Hello everyone!
I haven't been on this blog in over a year... Crazy to think of how much has happened since I stopped blogging.
A very quick update is that I moved to Perth, Australia in the beginning of 2014. I went on a ten month exchange and lived with a host family on the Western side of the amazingly beautiful country.
In December I moved back home to the Netherlands (with WAY better English and lots more knowledge and skills).
Now, my year wasn't easy but I learned a lot about myself, about people in general and about what I want with my life and career.
Help
I want to help people. Simply said. I want to help those in need, those who feel like life is too rough to handle on an emotional, physical or financial level. I have enrolled to study Applied Psychology and am waiting for my test results to let me know if I get accepted.
But all big dreams have to start somewhere, and I want to start with you.
Starting from today, I am back to blogging and making what you want to see. I won't delete any of the posts I have on here already, but I want to give you more input on what I am writing about.
I will still do fashion, but also want to combine it with health and share my experiences from being an exchange student. I just want to make my little piece of the internet a place where you can be happy, have fun and feel connected. I'll also try to be a bit shorter in writing......
What's next?
Be on the lookout for some outfits, an updated room tour and something about choices ;)
It feels good to be back and I'm ready to dive back in!
See you soon,
Love - Danielle
Showing posts with label Gap Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gap Year. Show all posts
30 April, 2015
17 January, 2014
A Gap Year | A quick update
Hello everyone!
Today, I will be giving you all a very quick update on my Australia adventure. It will be a quick (and hopefully short) update because I want to get another post up along with this one.
So, here we go!
I got an email yesterday (Wednesday 15th). I was just telling Rosa, who is flying with me to Dubai, that I didn't have a host family yet. Just as I said this, my iPod screen lid up, and there was an email from AFS. The email was directed to the person I have been contacting about my visa, saying 'Attached is the AASES form for Danielle'. The form can only be sent to the embassy if there is a host family. I started freaking out, trying to open the attachment as fast as possible (and making the dumbest mistakes while doing so).
When I opened the attachment, I was met with the names and the address of my host family! I have a host family!! I am so happy that AFS was able to find one, because my departure date is coming closer and closer and I was getting worried that I might not be able to fly out on the set date.
I don't know much about them yet, though. They are still filling in the application papers, and when they have completed the application, I will get a profile with pictures and more information about them :) I did do a Google search on the address and my school, and it's not far from each other. The school has different programs, and has a great park attached to it! Students attending my school wear uniforms, with colours blue and white. This may seem normal to some of you, but in The Netherlands nobody wears a uniform to school. Also, my house is not very far from the beach and I will be very close to the city centre of Perth. (Note: this is what I found with Google Maps, so distances might be longer and further apart)
I am so extremely happy that I will have people that will take care of me and that I am (if the visa is on time) able to leave on the 5th of February.
Update: I got my host parents' profile sent to me yesterday! They seem really nice people, have no children but they do have two smaller doggies :) I am crossing off my lists (as I always do) and whilst pre-packing my stuff today I found myself being super excited. The weird thing is that when my dad called the office yesterday, he was told that they had already found them in November! Witch was a month or two after I had applied! Not that great that they forgot to tell me, could have saved me a lot of stress, but in the end I'm still breathing ;)
Like I said, I am super excited, and it makes it as really real. Not having a host family yet was difficult, not knowing if I could go. But knowing that I will be taken care of, makes me feel really calm. Scary and a little bit anxious? Yes. All the 'what ifs?' are going around in my head all day now. But I have come this far, last year has been the most eventful year in my life so far, so I think I will manage this year just fine.
Today, I will be giving you all a very quick update on my Australia adventure. It will be a quick (and hopefully short) update because I want to get another post up along with this one.
So, here we go!
I got an email yesterday (Wednesday 15th). I was just telling Rosa, who is flying with me to Dubai, that I didn't have a host family yet. Just as I said this, my iPod screen lid up, and there was an email from AFS. The email was directed to the person I have been contacting about my visa, saying 'Attached is the AASES form for Danielle'. The form can only be sent to the embassy if there is a host family. I started freaking out, trying to open the attachment as fast as possible (and making the dumbest mistakes while doing so).
