Well, I did it!

All my hard work paid off--I won the Germany scholarship. My mind is just...racing, as I attempt to process this information.

I.

Cannot.

Believe.

I thought I would be finding out in April, but I found out this afternoon--just five days after being interviewed by a panel of judges. I find myself wondering how this happened, only to realize that, after putting so much effort into the application process, I should have been more surprised if I didn't get it. I'm extremely grateful to the judges, who were friendly, accommodating, and generally just amazing people. I was sick with a fever, and they rescheduled my interview so that I could have a thirty minute conversation with them. How cool is that?!

Now all I need to do is call my German grandmother, as she'll be overjoyed. She already told her German friends about this.