89 days left

I've done it. I've managed to keep a semi regular journal since the beginning of June. Why did I do this, you may wonder. It's training. Training for next year, when I want to be able to write in a journal and on this blog as if its second nature. I want to be able to record my thoughts, feelings, and new experiences. I want to be able to do this all in a way so that I can come back and read what I was feeling in that exact moment 20 years from now. It'll help me grow as a person, and it will help to remind me who I m if I ever seem to forget it on the way.


On a completely seperate note, I am currently visiting family in Italy, which is why I haven't blogged much. I have my OPI test for Arabic sometime in July...'la afam' will become my new favorite phrase.
With less than 89 days left, this hasn't become a reality just yet.

And for now, buona notte a tutti, e forza Italia! (We just won a soccer match against Mexico nbd :D )

The end

Today I graduated. I graduated from Lowell High School. It was a long four years, starting as a scared freshman, and finally ending as a confident senior. I guess it hasn't hit me yet, but it's truly over. I am done with high school. I will never have to go back. Sitting through that ceremony for 3 hours and listening to 613 names, watching the people I have learned to love, to argue with, and in the end to tolerate walk across the stage was..uplifting, in some sense. I can't say that I'll necessarily miss the early mornings and late nights spent finishing homework, but I will miss the lessons I've learned. I realized, as I was standing waiting to get my diploma, that I had spent the majority of my high school career waiting for the next big thing, be it the weekend or the start of a break. Everything passed me by in a blur. I don't remember everything about these past 4 years..and I can't say I want to. High school is a learning experience, and I'm sure I learned almost everything that I could have learned, and I'm very happy with my high school career.

I have officially closed one chapter of my life, and I'm beyond ready to open a new one. 

Nostalgia.

My last official day of school was last thursday. I graduate on wednesday. I finished packing for the summer today. I can't believe the past 4 years are already gone. I never expected them to pass this quickly. I'm glad, but slightly nostalgic. On friday night, I went to my school and just laid down in front of it. Suddenly I realized that I no longer had to go to school there, I no longer had to make the trek from the main building to the Ts; I never had to walk through the metal gate near the bus stop; I never had to walk through those glass doors again. Unless I wanted to. I won't lie, I teared up slightly. I have so many memories at my high school. So many hours passed in that place. I am ready to leave. I am, but it hasn't hit me yet that I will be venturing 6084.1 miles away from home, to a new country, without my family or friends. I don't think this simple fact will hit me for a very long time...until maybe August.
I am ready.
I want to go an adventure.
I want to experience new things.

Marrakech, I am ready. 

Photos and more

I have been swamped. With the cursed AP tests, preparing for graduation, spanish homework, annoying teachers and more. I have had virtually no time to do anything, much less think about my upcoming year in Morocco. 

Until yesterday. 

Both my parents don't have Facebook, and my brother rarely uses it; that is where I post all of my pictures but I want my parents to be able to see my pictures from Morocco. So after making a Flickr and realizing that, actually, it doesn't hold that much memory, I made a shutterfly! 

Essentially, I didn't want to spam the readers of this blog with the endless pictures I will be taking in Morocco, however I wanted my parents to be able to have access to them without having to send them every single picture. Shutterfly is wonderful because I can make albums and they have no memory limit! So I will be posting all of my travel photos on there from now on :)

So far I only have some pictures that I took a few summers ago in Europe 

http://valentinasadventures.shutterfly.com/pictures

Meanwhile....

Countdown to Morcco

And here comes the curse (or blessing) of early blogging

I'm a giant foodie

I love food. Any food. All food. Especially foreign food. When I'm in another country, I will try everything that is placed in front of me. This makes me about a million times more excited for Morocco, mostly because the food will be amazing.
Yea that's about it.
I'm quite excited for this.

Also, tonight I finally sent in my signed acceptance form as well as the face page of my passport.
Morocco, here I come!

Exciting news

So I guess I found out some exciting news today....

The endless waiting game

Notifications started in mid-March..and are still continuing. So far, all the summer programs have been announced (China, Korea, Russia, Tajikistan, Arabic, Turkey and India) and two year programs have been announced (Russia and India). It's so nice to see everyone happy with their letters and ready to embark on a "life-changing" journey. 

Not going to lie, I am jealous that those notifications have gone out. I am beyond ready to know about the status of my application. 

This is now the fourth time I've gone through this process, and one would think that by this time, I would have been used to the waiting. But I'm still not. I still check my email at all times, even when it's past 5 pm in Washington, hoping that someone stayed late and decided to send out my notification. 

All I can do is wait, and focus on other things. 

Insha'allah I'll know by the end of the week. That would be amazing.