Early in my junior year of high
school (2015) I had a conversation with my good friend Stan while working on an
anatomy project, about a summer exchange trip to Spain he had taken over the
summer. Travel has always intrigued me and I asked him many more questions than
he probably wanted or expected, but that was fine because he loves to talk. In
particular, he loves to talk about that trip to Spain.
He
explained that a representative had come into his French class and presented on
a scholarship opportunity to spend 3 weeks living in France with a host family.
Stan applied for the France trip, interviewed, and was then told that if he
accepted the scholarship they offered him, he would be going to a Spanish acquisition
summer camp in Spain, rather than to a host family in France. He took a chance
even though he had been studying French not Spanish and went to summer camp in
a castle near Madrid. He loved every minute of it.
He told
me the name of the company that had sponsored him and I went home and spent
hours trying to find the website. I never found it and after a few days, I forgot
about it.
Flash
forward to January. (2016)
I had
just had my tonsils out. Literally. Like that morning. I was home, higher than
a kite and struggling to sleep. I got a text from Taylor, the kid that sat next
to me in Spanish class. A representative had come into our Spanish class while I
was gone and presented on a scholarship opportunity to spend 3 weeks living
with a host family in Spain, France or China. The only requirement was to
create an art project and agree to host a Chinese student for a few weeks in
the summer. He said that the application
deadline was soon and gave me a website (the one I had looked and looked and
looked for but never found.) Taylor said that it “Didn’t really sound like
something I (Taylor) would enjoy, but it sounded like something you (me,
Boston) would be interested in.”
I was
high out of my mind, but coherent or not, I couldn’t understand why he (or
anyone) wouldn’t be interested in a free trip to a foreign country. (I still
can’t.)
I was
high out of my mind but I spent the next couple of days trying to not only put
together an application, but to convince Taylor to do the same. (All while
trying not to fall asleep into my mashed potatoes.) It was not easy to put an application
together on pain killers. It was not easy to convince Taylor to apply. His
parents didn’t want to host a Chinese student. “You have nothing to lose by
applying, you hardly have a chance, what’s the worst that could happen?” I
asked. (Famous last words.) We both struggled through the application process,
and finally his dad gave him permission to turn in an application, thinking
there was no way anything would come of it.
Taylor
was picked to have a skype interview.
I was
not. (I did the whole thing on heavy pain meds. What chance did I actually
have?)
His
interview went great and a few days later, he was given the amazing news that he
had been picked to go to that same summer camp in Madrid.
I think
I was happier than he was. (At this point I should probably mention we had
become pretty good friends through this whole thing.) He was excited, but
nervous. More than once between February when he learned he was going and July
when he actually left he said to me “I wish it was you.” If you ask him about
it now, he will talk your ear off just like Stan will (and listening to them
talk about that summer camp to each other is right on the borderline of
annoying, but mostly it’s super cool.) Before he left though, he was so
nervous. His parents weren’t happy about becoming a host family either. But he
went. And I was so happy for him but so jealous. (I was jealous of Stan too,
let’s be real.) Taylor had an amazing time in Spain and met so many cool
people. His pictures are sooooo cool and I hope to someday visit that beautiful
country. He grew up a lot while he was gone too.
Flash
forward to December. (Still 2016)
2017
was my high school graduation year, but it was also my momma’s college
graduation year. So, as a birthday/Christmas/graduation trip, my mom found
cheap plane tickets and on Christmas my mom told me that we were going to China
together.
I was
ecstatic.
January
2017.
Taylor
decided that he was going to apply again to AILI and see if he could go again. (“What
do I have to lose?” he said as he carefully avoided telling his mom he was
submitting another application.) It was my senior year and I didn’t even
consider applying because I was 18 and graduating. There was no way I was even
eligible. Suddenly roles were reversed as Taylor worked to convince me to check
the age limit and apply again.
With
the application to AILI you have to submit an art project. My first project
(the one where I had just had my tonsils out, been super sick and then taken to
the ER for potential drug overdose) was a photo collage because I was simply
not mentally or physically capable of anything more. Don’t get me wrong, that
collage was cool, but the point of the project is to make your application
stand out. That one didn’t. That first project was boring and just like
everyone else. The second time I applied, I wrote an essay.
BORING!
You
think I’m joking, I’m not. Boring as it sounds, I wrote a piece about the
universal language. I was picked for a skype interview. During that interview,
they told me that my essay was above and beyond any application essay they had
ever seen. They talked to me for almost double the amount of time they were
scheduled for. Honestly, I left that interview feeling like I had made some new
friends. (I wish every interview felt like that.) I thought for sure I was
going to be one of the scholarship winners and get to go stay in that beautiful
castle that Stan and Taylor had shown me amazing pictures of.
On February
14th, my mom and I mailed off our visa applications for China.
On February
17th, I was super sick. I had been throwing up all day and had not
even managed to get up the stairs. I spent the whole day in bed and in the bathroom.
It was a terrible day. Late that night, my terrible day turned around.
I got a
phone call from an out of state number and my heart started racing. (what else
is new?) The program coordinator called to tell me that they liked my application
and had loved my interview. They picked me.
“You don’t get your first choice
though. We can’t send you to Spain. However, we have picked you to go to China
if you’re interested. The only extra thing with China is, you have to get a
visa to go in your passport, do you think you can do that?” she asked.
I couldn’t help but laugh a little
to myself as I told her that a visa wouldn’t be a problem and that I couldn’t
wait. They picked me. It was real. It is real. I am going to spend 3 weeks
living with a host family in Shanghai.
I never did tell them about my trip
to Beijing with my momma back in April. I doubt they would’ve cared. When I tell
people that I just went to China and now I am going back, they get a little
confused. I usually try make the long story short as I explain my scholarship.
It’s too crazy of a story and feels just a little bit like something out of a
book or movie. Stuff like this doesn’t happen in real life.
When I was 12 I traveled to
Washington DC as a student ambassador by myself. My mom was super scared and I didn’t
really get nervous until the night before. This time, my mom is totally chill,
but I am a little anxious about traveling to a foreign country and living with
strangers for a few weeks. I am so excited, but I am scared too.
It was amazing to see the change in
Taylor when he came home from Spain. He learned and grew so much. I am excited
to learn and grow myself. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a
reason and that God has a hand in everything. I often wonder why I am going to
China and not Spain. I am anxiously excited to find out. I often hear people
say the phrase “nothing to lose.” Right now however, I am excited at the idea
of everything I have to gain.
If you are a high school student
ages 14-18 who is interested in applying for a free trip to Italy, France,
Spain or China, check out this website!
Follow my trip on Instagram! @boston_sassachusetts
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