A BIG STEP

Where do I begin?

After a few years of applying, I am finally all set and on my way to Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals! I am incredibly excited to get a chance to experience Germany in the next year and get a true taste of this awesome country.

This is quite the transition period for me. After 5 years and 2 degrees at The Ohio State University, I am officially done. I graduated with my Masters in Mechanical Engineering on May 5, and three days later, I packed up all of my stuff and hit the road.

I took almost 4 weeks and nearly 4600 miles to drive from Columbus, OH to Olympia, WA. Taking a really scenic and extended route, and visiting friends and family along the way, I didn't realize how badly I needed some time to myself with no limits or restrictions. My route was as follows:

Roadtrip Route

Needless to say, it was a GREAT vacation. Here's a link to the rest of my pictures from the trip.

But now I'm in Olympia until I go. I've been doing a lot of yard work and construction stuff for friends and family. I've had the last couple of days off, so I've been getting caught up on the clerical stuff and making sure I'm on track to leave for DC in ONE MONTH. Holy crap that's coming up fast.

Unfortunately, I've been pretty lax on my German language prep. The road trip really killed it, and I've been keeping busy since I got back. I know it'll help me out, I know it'll give me a good head start for language school, but the slacker in me is really coming through pretty strong on this front.

Otherwise, I am getting really pumped to start this program. I've been reading into the Facts about Germany book we got from the German Information Center, and getting some more insight into the country I'll be living in for a year. Among that, and keeping up with current events here and there, I'm doing my best to prepare some knowledge for conversation and such.

The Program

For those that don't know, or that need a refresher, or have no idea what this is all about, let me explain. This past spring, I was invited to participate in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals. I will be participating in the 30th year of the program, and will be traveling to Germany for one year with 74 other young professionals from all throughout the U.S.

The program will last for 12 months. The first two months will be for language school. The participants are spread out to 3 different cities to take intensive language courses for 2 months in order to get a firm grasp of the language before moving on in the program.

Next, we move to a new city and begin the permanent placement phase. This will consist of 4 months of University classes, and then a 5 month internship. While we are taking classes, we will be in charge of securing an internship for the program. This means we could be doing anything, and depends on what we are able to find. After the internship phase is complete, we will have a couple of weeks to travel before we return to the U.S. The purpose of this program is to give participants exposure to the culture of Germany, and to build relationships with the people that we meet.

While we are there we could be living with a host family, a dorm, or a shared apartment, and it really depends on where we are placed. The program is run by two organizations. In the U.S., all the planning is done by Cultural Vistas, but in Germany, all of the planning is done by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (G.I.Z.). They are in charge of our placements and logistics during the program.

I recently found out that I will be taking language school in Köln, Germany (Cologne), and my permanent placement will be somewhere in the Bundesland (State) of Sachsen-Anhalt. It's a great treat to get some more details regarding the trip. And from what I've heard, both places have tons to offer and see. I get more and more excited for this adventure by the day!!!



Original Publish Date: June 25th, 2013