It's the Final Countdown!

With just over a day left before I leave to Argentina, I've finished packing my bags and am reviewing everything I need to know for my flight to Argentina! I can't, in a funny way, believe that in just over 24 hours, I'll be on a flight out of Mitchell International and on my way to Buenos Aires! I am incredibly excited, but already miss everyone too.

With a last minute issue working it's way out of my experience with AFS, everything is already all set for me to leave on Wednesday! With a stop in Miami, FL, I will be in Buenos Aires by the 24th and with my host family shortly after! My host family is a small, two (maybe three) person family and I believe they have a pet dog as well! They live in Villa Dolores, Argentina in the province of Córdoba. I do not know much else about my family, but my host mom and I have talked through E-mail and have friended each other on Facebook!





The 'A' marks Villa Dolores

  



A map of Argentina


I am unsure of how long it will take me to find a computer/Internet access, but I will update the blog as soon as possible! Also be sure to check back often as I hope to update everyone a few times while I'm gone!

Also, if you contributed to my trip, please check your E-mail for the first installment of the very special AFS Experience Newsletter! (If you can not find it, please check your 'spam' messages, and e-mail me!)

Until later,
~Brianna J. Moczynski

Drumroll Please:...

For any of you who follow my group on Facebook, you have known for a few days now that I have some big news to announce! After thoroughly enjoying my first weekend off of school (including a day-trip across the state, a late-night theatre performance, and a get together with friends), I finally have the time to relax long enough to announce and explain in depth my fortunate situation:...

As my departure date became closer and closer, (ten days from today to be exact), and my flight from Wisconsin to Miami was booked, my remaining tuition balance was slowly dwindling down, but seemed to 'hang' at just around the $1500 range. it had even gotten to the point where I began fearing I might not be able to afford the trip! A while ago, I applied for a scholarship for about $500-$700 through the AFS Chapter in Milwaukee, my home Chapter.

Last Tuesday, as I sat drinking a Chai tea at a café in Cedarburg, I decided to check my E-mail in hopes that my host family information would have been sent (still no word there, but that is not uncommon). Among the messages I'd received, one from the Milwaukee Chapter had both surprising and amazing news. Not only had I received the money I had requested (as this was a special request-based scholarship), but AFS Milwaukee decided to pay off the remaining balance to my tuition! After re-reading the E-mail a good 15 times or so, I finally was able to believe it!

My tuition for Argentina is paid off!

There is no way, without each and every one person who has helped me along the way, that I would be where I am in life today, even before my trip. For those of you who support me in my goals such as this one to study abroad, I can't thank you enough. You are the ones who have helped guide me to try new things and step out of my boundaries. For those of you who contributed to me to help pay my tuition, I am forever grateful, without you, these goals would never have become reality.

Now, with the last of my paperwork for AFS being submitted, and no remaining balance on my tuition, I can confidently say: ¡Vamos a Argentina!

Thank you again, to anyone and everyone!

Thanks to EVERYONE For Their Support!

As of June 3rd, the ChipIn Widjet has ended...

Thank you to everyone who, through these last few months have shown me an unfathomable amount of support, both morally and financially. In my last post, I mentioned sending a confirmation E-mail to all contributors. As soon as I receive the newest update, I will tackle the entire list at once as I was dumbfounded when I saw how fast it was growing! In order to avoid any missed names, I decided to wait until the very end to send any E-mails. I hope to send those messages within the week!

On another note, I finally booked my flight to my "Orientation City" in Miami, FL. I leave early on the morning of the 22nd and, after an overnight stay, I fly out to Buenos Aires... I am both excited about going (of course!), but also starting to get nervous!

Once I receive more information about my host family, I will update my blog!

Another neat tid-bit of information: there is another student in Wisconsin going abroad on the same program as I. Considering that only ten students throughout the United States of America have been chosen to do a language study program abroad for the summer in Argentina, it's pretty darn impressive that two are coming from Wisconsin! Way to represent!