The BEST day ever

Ok so I haven't updated in a while and there is ALOT of exciting stuff has happened to me since the last time I updated.

Ok so the BEST thing that happened to me today was I GOT OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED TO ITALY. So after you apply to a program they send your application to that country (namely Italy) and it is a 4-6 week wait for acceptance. Well the end of my 6 weeks was on December 14th but I had bugged my Application Advisor (Connie Kurtz) so much before that I vowed to wait one week before I called her and asked for any updates on my application. Well today, December 21st, I called Connie today and when she picked up she said " Wow, Kendra I was just about to call you. You have officially been accepted to the Italy Program *insert my scream here* So i see you excited. I will call you again with any new information" Then is my happy dance and my phone call to another exchanger friend (Kayla CONGRATS on being accepted as well) and my continued HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!! Now 2 more times of waiting are next. First I have to wait until a nice Italian family to choose me to have live with them for a year. This could take up until 2 weeks before I leave. I don't think I can wait that long so I hope that my application stands out enough that family's will want to have me live with them. Then the colossal wait until next September 3-6 until I actually get to leave the country. YAY.

The second good thing that happened today is I found out that the AFS group in my town is paying for 10% of my tuition for the program. Now for those of you who don't know AFS is a very expensive program and the current price for Italy for a year is $10100 so 10% is a big deal because that's $1010 and that IS alot of money that I now don't have to raise. YAY. There is a catch however, I will have to write them an essay and have to write them a letter once a month to tell them how I am doing, and do no less then 3 speeches when I get back to tell the town/school/AFS group how my trip went. So even with that I'm so happy and all of the stuff that I have to do will be fun because I am already super obsessed with exchange and Italy so that all will be fun!!!

The last good thing that happened was today is the last day of school before Christmas break!! Some other random things that has happened since I updated last. I got my passport. When I went to get it my dad said that it would take months, two and a half weeks later I get a very official looking package from the Government. When I opened it it was my Passport (with a very horrible picture :( ) but every one said that passport pictures are horrible lol. On a less exciting not that has absolutely nothing to do with Italy but makes me happy is that I got my class ring this week and that makes me happy

Ok so all and all IM SOOOOO EXCITED THAT I'M ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is the best thing that has happened all year and it is the best Christmas present that I could have ever gotten!! So yea im going to resume my happy dance now, its amazing that I was even able to stop dancing long enough to type this entry.