Preparations

Preparing to live in another country for a year is a daunting and anxiety-inducing task. Some people shrug their shoulders and go with the flow. I am not that way. I am literally losing sleep over packing. I am trying to fit my life into 3 bags. Some people can manage with one or two. I need three. The thought of buying clothes while in Germany makes me sick. The exchange rate is NOT in my favor and clothes are very expensive in Germany. I would like to buy just a few items while abroad, not a new wardrobe! I am thus trying to fit as many clothes into my suitcases as possible along with everything else I am trying to bring. Think of all the things you use on a daily basis...now try to imagine fitting all those things into 3 suitcases. My travel power strip with international plugs took up almost half of one of my suitcases all by itself. I swear that my belongings have doubled in size and weight now that I am trying to fit them into a confined space. One also needs to do a little research. Like what kind of plugs do they have in Germany so that you know what converters to buy. Seriously though, if we all already speak different languages, can't we at least all use the same outlets? It would make things a lot easier for me.

I also have been reading articles on Germany and have booked my flight and hotel in DC. For a one way flight to DC and one night at a hotel I only ended up shelling out $200. This is pretty cheap considering hotels in DC are pretty expensive. You can find hotels outside of DC for cheap but then you have to get a cab or bus into the city. Not my cup of tea. After using an online coupon code, I ended up getting my hotel for $100 for the night and it is in the heart of DC.

One thing I have done to make the trip back to the United States in 2012 easier is I bought a mini wardrobe from the thrift store. That way, when I return home, I can leave those clothes back in Germany (because they are so inexpensive) and have more room for the things I will be taking back to the United States.

Travelers tip. I bought almost everything I needed for Germany on eBay. Soooooo much cheaper than going to a department store. I bought my outlet converters, travel books, and everything else I needed at much lower prices on eBay. Check it out!

Sacrifices

As amazing of an opportunity that the CBYX program is, it is not without it's sacrifices. The program is a scholarship program, yes, but it does not cover every single nickel and dime associated with traveling abroad (nor should it). The program generously covers basically every expense associated with the program with the exception of personal expenses associated with leisure activities and personal items such as souvenirs. daily transportation, clothes, mail to family, and the like. In order to afford to go, I had to sell my car (which I loved). I was never the person to dream of having a BMW or Mercedes. I always just wanted a Prius. Being a Biology major and an environmentalist, the Prius called to me with it's insanely high MPG like a sea siren to a ship bound sailor (over dramatic?). Well a year ago, I finally got one after working multiple jobs and saving like a fiend for several years. It was a 2005 Toyota Prius and anyone who knows me knew that I desperately wanted one. I finally was able to buy one outright only to end up selling it a year later to go on this trip. Don't get me wrong, a car is just a material possession and is nowhere near as important as the experience I am about to have. My car was a casualty I was glad to have made in the process to travel abroad to Germany. Memories and experiences like the ones I am about to have are what enrich your life...not things like cars and technology toys.

Side note. I should seriously consider becoming a used car salesman. I sold my 2005 Prius for $2,100 MORE than what I paid for it when I bought it over a year ago and I put no money into it besides oil changes and new brake pads.. This does not mean that I took anyone for a ride (pun intended), however. That car was in perfect condition and was worth every penny. I sold it for less than what Kelly Blue Book quoted it at. The reason I was able to make a profit was not necessarily in how I sold the car. It had more to do with how I bought the car. I had test driven the car in 2010 after it had been on the dealer's lot for several months. They wanted to make a sale I was not going give in to them unless they agreed to the price I was willing to pay for it. I was a hard ass and ended up leaving with the deal of the century (seriously though).

Me saying goodbye to my lovely car for the last time.

There are also other sacrifices associated with a year abroad. I am going to miss out on a year of my family and friends' life. A year of birthdays, Christmas, New Year's, and other special occasions. My brother also just had a baby girl which makes me a brand new uncle and godfather. I am going to miss out on the first year of her life. When I come back she is no longer going to be a baby. She will be a toddler. My brother eased the worry a bit when he told me not to feel bad because I was making myself into someone his daughter would be proud to call her uncle. That was very touching and hopefully true in the coming years.

