So I got a phone call today...

...from a Katimavik alumni

*insert girly squeel here*

and guess who it was (this is where you guess)
**
KYRA!! aka www.katimakyra.blogspot.com

yeah, I didn't realize it so I feel like hitting myself, because I would have told her how amazing and wonderful her blog was, and how alfjdasuuuuuuuuuuujfhlasfk no words, seriously I am angry that I wasn't paying attention. I wasn't paying attention and I feel really bad because it takes a lot of courage to actually call someone you've never met to talk with them. Anyways this was the conversation to what I can recall after a long while of squeeling with excitement

Kyra: Hi this is Kyra and I am a Katimavik Alumni, I was wondering if you were still interested in Katimavik (I can barely hear her at this point because my sister and mother are blasting the television:( )
Me: Oh, Hello (I am trying to contain everything, because I GOT A CALL FROM KATIMAVIK:D)
K: So, I was wondering if you had any questions about the program, about my experience, anything?
Me: Ummm, no not really ( I panicked I was put on the spot and my mind was blank, sadly, and she already answered all of my questions on her blog, but I didn't know it was her)
K: Oh! Do you really have no questions about anything...?
Me: Well...I read a lot of the blogs so I know a bit
K: Do you want to hear about my placements?
Me: Yes..(OMG YES! I WANT YOU TO TELL ME EVERYTHING!!!)
K: Well, I went to Vanderhoof and Quebec City, in Vanderhoof I volunteered for the Volunteer Agency and in Quebec a homeless shelter (I can't really remember..:( Damn my horrid memory) and in the laundry there
Me: Thats so cool! ( the full extent of how lame I am in conversations)
K: Anything else you want to know?
Me: Ummm. No, thank you!
K: You told me you read blogs, well mine is the one at the top of the list
Me: Really?

Then I don't really remember because it finally clicked that this was the girl whose blog I loved reading!! I want to kick myself because my voice kept shaking because when she said she was with Katimavik I panicked and though it was my french exam, and also it was dinner for us, and I really dislike talking on the phone, because I hate how my voice sounds and awkward silences and so on:( sniff sniff, Call me back, I promise next time I will have something intelligent to say :)...I hope

I hope she doesn't think I was being rude...seriously if I had known who she was...alas! She will never call back and she will continue thinking I am a loser. Sigh, times like this I wish I was cool....

Kyra if you ever read this (whats the likelyhood of that happening) I want to apologize for being such a loser, and tell you that it is amazing what you are doing, it takes guts to call people you have never met, call me back I promise I won't sound like I am just hitting puberty(just kidding)

Make me feel better, tell me stories of when you totally messed up an important conversation

Too much, not enough time

Seriously I have so much to do before Katimavik...I haven't been officially selected but I have been conditionally accepted...all I have to do is my money and my medical (For some reason I don't see anything about criminal record check...?) Anyways, I "followed" some Katima-blogs that I really liked, I think two of them never actually finished the program and decided it wasn't for them. Luckily the only thing really pushing me down about the whole Katimavik thing is the medical, I have no idea why I am fit as a horse but it just makes me nervous. I feel like they are going to revoke my acceptance, like it will all be some cruel sick joke someone is playing on me....I need Katimavik a lot more than Katimavik needs me lol

Timeline(ALL BEFORE I LEAVE):
Time to get money/payment in: March 29th (I am sending/dealing with it this weekend)
Go to see the doctor: I go on April 9th (The deadline is the 12th, putting it to the last minute doesn't help when your already stressing about stupid things about it)
Date I find out where I go: April 13th (41 days)
Write my Advanced Placement European History Exam: May 6th (64 days?)
Grad Dinner and Dance: June 6th (95 days ?)
Graduation Ceremony: June 20th (109 days?)
Last day of actual school: June 18th?
Then Exam Week
Last day of official school: June 30th
Day I leave: July 6th: (127? days)
Day I come home: December 16th (127 days and six months)

KATIMAVIK HERE I COME:)

Just get it over with already...

So this morning (7:30 my time) while eagerly awaiting my letter of whether or not I got into Katimavik or didn't, this lovely baby comes into my email, naturally it said Katimavik so I pounced on it



I was reading it saying to myself "Ummm I dont see whether or not I got into the program....geez if they are going to reject me it would be nice if they would just get it over with already (OMG she used the title of the article in the thingy! OMG Squeee!)

I got to school and wanted to check my email again because I knew I couldn't concentrate without knowing whether or not I got in so I opened this baby



I was in my school library, naturally I squeeled like a little girl. Trust me I got more than a few looks. I look over to my sister (the only one I told about second selection) and then said I got in. We then walked to her class and I was laughing and smiling and I looked like a total fool.But I just couldnt contain it, trust me this was all I thought about ALL DAY LONG!!! It was the most amazing thing ever. I just feel really bad for those who didn't recieve placement. But hey I am one of the lucky ones:)

Yours truly
Katimagirl (I can say that now without lying!:) )

Waiting List

This is the email that I got:


I couldn't cry, but then everyone kept telling me they were sorry, because they knew how much I wanted this, and such but it just got frustrating hearing everyone say they were sorry for me. I just burst into tears, this was my dream and all of the sudden it disappeared in front of my eyes...

...but then I realized that waiting list still means good things, because as I started to read it seemed that most people from the waiting list do get in, a few times they have to get more people to fill those spots, so cross my fingers maybe my dream isn't as destroyed as I once thought. Lets just hope that it will happen for me:)

I didn't get in...

