Dear Donald Trump...

So if there's one thing I've learned from this whole process, it's do foreign exchange in high school! There's one more thing to add to my list of things I hate about the American education system-not only do we not require learning other languages from a young age, but schools don't make it known that being and exchange student IS an option. (And you don't even have to know another language for some programs).

Let's say I had done this in high school, it would probably have been about 1/4 of the cost it is now. My tuition for the year is looking to be about $16,000 plus $1000 every month for housing plus books, plus plane tickets, and day-to-day money. It's insane. My student loans and scholarships will cover the tuition money (I hope). So now I am writing to local businesses to help finance some of the costs outside of my tuition (mainly housing).

All I can say is I really hope it works, because god only knows where I'm gonna come up with that much money in 7 months. Hello student debt! Nice to meet you!

Official Acceptance!

I have officially been accepted into my study abroad program! I'm both really excited and really scared. Not necessarily because I'm going to a foreign country, but because I don't know what's going to be happening here while I'm gone. I've been told that Spaniards will appreciate that I am attempting to speak their language and they are overall a very accepting culture, so that should be ok. I figure once I get there I'll start picking the language up pretty fast. Having to think in the language and hearing it all the time will be really helpful. At the same time, I also have to figure out how much I can talk to my family and friends back home. Originally, I had intended on Skyping them once a week, as well as making an update for everyone on YouTube but...I'm gonna need to talk to someone a little more than once a week :) Other than that, I'm excited! I filed all of my housing requests - living with a family, 3 meals a day, non-smoking, don't care if they have pets or kids. Also had to sign a waver that said if I lost any limbs my insurance would pay be a certain percentage of money depending on what limb it was...I'm not sure why I would lose any limbs, I mean maybe if I go run with the bulls but that's not really in my plans...Other than that, there isn't much else I can do now. I'm going to be spending a lot of time trying to collect enough money to pay for this, so that should keep me busy for a long while!

That's the Government for Ya...

So, I needed a new passport - mine's good until November 2012, but I need it to last until November 2013 - just my luck right? Well, I go to get a new passport and my mom warns me that it's going to take a long time and I'm going to have to do all of this verification of identity stuff. So, I'm prepared to spend hours in line, then more hours answering questions - and when I get there I'm the only one there...

Now, in my mind I would think less people in line = more time to spend questioning me, because there's no traffic to be held up. But, apparently not. I hand the guy my old passport (which looks nothing like me, considering I was 14 when it was taken). He gives me a paper, asks me, "Do you promise this is you?" I said yes, then signed the paper. That was that. He didn't even ask for my drivers license.

I'm just like really? All the stuff you have to go through for things so much smaller than that, and here's a federal identification document that you'll be carrying for the next year in a foreign county, and all I had to do was promise that I am who I am. That's the government for ya, I will never understand...

I'm doing WHAT?!

Yeah...that's right - I'm going to Spain!

I know it's completely crazy and random, but it's something I've always wanted to do. So, I'll be packing up (everyone who knows me knows how much of a challenge that alone will be - how am I going to fit everything I need for a year in like 4 suitcases?), and heading off to Madrid, Spain for a year.

Yes, I am still going to med school, and yes I still have my med school spot, but I changed my actual major to Spanish. While I'm gone I should be able to complete pretty much all but 3 classes I need to get my major. I'll finish those and write my thesis paper when I get back, as well as finish my pre-med requirements.

The program I'll be with is USAC. Don't worry, it's legit - I'm not gonna be stolen and sold in exchange for a cow. I'll be studying at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. I will also be living with a host family, so I will have the best exposure to the language as possible. I'm entering the program with 4 semesters of college level Spanish, so I'll be studying at the advanced level...we'll see how that goes. My classes will be mainly language focused, but I also have some fun ones like Dances of Spain. While I'm there, my goal is to travel as much as possible!

Hmmm...what else? I'm not sure. But yeah, look for my updates about how I'm preparing for my trip. If you find that boring, ignore everything until I leave. Then, I promise it will be pretty epic cool to follow me.