When I opened the attachment, I was met with the names and the address of my host family! I have a host family!! I am so happy that AFS was able to find one, because my departure date is coming closer and closer and I was getting worried that I might not be able to fly out on the set date.
I don't know much about them yet, though. They are still filling in the application papers, and when they have completed the application, I will get a profile with pictures and more information about them :) I did do a Google search on the address and my school, and it's not far from each other. The school has different programs, and has a great park attached to it! Students attending my school wear uniforms, with colours blue and white. This may seem normal to some of you, but in The Netherlands nobody wears a uniform to school. Also, my house is not very far from the beach and I will be very close to the city centre of Perth. (Note: this is what I found with Google Maps, so distances might be longer and further apart)
I am so extremely happy that I will have people that will take care of me and that I am (if the visa is on time) able to leave on the 5th of February.
 |
| A is my home address, B is my school address |
Love, Danielle
Update: I got my host parents' profile sent to me yesterday! They seem really nice people, have no children but they do have two smaller doggies :) I am crossing off my lists (as I always do) and whilst pre-packing my stuff today I found myself being super excited. The weird thing is that when my dad called the office yesterday, he was told that they had already found them in November! Witch was a month or two after I had applied! Not that great that they forgot to tell me, could have saved me a lot of stress, but in the end I'm still breathing ;)
Like I said, I am super excited, and it makes it as really real. Not having a host family yet was difficult, not knowing if I could go. But knowing that I will be taken care of, makes me feel really calm. Scary and a little bit anxious? Yes. All the 'what ifs?' are going around in my head all day now. But I have come this far, last year has been the most eventful year in my life so far, so I think I will manage this year just fine.
06 January, 2014
A Gap Year | A month to go
Today marks that I have one month left in my home country. I am going to assume I find a host family in time and that my visa will be ready when it's time. Yes, next month, around 10PM local time, I will be leaving my comfortable and familiar life behind and start a new one of the other side of the world: Australia!
The counting down has officially begun (it already did a few weeks ago, but the month mark is a biggy)!!
So today I will be updating you on a few things: I pre-packet my suitcase for the second time, changed some bits and bops on my packing list and sent my visa application :)
First things first: No, I am still not sure what everybody is talking about when they ask 'are you scared?'. I have been getting this question a lot, and I have not been feeling scared, nor anxious, nor doubting if I made the right choice. I am getting more excited every day! I cannot wait for the day I get to leave, and start a new 'normal' life again. Being at home since June gets hard from time to time (even though it might sound like a dream, it is not.)
As I said before, packing before you need to pack, can save you a lot of stress, and give you more time to find the best way to store your clothes for the trip. There is no stress in 'pre-packing' (is that even a word?), I actually find it relaxing. Sitting on the floor, surrounding myself with the things on my packing list. Then playing a game of tetris, fitting as much stuff in a small part!
Two or three weeks before Christmas, I received my visa application in the mail. Rosa has already warned me about the huge amount of paper, but the questions were standard so it was easier than I thought it would be.
Like I said before, I am getting more excited everyday. I cannot wait to go back to school (yes I am serious). A six week holiday in Summer used to be a long time between years, but eight months... I CANNOT WAIT!
I am also really looking forward to finding out what my host family or school will be like or what I will be doing when I life there. There also have been moments where I realize that I will be missing things back home (birthdays, family meetings, friends), but it does make me think twice on leaving. I know there will be times where I am missing home, not feeling well or just not wanting to be there. But I also know that this year will help me find myself and really become my own person. I know my best friends will still be there when I get back, and they will support me, even if I am not there in person (and the other way around).
I hope to be writing another update for you all very soon, where I tell you I have found a host family ;)
Love, Danielle
22 November, 2013
A Gap Year | The Waiting Game
It's been a while since I updated you about my gap year... The reason is simple: not much has happened.
I have been learning. To be patient, the differences between what my life could have been and what it is now. Lastly, I have been helping out people from time to time.
13 September, 2013
A Gap Year | Application Process
Hello everyone!
