I'm Still Alive and I've Got News!
Why, hello old friend! I guess you're a friend. You're reading my blog, so that must make you something, even I may not even actually know you. I do know some of you. Hello there! :) ...I guess that's sort of awkward.
Where have I been since April? That's a long story, and I've already got a long story to share with you today, so... You still want to know? Fine, if you insist! To cut the story short, I've been here (yes, that "here" is a link...what can I say? I'm lazy). Yes, feel free to explore that blog, but don't forget to come back someday. "The Journal"'s feeling a little forgotten and alone with all of the attention I've been giving "The Travels."
Now, where was I? Oh yes! Long story:
Once upon a time, there was girl. She was about, let's see, 17 and a half?
Her mother, a wise, exemplary woman, decided to live her dreams one day and went on a cruise to the Holy Land. She came back with many stories and pictures, and with an idea (wise women always have life-changing and enriching ideas). That idea was of a place called the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center where students enrolled in any of the three BYU universities can participate in a study abroad program for one semester.
She planted that idea of the Jerusalem Center in the girl's mind (the girl attends one of the three BYU universities). Unfortunately, the demand for acceptance in the program is usually high, so the idea became an impossible dream. Then an unforeseen thing occurred: the enrollment dropped because many students from all of the schools started to go on LDS missions in a massive wave. One day, after harp ensemble quite a while after her mother returned with tales of faraway places, she stood talking to a fellow harpist. This fellow harpist revealed that she was going to the Jerusalem Center and that she had gotten in quite easily with the enrollment decline.
Possibilities flooded the girl's mind and she felt rather lost in the muddle of decisions. She could follow her peers to the mission field or she could go to Jerusalem. Besides that, she had school, a Europe study abroad, and a handful of other things on her mind, but eventually she came to the conclusion that she would regret it if she didn't at least apply for the program, especially since she was, coincidentally, surrounded by people who had gone or were going.
So, she applied and decided that, if she wasn't accepted, she would turn in her mission papers upon returning home from the Europe study abroad.
In the middle of March, she checked to mailbox, as was her custom, and discovered a large white envelope, addressed to her. She snuck into the house, past her parents, and into her room to open it. She had a initial placement (pretty much accepted, except for a final interview where you're told that "you can now consider yourself officially accepted"). She didn't tell her parent until later that evening over dinner, and particularly enjoyed keeping it to herself for a few hours.
After coming home from Europe at the beginning of June, she had the final interview over the phone and has now been "officially accepted" to study in the Holy Land, the center of history for thousands of years, for a semester. She will leave the beginning of September and will come home just before Christmas, and, despite some nervousness and anxiety, will have the journey and experience of a lifetime.
As you can probably guess, that girl is me. I'm scared, and reasonably so since these particular nervous fears stem from my two greatest fears: failure and loss (see my last post, published in April), but I'm very grateful for this experience and I'm also more excited for it, something new, than I was for Europe. It is the chance of a lifetime and it will teach me so much.
Some of my mom's pictures (I will, of course, post some of my pictures when I go, either on this blog or, more likely, on my travels blog):
Where have I been since April? That's a long story, and I've already got a long story to share with you today, so... You still want to know? Fine, if you insist! To cut the story short, I've been here (yes, that "here" is a link...what can I say? I'm lazy). Yes, feel free to explore that blog, but don't forget to come back someday. "The Journal"'s feeling a little forgotten and alone with all of the attention I've been giving "The Travels."
Now, where was I? Oh yes! Long story:
Once upon a time, there was girl. She was about, let's see, 17 and a half?
Her mother, a wise, exemplary woman, decided to live her dreams one day and went on a cruise to the Holy Land. She came back with many stories and pictures, and with an idea (wise women always have life-changing and enriching ideas). That idea was of a place called the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center where students enrolled in any of the three BYU universities can participate in a study abroad program for one semester.
She planted that idea of the Jerusalem Center in the girl's mind (the girl attends one of the three BYU universities). Unfortunately, the demand for acceptance in the program is usually high, so the idea became an impossible dream. Then an unforeseen thing occurred: the enrollment dropped because many students from all of the schools started to go on LDS missions in a massive wave. One day, after harp ensemble quite a while after her mother returned with tales of faraway places, she stood talking to a fellow harpist. This fellow harpist revealed that she was going to the Jerusalem Center and that she had gotten in quite easily with the enrollment decline.
Possibilities flooded the girl's mind and she felt rather lost in the muddle of decisions. She could follow her peers to the mission field or she could go to Jerusalem. Besides that, she had school, a Europe study abroad, and a handful of other things on her mind, but eventually she came to the conclusion that she would regret it if she didn't at least apply for the program, especially since she was, coincidentally, surrounded by people who had gone or were going.
So, she applied and decided that, if she wasn't accepted, she would turn in her mission papers upon returning home from the Europe study abroad.
In the middle of March, she checked to mailbox, as was her custom, and discovered a large white envelope, addressed to her. She snuck into the house, past her parents, and into her room to open it. She had a initial placement (pretty much accepted, except for a final interview where you're told that "you can now consider yourself officially accepted"). She didn't tell her parent until later that evening over dinner, and particularly enjoyed keeping it to herself for a few hours.
After coming home from Europe at the beginning of June, she had the final interview over the phone and has now been "officially accepted" to study in the Holy Land, the center of history for thousands of years, for a semester. She will leave the beginning of September and will come home just before Christmas, and, despite some nervousness and anxiety, will have the journey and experience of a lifetime.
As you can probably guess, that girl is me. I'm scared, and reasonably so since these particular nervous fears stem from my two greatest fears: failure and loss (see my last post, published in April), but I'm very grateful for this experience and I'm also more excited for it, something new, than I was for Europe. It is the chance of a lifetime and it will teach me so much.
Some of my mom's pictures (I will, of course, post some of my pictures when I go, either on this blog or, more likely, on my travels blog):
The view of Jerusalem from the center:
The arcade on the upper levels of the center:
:D I'm so excited for you, Katherine!! I expect MANY pictures! *shakes finger at screen* :)
ReplyDeleteSooo, I must inform you, dear, that I've nominated your blog for the Liebster Award. x) :P If you haven't heard of it, it's a little something bloggers do to share their favorite bloggers with their audience. You answer a few questions, ask your own, so yeah. xD I know your schedule is probably super busy right now, but yes. You have been nominated. x) :D
My post with your questions, hehe, is here:
http://justmeandjay.blogspot.com/2014/06/liebster-award-thingy.html
Feel free to skip over my rambles, as that is what happens when I haven't slept in 2 days. xD
Again, CONGRATS ON ISRAEL!! - and I should probably add, welcome back to the States! ;D
Congratulations Katherine! How exciting to be able to study in Israel! Keep us posted with updates, :D
ReplyDelete