Details About The CBYX Program

"So what exactly will you be doing over there?" This would be the second most asked question after I tell people I will be going to Germany for a year. The first question, of course, being, "Do you speak German?" The 4 months between when you are accepted into the program and when you leave consists of reading selected articles from Cultural Vistas, brushing up on your German language, uprooting your life (which is actually very liberating), and any number of other things. The program starts with an orientation seminar that starts in Washington DC and concludes in Frankfurt, Germany. This seminar lasts only a couple of days and prepares the participants for everything from culture shock to perception about Americans and so on. The 75 participants are then taken to one of four language schools where they will take 2 months of intensive language courses to prepare them for the German language and culture. This is why German language proficiency is not required to be accepted into the program. This is also where the participant will live for the first 2 months with a host family. I was selected to live the first 2 months of my year in Germany in a city called Radolfzell (also called Radolfzell am Bodensee) to attend the Carl Duisberg Centrum Sprachschule. It is a little idyllic German city situated in southwest Germany right on the Swiss border. It is nestled on the largest lake in Germany called the Bodensee but for some strange reason it is called Lake Constance in English. I found it just a little ironic that I live a stone's throw away from Lake Michigan and now I will be living on the largest lake in Germany.

Radolfzell am Bodensee

I have no doubt that I will have a blast in Radolfzell. After the 2 months of intensive language study, participants move to their permanent host stays for the remainder of the year (10 months) where they will experience a semester at a German university and then complete a 5 month internship in their career field. The semester of school starts in October and concludes in January. The internship starts in February and concludes in July. At this point in time, CBYX is unable to notify participants of the exact city they will be living in during the last 10 months of the program. As of right now, CBYX can only tell us what Bundesland we will be living in. I found out that I will be living in Sachsen-Anhalt.

Their is also a mid-year seminar in January when all the participants and program advisors can meet up and share experiences. The last two weeks of the year are kept clear so as to allow participants time to travel and explore Europe before they depart in mid July for the end of year seminar in New York city. And then I return to home sweet home!

Personal Experiences With the Program

Although I haven't even left for Germany yet, CBYX has already given me some experiences to look back on. My history with this program is long and, dare I say, inspirational to look back on. I was first introduced to the program in 2005-2006 during my senior year of high school by my German teacher Laurie Wanta. I had expressed a desire to study abroad in Germany but had nowhere near the financial means to do so. It is a difficult thing to have a desire to do something but not have the financial means to do so. That is what is so great about this program. CBYX is a scholarship program and allows self proclaimed "poor students" like myself to experience another culture that is more easily experienced by my wealthier student peers. I am a first generation student working my way through college and I would simply not have the means to study abroad were it not for a program like CBYX. It is just that simple. But I digress. As I was saying, my first experience with CBYX was when I applied for the high school level program during my senior year in high school. My german teacher Laurie Wanta suggested I check out the website for the program. I knew that, had I been accepted, it would have meant taking a 5th year of high school in Germany. I was not sure what I wanted to do after high school and thought that CBYX would be a good experience and would allow me more time to figure out what I wanted to do upon my return to the states. I am the first to admit that that is a bad reason to want to study abroad. Studying abroad through a government funded program is not a time to figure things out necessarily. A program like this benefits students who have clear career goals. This is probably why I was chosen to have an interview but ultimately was not chosen for the program.

So I moved on and went to college and studied Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Washington County in good old West Bend. It was not until 2009, however, that I had remembered from my first experience with CBYX that there was a college level program. I immediately did an internet search for "CBYX college" and stumble upon Cultural Vistas' website. From there, I filled out and submitted my second application since the high school application. By January the following year, I was notified by email that I was not even selected for an interview. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason and knew that if I was not selected this time it must mean that I still was not ready to embark on this incredible journey to Germany.

Not entirely discouraged by my rejections, I started and submitted my 3rd application to the CBYX program in December 2010 while I attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. To my delight, I got an email in January 2011 notifying me that I had been selected for an interview. At this point I was hopeful but did not get my hopes up for fear that this application would meet the same fate as its 2 predecessors. I completed my interview in Chicago in February and felt pretty good afterwards. Still not letting my hopes get too high, I continued to check my email every 20 minutes in March waiting for my notification email. Well, if you read my previous post titled "Application Process" you know that I eventually found out that i was accepted for the 2011-2012 CBYX program. Who knew that a process I started almost 6 years ago in high school that met many bumps in the road would eventually end in me embarking on one of the greatest life experiences I may ever have? It goes to show you that opportunities do not come to certain people, certain people MAKE opportunities like this happen. Giving up never led to anything good.

A special thanks needs to go out to everyone who helped me with this application. All my German teachers Laurie Wanta, Herr Pintens, Frau Smith, and Zlatko Sadikovic. You helped me learn the language and appreciate the German culture. And also those who wrote the best recommendation letters a person could ask for Colleen Vachuska and Karen Rice. And an honorable mention to my UWM Chemistry teacher, Anja Blecking, who is from Germany. You made me want to go to Germany even more simply because of the fact that you were from Germany. Thank you all. I owe so much to you.

