After eight tedious months of waiting and wishing (counting the time I started my application), I'm finally leaving for Washington tomorrow!
This moment feels so surreal. I still remember the intangible hope in October when I first discovered that such a program existed- it seemed too perfect- 6 weeks delving into the culture and exploring the nuances of another country? Meeting foreign dignitaries and ambassadors? I still remember the sleepless nights deliberating over my essay topics, my anxiety before the interview in February (which ultimately went smoothly), the months of anticipation and self-doubt leading up to the FUSYE decision, the flood of emotions and sheer exhilaration when I opened my mailbox to discover a beautiful white package- are now manifesting itself into reality.
After receiving a rejection from another summer program (that would've taken place from July 29-August 10) the week before my Finland-U.S. Senate Youth Exchange acceptance, I was absolutely devastated- if I couldn't even get into a less prestigious and less competitive program, how could I ever get into FUSYE, which accepts a mere 12 applicants every year, and how could I even dare to dream about getting into schools like UPenn, Columbia, and Princeton? However, following the rejection came a period of self-reflection and introspection, and I ultimately realized that the program would not have been a good fit for me. (Plus, I fully believe in the conviction that everything happens for a reason- I'm scheduled to speak at the United Nations headquarters from August 2-8, so it would have coincided anyways!)
I have finished all my packing, and I have tied up all loose ends here in Cupertino (returning overdue library books, notifying all my teachers, turning in all my papers for school, submitting my Stanford East Asian studies research paper!) Yesterday, I also received a wonderfully kind email from my host sister, Ann-Christine Wendelin, which makes me even more excited to meet them!
I will definitely be making a blog post tomorrow when I arrive in Washington (complete with pictures!!!), so stay tuned for that!
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