Thank you EF

i just wanted to say thank you to the people of EF for inviting me to the EF Summeranza 2013 in London! i had such a blast and enjoyed it very much being a part of this whole experience!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

EF Summeranza - Sneak Peek

hi lovies,

as promised i'm posting the (short) videos of the EF Summeranza. it isn't my best performance but you still get a little peek of what i experienced in London. if you like dancing, singing, partying and having a good time all day through you definitely should get your ticket for EF Summeranza 2014 ;)


i'm off for a refreshing juice with a friend and may also go for a dip into the lake.. enjoy this beautiful day guys!

EF Summeranza - London

hi lovies,

i'm back in Switzerland, blogging from a sunny patio...

even though, i didn't see much of London itself in these two exciting days i had a great time!  as i happend to have a bit of trouble regarding the check-in in switzerland i was pretty relieved when i finally set foot on UK ground and even happier when i got to see the venue of the EF Summeranza. it was way bigger than i expected and they cater for all tastes. 

in the late afternoon the stars (Roma Zhelud and Luminites) were performing on the main stage (in the main tent). the EF Summerdance then opened up for Sky Blu of LMFO. i'm going to post the videos soon, so stay in the loop!!

since i was invited from the lovely people of EF i attented the event as e VIP (yes, i felt Very Important ;)). i got to stay in the VIP tent with some other students who won any kind of competition which made them VIP as well. 
I loved the atmosphere, the music and the weather - omg it was super sunny and not "london-like" at all ;)

stay tuned for videos and some more pics of the event..

 

meet the starts @ the red carpet

the main tent

karaoke in front of the EF bus

fun fair ride

the LUMINITES

face painting

packing isn't my fave thing to do

hi my friends,

how are you guys doing? are you on vacation? 

i surprisingly got the three days off before my vacation. anyway, no one would say "no" to this, right? ;) i spent the last days with lots of cleaning, doing the laundry and relaxing on the couch. since the trip to London with the generous people of EF isn't that far away anymore i started with the packing. unfortunately, i'm a horrible packer! do you remember THIS post? i packed way to much for my stay in california!! that's why i started to write down everything that comes to my mind during the day concerning my packing situation. i hope this will help a little and i won't be sitting at the airport with to much things. i also prevented the over-packing by using only handluggage which i think will do it for 2 days ;) haha

is anyone of you going to attend the EF Summeranza?


almost forgot to get some cash... ;)

changing

hi lovies,

don't forget to follow me on

BLOGLOVIN
 



since google friends connect is shutting down! i'm sure you don't want to miss the posts about my super cool trip to London with EF!

stay tuned!!

coming soon

hi there,

it's been a while now but i honestly couldn't manage to blog these past weeks since i was so busy with all the working and sleeping - but mostly working. you can't imagine how excited i am to start my vacation next wednesday!! i didn't sleep 6 hours straight for days and my body starts telling me to slow down a little. but he has to wait a just a little longer because on thursday i'm going to be in London with EF and i won't waste the hours with too much sleep that's for sure!! after that, i'm going to sleep for the next 3 days i guess ;)

but back to the more active things in life ;) the EF Summeranza takes place in London and i'm beyond excited how it's going to be! it will be kicking off my festival summer! and here's what i'm looking forward to...

My life and London

Hi there,

I finally moved into my new apartment which i share with my friend Ally. It's been some crazy, exhausting but fantastic days and now that the sun is shining from 7am to 8pm life almost seems to be perfect! oh no, i forgot to mention the one thing that makes life PERFECT! Alex of EF Switzerland called me last week to tell me that I'm really going to London and will attend the EF Summeranza! I still can't believe how lucky I am! Thank you so much EF!

Now I'm off for some fancy dinner with friends. Happy weekend lovies!

via

 

Having fun with my friends

hi there,

I was going through the pictures I took in California and I'd like to share some of them with you.

I miss them so much =(

a little love from LA

hi sweethearts,

how are you doing? 
when I woke up this morning and checked my facebook there was a super cool thing waiting for me. do you want to know what it was? Well, LOOK AT THIS:

I had the best time of my life in Los Angeles and I honestly LOVE the guys of EF! They made my stay so much easier and even the teachers became really good friends of mine. they are simply awesome! We went for dinners together as a class, on tours and even to beach on really hot summer days. It's incredible that even the school director herself is taking care of you if you are in need. I can't wait to see them again some day (and I hope it's not taking too long).
So I'd like to say THANK YOU EF LOS ANGELES! It's so nice to see that they still remember me that well and are waisting no thoughts but publishing this super cute post!
Big Love

I Need Your Help - EF Summeranza 2013

Hi lovies,

so I know it's been a while since my last post but I've got news to share with you =) EF Switzerland emailed me and asked me if I'd like to travel to London for the Summeranza 2013 on 11th of July!! How awesome would that be? 

