Maggie (Without) Borders: My Year in Germany

Today is April 24, 2017. The CBYX program year starts with an orientation seminar in Washington, D.C. on July 23, and then I leave for Germany on the 25th, so I figured it would be interesting to do some monthly updates before I go to record how I'm feeling and what I expect. Last week, I got an email from the CBYX staff with a brief update. It was minimal, but a welcome reminder that they are working hard to prepare for the program year. Basically, it said that yes, things are happening, and no, they don't need anything else from us at the moment. Works for me. As for how I'm feeling with 3 months (exactly 90 days...) before I go, well... it's hard to describe. I rotate between being scared, excited, stressed, and emotionless. Some days, I forget about it entirely--I've got a lot going on between finals, imminent facial surgery, moving out residents, and preparing to say goodbye to some of my friends and colleagues for a long time. I don't think the extreme...

From the moment I found out about CBYX in late 2015 until the application submission deadline on December 1, 2016, I had a post-it stuck above my desk that read "CBYX Application 2016." This was not an opportunity that I was willing to let slip from my brain. With the help of my trusty post-it, I remembered to start the application process in September 2016. The entire application and interview process looks something like this: 1) Submit application to apply 2) Submit application by December 1st 3) Wait patiently until January for interview notification 4) Interview in February 5) Wait patiently until March for acceptance notification Of course, there's more to it all than that, so I'll try to give you a general overview of each step here. 1) Submit application to apply This part sounds... dumb. But it makes sense! To ensure that you will be a viable candidate for the program at the most basic level, they have you submit a teeny-tiny application in orde...

I'm sure that most of the people who will read this will know me, but I figure I should explain a little bit about myself and why I chose to pursue the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals. The Facts: - My name is Maggie. I'm 21 years old and I come from Dublin, Ohio. - I am currently in my third year at the Ohio State University, and I study Environmental Science and German. I also focus a lot on sustainability. - I have studied German language and culture since my junior year of high school. - I have lived in central Ohio for the past 17 years of my life. - I look like this: Me at Yellowstone in March 2017. #penguinpaddle It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I chose to study abroad in the first place. I love my school, I have a really strong support system in Ohio, I adore my boyfriend.. but I suppose I needed to get out for a bit. I've been here for a long time, and I've been wanting to gain a more global perspective and put my kn...