Part 3 of my 'Gap Year' series is a little later than I had planned it. Truth is, a lot has happened and is still happening.
In my second part I told you all about my dad accepting my choice for Australia, and me getting involved with a second organisation as the first was not able to sent me.
Part 3 of my 'Gap Year' series is a little later than I had planned it. Truth is, a lot has happened and is still happening.
In my second part I told you all about my dad accepting my choice for Australia, and me getting involved with a second organisation as the first was not able to sent me.
 |
24 July, 2013
A Gap Year | Part 2: Decisions
Hi everybody :)
A month ago I posted my first 'Gap Year' post. In this post it is pretty clear that I was not sure of anything at that moment, and that I felt like a failure because of this. As I was writing it, I was not planning on making another post about my year until next year, but I figured I wanted people to be able to read about what I am going through because it might help them!
A month later, the tables have turned and I have found what I will be devoting my time to. Or where. I am going to be flying to Australia in the beginning of 2014, and will be spending around 10 months living in a host family and going to High School.
Starting from the top! I have always wanted to go out of my little country when I was done with school, but I never thought I would get the money together to actually go.
I cancelled the course I had applied for, and they were shocked when I told them I was going to take a year off. Everybody was when I told them, my family, teachers, co-workers and even some of my friends. 'You're wasting your life', 'It doesn't help your future', 'you'll be a year older when you start school, so a year older when you're done. No company wants you if you're old'. Or 'Why would you want to leave the country, we have everything a person needs and wants' were some of the things that were said to me.
And yes, there is a truth in all of them. I will be older, but wiser and I will know what I want to study and do with my life. It does help my future because I will become more independent and have 'international experience' (which a lot of companies want).
Anyways, after letting everybody know and getting used to the idea, I started on my list... and didn't really go that far :)
The first thing on my list: Leaving. My first choice was America, but I figured 'If you leave, you have to really leave'. America is far, yes, but you can fly back in 10 hours. Australia? 2 days. And I want to know what is happening on the other side of the world!
So I found an organization. They had a lot of information on their website and I was able to chat with them if I had other questions. I really liked them! And it got me excited to leave :)
I was getting used to the idea of leaving home and going to Australia. My dad, on the other hand, was not. He had to think about it (and the price-tag) for a few weeks longer. I had told him I wanted to go to High School there, to figure out what I wanted, but also to stay in school. He found it was no use...
A few weeks later, two weeks ago, he agreed. I WAS ALLOWED TO GO. For a whole year, to Australia, to go to High School. I could now dive into the applying process :) A day later I had applied and sent everything in. (this was on a Sunday) Monday, my spirit was pulled down when I received a phone call from the organization, telling me they couldn't let me go because there was no spot available. There were other options: New Zealand, or going for 5 months (but going on the waiting-list, still not being sure to leave).
I sat down with my parents, and we decided to look for another organization. Meanwhile, they were going to ask their partner if there was a way to still let me go.
We found a new organization, and they had a place available. I applied for their program, but was still hoping the first organization would be able to let me go.
Ever since applying for the second time, I am sure of going to Australia. The organization I would be going with was yet to be decided.
We didn't hear back from the first until this Tuesday. They unfortunately were not able to let me go. Meaning I will be leaving with the second. (Or being put on the list and not knowing if I would end up leaving. The decision here was not really hard).
Either way, this doesn't make me any less excited, and it's all I really think and talk about! (I am leaving for a two week vacation this Sunday, but am already planning my Australia trip) I am so happy that in the end, I am going. Because I was quite scared this wouldn't work out when I got the call on Monday. Thankfully, I will be leaving and am already planning and reading tips and tricks from other students.
I hope you enjoyed it and I will keep you guys updated :) If you are in the same boat as I was a month ago: try to talk to someone and think about what you want to do. It will help, more than those tests on the internet. And look around, what other people in your family or at your school are going to study or plan on doing! You can also ask me if you need someone to talk to :)
Love, Danielle <3
A month ago I posted my first 'Gap Year' post. In this post it is pretty clear that I was not sure of anything at that moment, and that I felt like a failure because of this. As I was writing it, I was not planning on making another post about my year until next year, but I figured I wanted people to be able to read about what I am going through because it might help them!
