Michelle is off to Germany!

This is my lovely niece Michelle. She has been awarded the prestigious Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarship to study abroad in Germany. She left this weekend. I believe she told me she will be living right outside Berlin. She is extremely excited and ready for this incredible journey.

My sister, brother-in-law & nephew are all so proud of her (as well as all of us). I know that the farewell was bittersweet. I am anxious to talk to Julie about their trip to New York to see Michelle off. I would be totally freaking out. Thank God my daughters are not as adventurous! Emily can't stand to be farther than Florida and no more than a week away from home. Annie, I think would relish the ideal of getting away, but I don't know if she would be able to handle a whole year away as Michelle will be doing.

At Michelle's going away party. I must have hugged her a dozen times. I made her promise to come back home. She did promise to come home, but then added, "but I won't promise I won't go back". Stinker.. She knows I am afraid she will fall in love with some German guy & decide to live there. I have heard that it is a beautiful country and everyone that goes, falls in love with it and the people.

The proud feeling I have for her is almost overwhelming. She was accepted at Rose Hulman (that was her back up plan if she didn't get this exchange program award), and I am sure they will be honored to accept her next year. She already has several college credits under her belt and yet she just graduated from high school.
Michelle is extremely talented. She is also very intelligent and has turned into this exquisite young woman, that I am proud to say, "That's my niece!"