February Break

*Sigh* Well, this hasn't been the best school vacation of my life (I got my wisdom teeth out on Monday, and then I was sick at the end of the week). But I have been thinking more and more about my trip. We emailed my AFS advisor, Brandt, to ask where in the process we were (a.k.a. how soon we would know exactly where I was going and who my host family will be, etc.) and he told us they hadn't sent off the applications to AFS Japan yet. They're going to send them March 3, and I'll know 4-6 weeks from them. So that was also a bit of a disappointment. Oh well.

Again, I'd like to say I'm grateful to everyone who's donated to my trip so far. Actually, some of the work I'm doing in return for the donations is pretty fun- my family friends make their house a Colonial Williamsburg style theme park every Fourth of July, and so I'm helping with an "orientation video" for it, with costume and everything. The guy's just a little nuts, but whatever. It's a ton of fun. We make musket balls over a fire-and wooden utensils for the younger kids, go on a "tour," etc. It's a shame I'm going to miss it this year. But I'm going to have so much fun anyway. And next year, there's going to be an "international branch" that I get to help run.

~Kay

The Fundraising Thermometer

Okay, so it's FEBRUARY!!! Which means that AFS USA is sending off my application (or may have already sent it), so I may be getting my host family information ANY DAY NOW!!!

Oh, and I guess you'll see that new picture I put up. That is, as the big letters over it quite clearly say, the fundraising thermometer. That is how much money (out of the $2000 that is my fundraising goal) that friends and family have generously donated to help me get to Japan. What do you think? Pretty cool, huh? Thanks to Mr. Tom Foth for telling me how to do this!

~Kay