Exciting!!!!!!

Been so busy lately!  Things might be starting to settle down a little bit (or maybe not).  After much consideration and talking to people I have come to the conclusion that I will not be able to go to Japan this summer.......

Because I am planning to go for the year program this next year!!!!!!!!  I am so excited!  I think this will be better for me as I will be able to become semi-fluent in the language and will get to experience more of the culture.  There is still the problem of money, but I have a little less than a year to fundraise so I will hopefully be able to raise enough.  Since I am no longer going this summer, unless there is extremely exciting news, I will post every month instead of every week.

でわまったね！
Until next time,

Jesse

Weekly update-I think not!

Hey Everyone!

I know it has been way over a week since I last posted (more like a month), but things have been so crazy this blog has been the last thing on my mind.  I am back and will try to update it every week again.  So much has happened!  Christmas has greatly helped my fundraising.  Also, I found out that I will be eligible for a $200 award since my mom is an AFS volunteer!  I continue to apply for scholarships with nothing just yet.  Eventually I hope to get something; I just need to be patient and persistent.  I am preparing letters to send out to companies; hopefully they will be mailed within the next week.  On a side note, a group of Japanese exchange students spent their winter break near me so I was able to hang out with them and participate in their activities.  With their help my Japanese has greatly improved and I have made some amazing friends!

でわ、またね！Until next time,

Jesse

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!!  I know it has been forever since I last posted something but I have been very busy.  December is one of the busiest months for me.  A group of Japanese exchange students are here for the winter break so I have been spending a lot of time with them.  Not much fundraising news.  I will work more on fundraising the start of this next year.  Still working on scholarships though.

Until next time,

Jesse

Scholarships and tuition updates

I broke my weekly update streak, but with reasonable cause.  These past few weeks have been terribly busy and I have been experienceing some major computer troubles.  Thankfully everything is fixed and back to normal (as normal as things get in December).  I recieved an email from AFS saying that they will look at my application in January!  Also, the tuition for the summer program should be updated any day now along with the Global Leaders scholarship which I am very excited about.  Apart from that I have just been continueing to fundraise and work on scholarships.  I am hopeing to have another BBQ in a few weeks, but we'll see how that goes.

Jesse

Newspaper Article

Everyone,

I was in the newspaper this last Friday!  I'll make sure to upload the article in a couple days.  Hopefully that will help get some sponsors! 
I found a new website to help me get scholarships and so far things are going pretty good.  Nothing much other than that this week.  Hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving!

Until next time,

Jesse

Media Coverage

AFS sent an email saying they got my application, but they won't review it until January.  I am glad they recieved it but also a little bummed that they won't be looking at it until January.  I had an on-the-phone interview today with the local newspaper!  I also plan on contacting the local fairgrounds today which I have been putting off for some unknown reason.  I am also still working on scholarships.

Happy Thanksgiving (if anybody actually ever reads this)!

Jesse

Making Progress

I have been very busy this week.  I made some phone calls and crossed a couple fundraising ideas off the list.  Unfortunately, some of them didn't work out.  The local newspaper is willing to write an article about my experience to try and get sponsors!!!  I am also contacting the local fairgrounds to try and do a mega clean up (taken from the AFS Fundraising website).  Yesterday I held signs for a Garden Club sale in which I got a nice donation and this next weekend I am doing another BBQ!  Other than that I've just been continuing to work on essays.  So I've been pretty busy.

Until next time,

Jesse