A month later, the tables have turned and I have found what I will be devoting my time to. Or where. I am going to be flying to Australia in the beginning of 2014, and will be spending around 10 months living in a host family and going to High School.
Starting from the top! I have always wanted to go out of my little country when I was done with school, but I never thought I would get the money together to actually go.
I cancelled the course I had applied for, and they were shocked when I told them I was going to take a year off. Everybody was when I told them, my family, teachers, co-workers and even some of my friends. 'You're wasting your life', 'It doesn't help your future', 'you'll be a year older when you start school, so a year older when you're done. No company wants you if you're old'. Or 'Why would you want to leave the country, we have everything a person needs and wants' were some of the things that were said to me.
And yes, there is a truth in all of them. I will be older, but wiser and I will know what I want to study and do with my life. It does help my future because I will become more independent and have 'international experience' (which a lot of companies want).
Anyways, after letting everybody know and getting used to the idea, I started on my list... and didn't really go that far :)
The first thing on my list: Leaving. My first choice was America, but I figured 'If you leave, you have to really leave'. America is far, yes, but you can fly back in 10 hours. Australia? 2 days. And I want to know what is happening on the other side of the world!
So I found an organization. They had a lot of information on their website and I was able to chat with them if I had other questions. I really liked them! And it got me excited to leave :)
I was getting used to the idea of leaving home and going to Australia. My dad, on the other hand, was not. He had to think about it (and the price-tag) for a few weeks longer. I had told him I wanted to go to High School there, to figure out what I wanted, but also to stay in school. He found it was no use...
A few weeks later, two weeks ago, he agreed. I WAS ALLOWED TO GO. For a whole year, to Australia, to go to High School. I could now dive into the applying process :) A day later I had applied and sent everything in. (this was on a Sunday) Monday, my spirit was pulled down when I received a phone call from the organization, telling me they couldn't let me go because there was no spot available. There were other options: New Zealand, or going for 5 months (but going on the waiting-list, still not being sure to leave).
I sat down with my parents, and we decided to look for another organization. Meanwhile, they were going to ask their partner if there was a way to still let me go.
We found a new organization, and they had a place available. I applied for their program, but was still hoping the first organization would be able to let me go.
Ever since applying for the second time, I am sure of going to Australia. The organization I would be going with was yet to be decided.
We didn't hear back from the first until this Tuesday. They unfortunately were not able to let me go. Meaning I will be leaving with the second. (Or being put on the list and not knowing if I would end up leaving. The decision here was not really hard).
Either way, this doesn't make me any less excited, and it's all I really think and talk about! (I am leaving for a two week vacation this Sunday, but am already planning my Australia trip) I am so happy that in the end, I am going. Because I was quite scared this wouldn't work out when I got the call on Monday. Thankfully, I will be leaving and am already planning and reading tips and tricks from other students.
I hope you enjoyed it and I will keep you guys updated :) If you are in the same boat as I was a month ago: try to talk to someone and think about what you want to do. It will help, more than those tests on the internet. And look around, what other people in your family or at your school are going to study or plan on doing! You can also ask me if you need someone to talk to :)
Love, Danielle <3
25 June, 2013
A Gap Year
Summer has started, I have no school to worry about!!! Party and fun is all that matters and what happens after will not matter right now!! Doing nothing all day and stay up till late!
That is what I should be thinking right now...
After graduating, I landed in a black hole. The school I had applied for, and had set my mind on in my last year of school, found that I was not ready for their course and didn't accept me. I didn't have a back-up, and didn't know what I wanted to do when this would happen.
I started looking for other courses I thought I would like, but kept going back to thinking I shouldn't bother because this wasn't the course I had set my mind to. And that would show in every intake I would do.
So I kept feeling down. Starting from not wanting to look for a new course to start, eventually ending in not wanting to leave my bed, do nothing but cry and feel horrible. I started neglecting my friends and family, and sat on the couch or was in bed for days on end.
My parents had tried to talk to me a few times, and I applied for a course a few days after. They helped me realize that I was allowed to 'grieve' over not being accepted, but I couldn't let it affect me in the way it was affecting me.
But, a day after my application, I was still doubting if the course I had applied for, was really what I wanted to do. (But, I had to find a course, so it was better then nothing in my believes. I could always drop out if I hated what I was going to be learning). I didn't stop searching the internet, only to be let down time after time: not finding the courses I wanted, or not being able to apply anymore.
This lead to a break down when I was, again, looking for courses. My dad had to take my computer away from me in order to make me stop looking (even though I couldn't see what was on my screen because I was crying).
That night, together with my mom, we decided it would be best for me to take a year off. A Gap Year.
This night is only one week ago. The plan was for me to enjoy my summer and not look for anything. I would start looking for courses or activities in September.
That didn't turn out well, since I started to feel like I was failing at what I was doing. I wasn't doing anything, that in my eyes, was useful. I wasn't working on my future, and most importantly, I wasn't enjoying the fact that I passed my finals the first time, not having to anything about school anymore. The whole point of a 'carefree and 13 week summer break' was missing.
So, starting today, I am going to look for what I am going to do next year. I still have no clue on what I am going to do, or even want to do, but I made a list of things that I might like. This list contains things such as going to America for a few months and enrolling in high school there, following small courses in photography, beauty or styling and getting a second job and save money to maybe travel later in the year. (My boss is currently on a holiday, but I will meet up with her when she is back to see if I can pick up some more work there). As far is I know right now, I am not sure what I want to do, what is possible or what is going to happen!
I am making this post because I am looking forward to see what this 'Gap year' will bring me, and I want to make a similar post at the end of the year to see what I did! And I'm hoping to take you all on this journey with me !!!
That is what I should be thinking right now...
After graduating, I landed in a black hole. The school I had applied for, and had set my mind on in my last year of school, found that I was not ready for their course and didn't accept me. I didn't have a back-up, and didn't know what I wanted to do when this would happen.
I started looking for other courses I thought I would like, but kept going back to thinking I shouldn't bother because this wasn't the course I had set my mind to. And that would show in every intake I would do.
So I kept feeling down. Starting from not wanting to look for a new course to start, eventually ending in not wanting to leave my bed, do nothing but cry and feel horrible. I started neglecting my friends and family, and sat on the couch or was in bed for days on end.
My parents had tried to talk to me a few times, and I applied for a course a few days after. They helped me realize that I was allowed to 'grieve' over not being accepted, but I couldn't let it affect me in the way it was affecting me.
But, a day after my application, I was still doubting if the course I had applied for, was really what I wanted to do. (But, I had to find a course, so it was better then nothing in my believes. I could always drop out if I hated what I was going to be learning). I didn't stop searching the internet, only to be let down time after time: not finding the courses I wanted, or not being able to apply anymore.
This lead to a break down when I was, again, looking for courses. My dad had to take my computer away from me in order to make me stop looking (even though I couldn't see what was on my screen because I was crying).
That night, together with my mom, we decided it would be best for me to take a year off. A Gap Year.
This night is only one week ago. The plan was for me to enjoy my summer and not look for anything. I would start looking for courses or activities in September.
That didn't turn out well, since I started to feel like I was failing at what I was doing. I wasn't doing anything, that in my eyes, was useful. I wasn't working on my future, and most importantly, I wasn't enjoying the fact that I passed my finals the first time, not having to anything about school anymore. The whole point of a 'carefree and 13 week summer break' was missing.
So, starting today, I am going to look for what I am going to do next year. I still have no clue on what I am going to do, or even want to do, but I made a list of things that I might like. This list contains things such as going to America for a few months and enrolling in high school there, following small courses in photography, beauty or styling and getting a second job and save money to maybe travel later in the year. (My boss is currently on a holiday, but I will meet up with her when she is back to see if I can pick up some more work there). As far is I know right now, I am not sure what I want to do, what is possible or what is going to happen!
I am making this post because I am looking forward to see what this 'Gap year' will bring me, and I want to make a similar post at the end of the year to see what I did! And I'm hoping to take you all on this journey with me !!!
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