I got a job!!

Finally! I'm now an employee at Wienerschnitzel, and my first day is Friday! So I'll be making $8/h (minimum wage) but it's totally worth it. Also, (hopefully) by the beginning of September, I'll be able to have my full application and the $900 turned in! Fingers crossed.

Plus, next weekend, I finally start those refereeing classes for soccer (which will hopefully not conflict with work).

OH! AND! Alissa (my best friend...not) and I are auditioning for Wheel of Fortune's Teen Best Friend week on next Wednesday! It's mainly just for fun and to see what happens, but we're both pretty confident in our abilities to solve puzzles.

Annnndd we're moving REALLY soon, which means we'll have extra money to put towards my trip (yessssssssss!!!) and I'll be that much closer to being there!

So many exciting things (in the midst of the rejection from the scholarship - which we're appealing) and they all somehow come back to Italy. Funny how that works ;).

So... some unfortunate news.

I just currently found out that I was rejected from the Global Leader's Scholarship through AFS. I'm definitely disappointed but not too worried. I know if I try hard enough I'll be able to get it fully funded!

I had a job interview today and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something good will come from it! Ahhh so much praying to do!

Wish me luck!

Good news good news!

So! I found out the total cost will be $9,250, which is about $2,000 cheaper than we were expecting! And with $4,000-$5,000 in scholarships coming up, this is like definitely happening! I'm so excited and happy and anxious and I can't wait to get started on everything!

Also, I'm going to start refereeing soccer on weekends starting in August, and I'll make $60 :)!! And hopefully some kind of job opportunity will come up. I'm just going to keep praying!!

And there's always the chip in button on the side ;).

Recent movement!

Hello again! So recently, I've submitted a preliminary application, applied for the Global Leader's Scholarship, and gotten started on my full application. Now I'm hoping to get my Sponsor an AFSer thing up, so that I can start getting some donations!

Also, I turned 16 yesterday, so I can legally apply for jobs! I'm really excited and hope to get hired soon! I guess I'm just going to have to keep calling places back until they give me definite answers! One of my birthday presents was a phrase book in Italian with basic slang and curse words (thanks Maddy!). So far, all I really know how to say is "I have a foot fetish, and am not ashamed!" and "Those shoes make you look like a redneck". While I probably won't be using them in Italy, it's still fun to know :).

So that's basically it! Hopefully I'll hear back on more information and get my full application started!

And so it begins..

Hello! My name is Nicole, I'm 16, and I'm trying to go to Italy through AFS! However, this journey will cost about $10,000 or more. Through this blog, I hope to raise awareness of my cause and fundraisers, as well as providing a location for people to donate.

I suppose I should start off by saying what living in Italy for a semester would mean to me. In February, I went to China for nearly two weeks. During that time, I was so in awe of the fact that I was actually somewhere else in the world, seeing new things and having new experiences for the first time. Ever since we came back, I've been yearning for the opportunity to travel somewhere else. Living in Italy would give me the chance to fully immerse myself in another language, culture, and way of living. I would attend a school in which they would speak Italian, which would require me to take language classes two or three times a week. I would live with a host family and have host siblings, who would show me what they do for fun and introduce me to all of their friends.

Through this experience, I would mature and learn so much more than I could in California. I think it would be a great opportunity for me to learn about another culture, as well learn about myself. I hope I am able to raise as much money as I can to make this dream a reality. During my time in Italy, I would be updating this blog as frequently as possible, as a way to give back to those who donate. Any little bit helps!

-Nicole