Overture

I’m not good with introductions. Or beginnings in general. So I will just start writing and eventually get to the interesting stuff (you are seldom really into a book until you’ve read a few pages, right?). Please excuse me, if my language seems to be a bit rugged, my mind doesn’t always pick the best words, even though they’re in there somewhere.

Anyways, the reason that I’m writing all this, is because I’m a lucky participant of the 31. CBYX (Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange) program and therefore I will spend a year in the USA. This is a huge privilege and I can hardly express the amount of my grattitude to everyone who made this possible to happen. Even though I knew, that  my placement could be literally anywhere in the US (and I had a foreboding feeling, that I would be placed where I am now preparing to get to), the  mail, confirming, that I will live in Valdez, Alaska caught me off-guard. I was shocked, anxious and terrible nervous. Alaska! But after a few days, I managed to get rid of the preconceived image I had off this state and tried to embrace the fact, that Alaska will be, where I will spend a year of my life. And I managed! Sure, this means, that I am miles away from the contiguous US states, but I will have plenty of time to travel there at the end of the program. Sure, it will be cold and ridicously snowy up there (Valdez is actually the snowiest place in the US), but that is nothing I wouldn’t be able to manage. There is an abundance of natural beauty and wildlife up there and the huge amount of snow leads to a lot of interesting activities I wouldn’t be able (or dare) to do anywhere else.

Instead of living with a guest family, I will live in a dorm at the Prince William Sound Community College. I am really looking forward to all the new experiences and interesting people I will meet and can’t wait to travel north to the future (for those who don’t know, that’s Alaskas state motto). I hope that  I will find the time and leisure to keep posting here, so you can take part of my adventure.

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield!