new school :O

So, just wanted to update real fast and let you know my school has been switched. Instead of going to Östra Reals, I will now be attending Frans Schartaus gymnasium in Stockholm. Just wanted to let everyone know!

20 dagar!

20 dagar och jag kommer att tala svenska varje dag! Jag kan inte vänta!
(20 days, and I will be speaking Swedish everyday; can't wait!)

Before I start, just a quick heads up to people who can only read english; once i'm in Sweden I will most likely be writing some posts in Swedish, but i'll be sure to translate it! :D

Anyway, i'm leaving really soon! It is coming up so fast and I am busy all the time which makes it seem faster. There are so many things to do before I leave it's ridiculous. Oh, another thing, MY VISA CAME TODAY! I was beside myself when my dad gave me the package. My visa was something I was really worried about. On the website, it says that on average it takes about 2-3 months for a visa to be processed and whatnot. I sent mine in LAST WEEK. Exactly a week ago I sent it to the embassy in Washington DC. We called and told the person on the phone that I was leaving very soon, and she said it wouldn't be a problem...sure enough, it wasn't! So, my plane ticket and visa are all ready to go. I still have to do alot more shopping, and i'm still waiting on my new credit card to come in the mail. I haven't started packing, but when I do it's going to be pretty tough, and I need to start soon! I have to make sure I don't go above like...50 pounds per bag, and that's going to be really difficult for me; I have soooo many clothes.

Another new topic; my host family! I am beyond excited to meet them. I have been in contact with them via email, facebook, etc.. they sound like the coolest family ever! I have two host brothers 17 and 19. One lives at home, while the other goes to college in France. They told me I will take the subway/train to my school everyday, which is going to be totally new/super confusing for me at first. Both of my host parents work, so during the day everyone is out of the house. My host mother is from Finland, and my host fathers parents are from Norway. They are hoping to take me to both places at some point, which is super exciting as well :D 20 more days and I finally get to meet them!

After the fun topic of my host family, I feel obligated to tell you about the less exciting topic, my current school :P. Things are VERY hectic there at the moment. Although i'm in usa for 20 more days, only 8 of those days are actual school days, since we have winter break starting next week. Also, I stayed home sick today, and I am staying home tomorrow also, so that gives me even less time to get everything done(such a pain!) At the moment i'm trying to find a time to take all of my midterms, so I can finish the semester off. I have to take a semester over next year of each class I have this year, since not all of my credits are transferring, and that is also a bit frustrating for me...but, who cares! Hard to imagine that the 5th of January is the last time i'll be seeing my school until next September.

Well, that's all I have for now :D
Kramar och Pussar- Brianna :D

New departure date!

So, exactly as the title says, my departure date was switched! :O it went from January 14th, to January 6th. And of course, it made things even more hectic. Right now i'm waiting on my visa to come, but it should be here soon :D I also booked my plane ticket! I will be leaving from Newark Airport at 5:55pm, and arriving at Arlanda around 8 am.I still can't believe that in 35 days, i'll be on a plane to another country for 6 months..unreal! I thought about having to say goodbye to all my friends today, and I automatically teared up. I have been here my whole life, so it's going to be extremely tough to say goodbye to my friends and family. Hmm well, theres not too much more to say atm, i'll post again soon!
Kramar och Pussar- Brianna

Updates updates and more updates! :D

AHH, there's so much to tell! Hmm, where do I even begin! SO much has happened since I last wrote on here. Let's start off with, I officially have a host family! Everyone says when they first find out they don't believe it, and I didn't believe it either! When my mom brought the letter upstairs to me and put it on the table, The first thought in my head was "Is this really happening?" haha. The package had all the information about, well, everything! I will be living in Enskede, which is about 10 minutes outside of Stockholm. I will also be attending Östra Reals Gymnasium, which is in Stockholm ;D. The picture of is it on the top!

So anyway, I leave January 14th, and I really can't believe it. After looking everything up last night, it really hit me that soon i'll be in a different country, in a brand new house and school. It exites me, but at the same time i'm starting to get very nervous! I'm really going to Sweden! It's all so real now, and I couldn't be more excited! I'll have more info soon! :D
Kramar och Pussar- Brianna

75 days?! :O

Wow, I am so pumped to leave! That probably sounds bad :P but i'm more than ready to be 100 percent out of my element experiencing something new. My official travel date is January 14th, 2011, yay!I never though "soon" would come. ^^ October went by extremely fast, it still hasn't hit me that tomorrow is November, and I only have 75 days left. I'm starting to get really anxious about lots of things, like who my host family will be, or where in Sweden i'll be placed.What i've been feeling lately is so different and wierd, just generally hard to explain. When I think about leaving, I automatically get butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't even descrive how excited I am, but at the same time i'll be sad when it's time to say goodbye to my friends and family. But anyway, I want to start packing and go to the airport right now!The 6 months I have coming up will probably be the best ones of my life. More and more people are beginning to ask me why I want to leave the place I have been for 16 years to go to a country that is the opposite of what i'm used to. I'm very aware that this experience will be something I can't even begin to put into thoughts. I'll get homesick, i'll get angry, but 6 months is a long time, and before I know it i'll be settled into a whole different culture. Do I know what will happen when I arrive, no. But I do know that whatever happens will create a path for me and my life, which I am in control of. It will be good for me to be on my own early in live, because it will give me a taste of what life will be like someday. On a happier note, all my friends in Sweden are excited for me to come ^^. i'll try to post some more soon!
kramar och pussar- Brianna

Accepted!

I don't have much time right now, but just a quick update. I got an email today saying i've officially been accepted to the Greenheart/CCI study abroad semester in Sweden! ;D I'm so excited! Now it's time to start preparing for the trip of a lifetime! xD
kramar och pussar -Brianna

First post!

So, I made this blog a while ago, but I have been waiting to write on it, because before this I never really had anything interesting to say xD. So let me start by saying, My name is Brianna, I'm 16,I live in New Jersey, and I am going to Sweden with Greenheart travel /CCI for the spring semester(hopefully!). I will be leaving in December or January, and will stay until June or July. The reason I'm saying hopefully is because I haven't gotten the 100 percent yes. I had my interview yesterday, and everything went really well. My interviewer Doreen told me everything checked out and that I would be accepted, but I won't know for sure until she sends the interview information to CCI! I am more than excited to have the opportunity to do this, I never thought I could do something like this! My parents are supportive, but are also very concerned with my safety while i'm away, but i'll be fine! ;D. Doreen said the thing that put me one step ahead of everyone, is the fact that I can speak swedish already(i taught myself xD) I can actually speak many languages, english spanish french german dutch swedish and some norwegian and danish ;D. Languages are a big part of my life, I love them! But i'm rambling now!

Some more about foreign exchange. I honestly never thought I would have the opportunity to do this. I remember starting to look at exchange programs last year in school. I went through hundreds(at least it seemed like that!) until I found one I really liked. CCI helped me with anything I needed. The thing that I really liked is the fact they they are in an online chatroom all day on their website, so whenever I had a question I could go straight to them and ask. Another thing i've gotten lately is, "why Sweden?" I always begin to respond to that with, "why not?" I think another reason why I want to go there is because I have many friends there, so I would hopefully see them more! I want to move to Sweden someday, and this is sure a step in the right direction! But anyway, I'm SUPER pumped for this, and i'll write again as soon as I find out some more information xD
Jag älskar Sverige! kramar och pussar!- Brianna