Just put on a waiting list...it doesn't seem real. I had thought that I would be in for sure, and then today I saw a "get a life"button it was like everything was lining up and I was going to get it. But I got an email and it pretty much says "Hey, you got put on a waiting list, thanks bye." that seems cruel. It kinda is... I still can't believe it...seriously I want to cry but I just can't. I really don't want to tell anyone I didn't get in...I just want to hide in my room all day until March (hopefully I can get placed in a program then) Ugh, I am gonna go eat some frosting and hopefully feel better about myself. Sniff sniff
Katimagirl signing out, hopefully not for long, but you never know

trying to be happy about this doesn't work...

Thoughts

School is flying by, it seems like just yesturday I posted about going to school and part four on your katimaroute... I have to admit I have been ignoring my blog...why? well there is nothing Katima related. But I just have a few things to note, kind of to tie in the ends before January. January it seems so far away, like it will never come but it will, faster than I can blink this year will be over and hopefully I will get accepted. But now that the date is getting closer (psh two and a half months til the January date is nothing lol) I have some questions, doubts, and nerves.

What if?
What if I don't get accepted? Well I have a backup plan for that, its very simple its called GOING TO SCHOOL. I have all my papers filled out and just have to get the reference letters, and then I am good to go. I am going to wait until I find out whether or not I get into Katimavik to actually go and give them to the colleges and universities. Luckily the date you get picked for Katimavik is like two weeks before the applications for colleges and universities are due. So I will have my applications waiting just in case I dont get accepted. Rule number one: Always I repeat ALWAYS have a backup plan for serious things like this.

Friends....
Umm well they don't really know I have applied for this... I have told a few but they don't really believe me. How do you actually break it to your friends that you are leaving?? or that the summer they believe will be the last epic one before we all get serious and become adults isn't going to happen? Just hop on the bus, and say goodbye then? I dont think your friends will appreciate that. I keep trying to break it to them, saying that I might not be here but they don't seem to really care, i guess. Maybe once I get the acceptance letter (do you even get one?) and fail the french test (Parce que ma francais n'est pas bon, c'est tres horrible!!) will they believe me then? But I guess its just up to you how you tell your friends. Also don't be offended if they read your blog, its nice:) It shows they care, and miss you. Also apologize in advance if you say anything mean to them.

Nerves
I am always hitting on this one right here. I am so nervous! All these what ifs are killing me! What if I dont get accepted? What if my katimamates are total jerks? What if I don't fit into the group? What if my french is so awful that no french person will understand me? What if I get a job that sucks? What if I cant understand my work partners when they speak french? What if I leave and my friends forget me? What if I leave and its hard getting back to school? What if I leave and everything is different? What if... seriously this list could go on for a very very long while. But the most important one is IS THIS THE RIGHT DECISION FOR ME? I know this is what I want, but with all the doubts I have? it scares me, i never jump this blindly into anything.... But that is what Katimavik is about experiencing the unknown.

AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE, A sUNSET....JUST A SUNSET....WITH A KATIMAVICTIM

Step 4 on KatimaRoute

I thought some people might want to know what step four looked like. So perfect time to do a blog post. <-- thats step four. Nothing complicated or scary too it. You can open up a Katimaroute any time but no one will look at it until you pay your application fee. All the stuff surrounded in Green is red until you complete it. For the questionnaire you just get simple questions (I will type them out here, that way you guys don't try to steal my epic sauce answers. lol) 1.All Katimavik volunteers work 35 hours a week with non-profit organisations. As a volunteer, how will you contribute to these organisations? What are your strengths? 2.You will have the opportunity to discover two or three Canadian communities other than your own while participating in Katimavik. The Katimavik approach to discovery isn’t like tourism; the focus is on community integration. What does integrating into a community mean to you? What will you do to facilitate your integration into your host communities? .3.Katimavik promotes a non-traditional learning program that will enable you to learn through a variety of experiences and to develop certain competencies.

The Katimavik competencies are:

To interact with others in a variety of situations
To adopt an open attitude towards the diversity of social and multicultural realities
To communicate in both official languages
To engage in diverse work experiences
To apply habits that favour a healthy lifestyle
To develop an integrated vision of environmental protection and sustainable development
To engage as a citizen
To prepare to integrate, as a citizen, into the job market, school or other life event.
Which of these competencies are you most interested in developing and why? .3.Katimavik promotes a non-traditional learning program that will enable you to learn through a variety of experiences and to develop certain competencies. Which of these competencies are you most interested in developing and why? 4.Qu'est-ce qui te motive à améliorer ta maîtrise de la langue française? (I would assume you answer this one in French, I did) 5.In order to foster a positive experience and to ensure the safety of the program's staff and volunteers, Katimavik has established rules and standards. In what way will you take responsibility for ensuring the rules and standards are respected? and then you have to type in your social security number

For ID I just used my drivers license and my birth certificate, I scanned them and sent them (It took about 3-7 days for it to go green on my Katimaroute)
My Mom wrote a check for my application fee and we mailed it in. It took about two weeks for it to go green on my Katimaroute and almost a month and a half to two months for it to be taken out of the bank.

You can fill out your information in any order you choose. It really doesn't matter. Hope that helps. Any questions? (Post them in the comments I will try the best I can to help)