Application Process

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? (do you speak German?) Surprisingly, this is one of the least important questions asked in the interview and on the application. You are not required to know a lick of German to be accepted into the CBYX program. It is preferred, but an exceptional candidate would not be turned down because of their lack of German skills.

First and foremost, make sure this is the program for you. This should be taken into consideration with any study abroad program. All study abroad programs are not right for everyone. Some focus on volunteering, some focus on schooling, and some focus on internships. Find the one that is right for you. CBYX is a year-long program focusing on an internship and schooling. If you decide the CBYX program is right for you, you must first apply for an application. This can be done online sometime around late summer the year before you want to participate in the program. For instance, if you want to participate in the program during the 2011-2012 year, you must start your application in summer 2010. Once you are approved for the application, start your application immediately because it is due at the office of CDS International by December 1st of that same year. You will need one letter of recommendation from a professor and one from an employer. The term "employer" is flexible. I used a woman who supervised me as I volunteered for a Rotary fundraising event called Seafood Fest. She was an excellent candidate to comment on my character even though I was never paid for my services. You will also need to fill out the application including very short essays (50 words each). The application can either be filled out on paper or online (preferred method). Make sure you have some work or intern experience in your target career field. Without this work experience in your career field, it would be very difficult to be accepted into the program. Above all, make sure you have a legitimate reason for wanting to travel abroad. "Just because" is not a valid reason to travel abroad.

Once you submit your application by December 1st you wait...and wait...and wait...and wait. The CBYX program usually has over 500 applications and it takes time to sort through them all. Of the over 500 applicants, approximately 155 will be chosen for personal interviews. An email will be sent out in late January indicating to you whether or not you were chosen for an interview. To be chosen for an interview is an honor in itself. Interviews are held in major cities across the US during the months of February and March and are chosen to accommodate applicants from multiple states at a time. In my case, my interview was in Chicago, IL and there were people from Wisconsin and Illinois there. I was very lucky that my interview was in Chicago as I was able to take the Amtrak Hiawatha train there, which costs about 44 dollars round trip and took only 90 minutes. Much less stress than driving and worrying about a crazed taxi driver rear-ending you or someone breaking into your car.

Side note of my personal experience with my interview. If you are unfamiliar with the area of your interview, scope it out ahead of time if you can. That way you know where you are going on the day of the interview. That leaves you able to worry about more important issues like whether or not your tie is straight. I had never been to Chicago before and did not want my first time visiting to be when I was trying to get to an interview on time. No way no how. So me and my friend Kaitlin made a day trip out of it. Two weeks before my interview date, we took the train down to Chicago and walked to my interview location. That way I knew exactly where it was. The rest of the day we explored Chicago and visited the Shedd Aquarium. We also visited the Millennium Park Bean. The day of my interview I arrived early, well prepared, relaxed, and with a straight, smooth tie. Being prepared is half the battle!

Me in front of the Bean at Millennium Park.
The little red coat reflected in the Bean
is my friend Kaitlin taking this picture.

The interview consists of a group interview, a personal interview, and a German language test (no bearing on acceptance). The language test is used to gauge what level German course you will be placed into at the language school for the first two months of the program if you are accepted. Once the interviews are over, you wait some more. Everyone who interviewed is contacted by email with their status of acceptance or nonacceptance. The emails are sent out in mid March. Of the over 500 applicants, 155 are chosen for interviews, and ultimately only 75 people from across the US are chosen for the program. I had to wait about a month for my results. It was agonizing. I was checking my email at least every 20 minutes...which is crazy! I still remember the day I found out I was accepted. It was Friday, March 11th and I was just leaving my Chemistry discussion class. I had just gotten an email from CDS a couple hours before saying that the post-interview emails would be sent out around March 16th (because they knew people were getting antsy). Which was why I was so surprised that that Friday afternoon when I opened my email I found my email saying that I was accepted. I'm getting goosebumps just reminiscing about it. I think the other students around me thought I had a condition. I just kept saying "I'm going to Germany for a year! I can't believe it!" And I was saying this to myself!

Once you find out you are selected, start preparing because you have 4 short months to prepare your life to be uprooted and transported half across the world. Participants leave at the end of July!

Again, the link for the high school level CBYX program is www.usagermanyscholarship.org and the link for the college level CBYX program is www.culturalvistas.org. At these sites you will find eligibility requirements, FAQs, and program highlights. Anyone who is interested (24 or younger) should check them out.