaysia, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, Oman, Egypt**, Tunisia**, and Mali**.

*These two countries were just added this year, so some lucky students get to be pioneers for these countries!
**These countries were deemed unsafe by the U.S. Department of State, and were terminated for the 2014-15 academic year, though they may open up in the future!

In addition, this program lets you rate the countries you like in the order of which you'd most like to go, but the choice is based off of what the YES team feels like is a good fit for you. Indonesia was my original first, though India stole the official spot for my application. But all those feelings about Indonesia I had months before are flooding back. I'm in love.
This program is competitive in my opinion, but in others it's easier to get into than the one below.

National Security Language Initiative for Youth

This is an equally phenomenal program that allows students to venture into the wonderful world of languages! While students will live in another country for a year, the main focus is to learn languages that were said to be critical by the United States.
A few hundred students will venture abroad, but the country choice is not up to them. Depending on the languages you apply for (you can only apply for up to 3), and how long you choose to go (NSLI-Y offers summer and year programs, as opposed to YES which only offers year).
The programs offered are:
Russian, Persian*, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, Arabic, and Hindi.

*Persian is only offered for a summer program.

For Chinese you may be placed in China or Taiwan. Arabic, perhaps Oman or Morocco, or even Jordan! The list goes on depending on what language you are chosen for, and where you are placed!
This program is very competitive, with over 3500 applicants for this year alone.


_________________________________________________________________________________

I suppose I should also mention CBYX, the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange, though I know very little about it! It is also a Department of State scholarship, that sends students from all across the country to Germany for a year. This program lets you work on the language, as well as form a stronger relationship with Germany. All of my friends who applied received this scholarship, so I'm not sure on the competitiveness! I did not apply to this program.




So those are all of the programs, and I am happy to say that the K-L Yes Abroad Team has chosen me to represent my country with 3 other girls, in Indonesia!

I can't even explain my super awesome excited-ness. I'll explain all of that in another post, but right now I just want to say that I did in fact go to IPSE (The In Person Selection Event), I saw all of the wonderful, deserving people, and somehow I conquered by triumphing and succeeding in becoming a scholar! I can't wait to get this year started!



-Baillie

The Journey: Part One

So this 'journey' could be a great experience, or an utter, and complete fail. It's April 29th, at 1:03 in the morning, right before school, and I can not sleep.

My ultimate dream right now is to study abroad in another country. I'm trying my hardest to study about the YES program, which seems to be my ticket to my adventure. A full scholarship to another country, and the countries seem like wonderful choices.

Let me explain the reasoning for my quest.

-My current school is not a school I can say I enjoy. Nothing wrong with Chesapeake, but the school system isn't my favorite.

-I decided to look at Boarding Schools. I got my mom kind of hooked on, but right at the end of application time, she backed out. I was so upset and distressed...I felt so lost. That's when I discovered studying abroad.

-I knew there was no way my mom would pay that much money for me to go, so I started looking at scholarships. Two stuck out to me:

• Kennedy-Lugar YES Abroad program
• NSLI-Y 

Both of these give full scholarships to certain countries with certain requirements. But the YES abroad program sticks out more to me. Reading blogs from people who've went through it, it sounds like a wonderful, very fulfilling experience.

My top country for now seems to be Malaysia, but that could easily change. I would really take any country they gave me, just to get the chance to experience this.

It's ironic I found this program, because I was actually privately studying Islam when I found the program, and I think it'd be amazing to possibly live with a Muslim family and see what it'd really be like. And even if I don't get to do that, I'd just love to live with another family and see what the world is like on the other side.

So that's my story. I can't get an application until late summer, but I will be applying as soon as the application is open. I think I can at least make it to the semi-finalists. If I can make it there, I'll still feel special. This is just something I really want, and really need. So for now, I'm going to try to get some sleep, and think about foreign lands, schools, foods...etc.


With love,

-Baillie