In only a a few more months, a lot of teenagers and young adults will be packing and eventually boarding a plane to their destination. They will be going to study abroad. {Does that include you?! If so, where are you going?} The experience will be one of a lifetime. Emotions will be skyrocketing in every, which way: happiness, sadness, fear, nervousness. But the ultimate emotion is different for everybody, but it is almost always worth it.

But before all of those emotions start skyrocketing and going in a million different places at once, it is crucial to figure out what to pack, and better yet, how many suitcases you should take. That is the number one question exchange students ask each other, past exchange students, and their organizations. Depending on who is asked, you will get different answers, but these answers generally will not exceed 2 bags (not including carry-ons). If you ask same-year exchange students, they will be confused (just like you probably will be!) and bring up what they have heard, read, and been told. They aren't the most reliable when trying to figure out what to do because the normal response is, "I don't know...maybe\possibly." The second type of person, ex-exchange students (like me!), will tell you what we did and our regrets. And lastly, the organization will tell you that you should only take as much as you can carry because when you travel, you have to handle all of your luggage yourself. (That's them telling you to take one, subliminally, unless you're super strong.)

My experience was that I took two suitcases, a 25" and 29", a large purse, and a book-bag. It was pretty practical with how many clothes and shoes I took, but then again, it was not practical because I over-packed. {I only had 1 lb to go before I hand to pay a overweight fee.}When I first touched down in Germany, I did not have to handle my bags because I had a connecting flight to Munich. Once in Munich, my YFU Representative helped me with my bags, so I only had to carry my purse, book-bag, and one suitcase. After I left my temporary host-family, I shipped one bag to my permanent host-family. If you notice a trend, I never really had to handle my bags until the very end. Which was a freaking headache. I had anxiety the whole week before and day-of because I had to travel on the train with two huge suitcases, a book-bag, and a freaking purse. The train ride was a nightmare {a story for another time}, so by the time it was time for us to check-in our bags for the flight, I was overjoyed. But that was just me.

If you are like me, let me tell you what I wish I would have done. I would have halved everything that I packed. No, seriously. Pack normally, and then take half of it all out. Do not pack things that you think you "might" wear; pack things that you know you will wear. It is important to pack for situations that will most likely occur, but for other things such as a formal event or wedding, that's not important. You can buy new clothes or shoes wherever you are then. Save room. Once you half your suitcase(s), hopefully you will be able to fit everything into one suitcase. Still take a book-bag and a purse, if you want; those were easy to tote around. Just be very careful how you pack your suitcase.

If you are not like me, are the complete opposite, and know how to not over-pack, stick with the one bag rule + carry-ons. It'll be easier for you to do because you're so organized and have everything together.

Summed Up:

1. Future/Current Exchange Students will not know how to answer you when you ask how many suitcases should you take. They don't know either.
2. Past Exchange Students will tell you their stories and regrets (like I did) and let you base your decision off of that. 
3. Exchange Organizations will tell you to take only the bags that you will be able to handle alone.
4. Do not over-pack. Cut everything you pack in half. {No, do not literally half the items, just take them out of your suitcase.}
5. Regardless to if you are an over-packer or a perfect-packer, ONLY TAKE ONE BAG + carry-on's. You will thank me.

What are the first two things that you think of when you think about Germany?

Beer and Wurst.

What are the first two places that you think of when you think about Germany?

Berlin and München.

That's what I thought a year ago, at least. Whenever I spoke to someone about my impending study abroad, they constantly joked with me about becoming a lush. I mean, German beer is pretty popular. {And it was so good!} Wurst was also something that a lot of people spoke to me about. And I can admit that to this day, I miss it. There was so much variety, and mhmm, the U.S. has nothing like it. As far as location goes, Berlin and Munich (properly named München) are the two places that most people will know about Germany. Berlin is the capital, and Munich has the largest Oktoberfest. But that's not all of Germany. There is so much more to this gorgeous country. It's not all beer and wurst and large cities. Some of my favorite places were the tiny towns and villages that I lived in or visited.

1. Amberg

2. Schwabmünchen

3. Zehdenick

This is the time of year that I learned about my acceptance to my Germany study abroad program. I remember the day vividly: I came home from school and was talking to my mom on the phone. Out of the blue, she said, "You're going to Germany," and I was so confused. She was confused, too, in a way. I think we both forgot about my whole application and interview process with YFU earlier in the year, so this news was a genuine surprise. It took me a moment of asking her a thousand questions before I checked my e-mail and saw "Congratulations!"

The time after that was a blur. I had to quickly inform my school and go through an entire process of filling forms out and sending them to their respective places. It was a busy and exciting time. Not too long after school was out, I was flying to Washington D.C. for the Pre-Departure Orientation. And not too long after that, July 31st arrived: I was on my way to Germany.

But pause...

...rewind...

I needed stuff for Germany. I was going to be gone for a freaking semester! I couldn't go without any preparation. So...what did I do to prepare, and what the heck did I pack?

Preparation

What to pack

Fear is a pretty accurate word to describe how I felt on the day of my Youth for Understanding interview. It was the day after New Years (2015). I had never been on an interview before, so I was pretty unsure about how it would go. Would I be criticized horribly? Would I be asked questions about myself that I hardly even know the answer to? My adrenalin was horrible that day. I was a nervous wreck. But, now, in hindsight, I question why I was ever so nervous. The interview went fine. But that's the thing: perspective changes everything. Now that I have a little bit, I want to share with you guys what I did to prepare for the interview, what worked/was worth it, and what you can do to 1) stay calm and 2) do well.

Prepare a Few Days in Advance

I actually procrastinated on preparing for the interview because I was so nervous. Instead of giving myself a week to prepare like I originally intended, I gave myself about two days. I'd say that doing that worked out for the best. Not only did I feel very prepared during the interview (although I hardly needed what I prepared for), I was able to learn quite a lot about Youth for Understanding simply through research. {Did you know that they are the oldest study abroad program as well as the most accredited?} Knowing something about the program that you are interviewing for will help you with your responses as you want it to mold well with the purpose (but always stay truthful!). 
When I prepared for the interview, I looked up a lot of study abroad interview questions. {One that I looked at was this.} I recommend you do this because there will be similar questions. If you want to calm yourself down a bit and not be worried about being caught off guard, do this. While it is fine to think about key points that you'd like to hit on if that question is asked, do not create a monologue as an answer. When I say monologue, I mean do not sound practiced. That will sound dishonest, regardless to if you are being truthful or not. 

Know Your Essays

While it is not necessary to know what you wrote verbatim, you should definitely know the main ideas of your essay responses. For instance, if one of the essay questions was "Describe your relationship with your family, and tell your role," then know that response. Hopefully, you were honest in your essay because that will make things much easier. It's okay if you do not say exactly what you said in your essay. That's not the point! The point is that you do not want to say something completely opposite than what you wrote. I am unsure if the interviewer sees your essays or what, but you do not want to contradict yourself. That will make them question your integrity, and I think we can all agree that is not a good thing.

Ask Your Own Questions

Do not be afraid to be inquisitive. Youth for Understanding wants to know whether you are genuinely interested. With interest comes questions. Asking questions can also lead to another subject to another one, and the conversation will become more natural. The more natural the conversation, the more at ease you will become, and the more the interviewer will be able to gauge who you really are and what your personality it like. When people are nervous, sometimes they can give off a false persona. If you want to get placed in a good matched host home, let the interviewer know you.

Answer Questions Honestly

This is a big mistake that some people make when applying and interviewing for a study abroad program. They may tweak the truth a little bit and answer how they think they should answer versus how they really feel. They do this because they think if they are more open and willing, they will most definitely be placed. While it is true that if you are more open the chances of you getting a host family is better, the chances of you being placed somewhere that you absolutely despise are even greater if you are not transparent. If you know that you cannot stand babies, then do not say that you will be okay living with a host family with newborns. If you have asthma, do not say that you can live with smokers. {Granted, that one is a bit more difficult to get around. If anything,  you can say that you are willing to stay with them as long as they do not smoke around you.}  The exaggerations that you once used to guarantee you a spot in the program will only make your stay unpleasant for both you and your host family.

Talk to the Parents + Students There

At the interview site, there will be current and old exchange students around. Talk to them. They will be able to give you insight on how it feels to live somewhere completely foreign. While everybody has different experiences, you will still be able to get advice and tips. Also, if there are host parents, which there most likely will be as some of them tend to volunteer and interview students, talk to them, too. Have a parent talk to them as well while you are in your interview. My mom talking to a host parent is what urged me to apply for the semester abroad in Germany. I originally interviewed for a summer in either Spain or Italy, but lo and behold, I went to Germany!

Questions You May Be Asked

• What are some extracurricular activities that you enjoy doing?
• What is your role at home?
• How many siblings do you have, and what is your relationship with them? (Parents, too.)
• Would you prefer to live in a suburban, rural, or urban area?
• Would you prefer a host family with no kids, teens around your age, or older?
• Could you live with a single dad? mom?
• Why did you choose YFU?
• Is this your first time away from home? out of your comfort zone?
• Would you mind staying with a host family with pets?