Like, I think I can get in to the places I applied to with the essays that I did send off, but I'm just pissed that I missed out on this opportunity because I was TOO ahead of the game.
Anyways, here's the essay, because I'm sharing it with everyone because I worked too damn hard on it not to be viewed by anyone. I didn't edit it at all, so obviously there are things that don't really make sense, but whatever.
No matter how much preparation you have done, you always end up feeling as though you cannot possibly be ready for what is ahead. Though I had been studying the language for five school years, there was no possible way I was going to be able to survive three full weeks of only French with complete strangers. It was, however, exactly what I had signed myself up for when I applied to the Summer Residential French Academy. An unsettling mixture of dread and excitement stirred within me as this experience approached: whether I was ready or not, I had to go.
My apprehension only grew stronger as we drove closer and closer to the Academy. Almost immediately after exiting the car, I was barraged with more French than I had ever been exposed to. After fumbling my way through a very confusing discussion with one of the counselors, I quickly made my way to my room: sanctuary for the next three weeks. Fearing that I was right in believing I was not ready for this experience, my mind raced through all the different possible situations in which I would get expelled from the Academy. Although I played it cool in front of her, I was feeling much more nervous than my mom could ever possibly be.
Having my mom there to send me off on this journey was extremely soothing, though not for the reasons that one would expect. My mom struck up conversation with the parents of one of my suite-mates, giving me the excuse to gauge how my skills compared to the others. I very nearly let out a huge sigh of relief when I realized that my French was about on par with my suite-mate: maybe I was ready for this after all.
Naturally there were those people who seemed as though they had been speaking French their entire lives, yet there were also many who were in the same awkward situation that I was in. We all helped each other out through this unfamiliar setting as though we had all known each other since birth. As I opened up to the strange environment that was the French Academy, I strove to enjoy every last minute of this experience. I became the “cheerleader” of the Academy, always dancing, singing, and trying to make sure everyone was having a wonderful time. Although it took me such a long time to realize it, I eventually recognized that I had always been ready for the French Academy.
Even now, after months have passed since the closing ceremonies, I still consider many of my fellow academicians as some of my closest friends. Though the great restriction of exclusive French-speaking is gone, the connections between us all will hopefully never disappear. Rather than nervously counting the days leading up the Academy as I had done before, I now eagerly count the days leading up to the next great reunion.
