RESURRECTION!

WRITTEN: Friday, July 30, 2010

Hello friends! All summer I fretted about how, as an engineer, I really should know how to make and manage my own website. And I sort of do! But I mostly don't. So rather than teach myself html this summer, I decided to breathe new life into this tired old neglected blogspot.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program: The specifics of this program seem to be a point of much confusion for you, my friends and family, partly because they are still not clear to me. Here is as much as I know right now!

This is an exchange program for Americans aged 18-24. There are 75 participants in total from all over the United States with all kinds of different degrees from different levels of schooling. The program is funded by the US Congress and the German Bundestag, and I found out about it from a mass email sent out by a professor at Notre Dame last fall. A few coincidences: another trombonist from the Notre Dame Marching Band is also participating, as is a guy from Seattle who apparently grew up mere miles from me.

August-September: I will be in a language school developing my German skills in Cologne. I may or may not be living with a host family. I will probably know in a few days.

October-February: I will be moving to a town, as yet undetermined, in the Bundesland of Niedersachsen. (include map?) Once here, I will enroll in a German University and study Electrical Engineering for one semester. While studying, I will also be frantically searching for a relevant internship to fill the next portion of the program. Again, I may or may not be living with a host family. Anyone's guess, including the people running this program.

February-June: I will remain in the aforementioned unknown town, but during this period I will be working as an intern in a German company.

July: Travel! We get two weeks in the beginning to go crazy (however, I kind of get the feeling that the entire year is an opportunity for travel) and then we all fly from Germany to New York for a final closing seminar.

August: Real World. SCARY!

Presently we have all gathered in Washington D.C. to get to know each other and get ready to fly off together. After a few days of more orientation in Frankfurt, the whole adventure begins! I'll try to keep this blog current, but feel free to contact me directly either by email/gchat (elizruhl@gmail.com), skype (elruhl), or AIM (asteroidcitizen). If you JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH, follow me on twitter (elruhl) too! I would love to hear from you!