"Unfortunately", I don't really have that much followers on the blog, twitter, instagram or other social media plattforms since I learned that you lovely readers know my blog address by memory (seriousely, YOU ARE AMAZING!!). So you would do me a HUGE favor, if you would follow me on any of these (below) to increase my chance to go on this trip.

Bloglovin

Twitter

Instagram

Google Friends Connect

If EF decided to take me to the EF Summeraza, I will be posting tons of pics on the blog and of course keep you updated on all my social media pages! Of course I would take videos as well to let you be a part of this whole party! 

Have any of you ever been to the EF Summeranza? If so, tell me all about it in the comment section!

Love you guys,

Organisations 1x1 - Geld

Hi friends,

Nicht nur solltet ihr Geld ansparen, um den Sprachaufenthalt zu bezahlen, sondern auch den Spass. Ich meine, das ganze kostet ja an sich schon was aber Amerika ist das Land der unbegrenzten (Shopping-) Möglichkeiten ;) Und um auch was ausserhalb der Schule und dem Haus der Gastfamilie zu sehen, braucht man - was auch sonst - Geld! Ich muss zugeben, dass ich zwar echt viel angespart habe aber nun trotzdem etwas knapp bei Kasse bin. Überlegt euch also im Vorraus was genau ihr alles machen wollt und versucht so gut wie möglich zu kalkulieren. Hier ein paar Kostendetails, die ich mit euch teilen kann:

Ein Auto mieten für 2 Tage kostet ca. 200$ (also sucht euch Freunde, die mit euch das Wochenende verbingen wollen, damit ihr die Kosten teilen könnt oder sucht euch jemanden der ein Auto gekauft hat xD)

Ein Hotel für 2 Nächte kostet ca. 150$ (pro Zimmer nicht Person).

Shopping: wenn ihr so wie ich seit, dann hat man nie genug Geld dafür  100000000000000000$ ;P

Denkt aber auch daran, dass ihr hier auch sehr viel Geld für Essen und Trinken ausgebt. Frühstück und Abendessen ist zwar in der Gastfamilie inbegriffen (am Wochenende auch Mittagessen), man weiss aber nie, obs dann auch so ist... Ich würde also so 60$ pro Wochen einberechnen.

Zudem wollt ihr auch mal ins Kino oder etwas trinken gehen am Abend 20$ pro Woche.

Wenn ihr Auflüge mit EF macht, kosten die etwa 250$. Es kommt darauf an, wo man hingeht.

An dieser Stelle möchte ich noch stolz hinzufügen, dass ich meinen ganzen Sprachaufenthalt selbst bezahle und dass das beste Gefühl überhaupt ist und man es fast noch ein bisschen mehr schätzt ;) Dies soll aber nicht heissen, dass ihr den Aufenthalt nicht auch machen sollt, wenn eure Eltern ihn für euch bezahlen "müssen" ;) Einen EF Sprachaufenthalt ist aber cooler, wenn man schon 21 Jahre alt ist oder sonst, wenn man hier noch minderjährig ist, in eine Highschool geht und mit den amerikanischen Teenagern was machen kann.

iPhone quality

Not only should you save a lot of money to afford your stay but also to have some fun during it. America is the country with the endless (shopping-) possibilities ;) And of course since you are there, you should see as much as you can which costs "a little" money too. I have to admit that I thought I saved a lot but acutally I wish I had put aside more. So it's a good idea to think about what you'd like to to before your trip and calculate the different aspects of costs as well as possible. Following a few details about some stuff you'll come across during your stay:


If you rent a car for 2 days you should calculate to spend about 200$ (make some friends, spend the weekend together and share the costs or look for someone who own a car ;))

2 nights in a hotel: 150$ (per room not per person)

If you are an addict like me, you'll spend a lot on clothes, shoes, accessories ect. xD But 1000000000000$ should be enough.

Bear in mind that you also need money for lunch ect. Of course breakfast and dinner (and lunch at the weekends) is included when you are living in a hostfamily but sometimes you can't count on that.... Make sure saved enough to spend 60$/week on that.

I'm pretty sure you want to go to the movies or have some drinks with your friends once in a while. 20$/week sould be enough.

If you are going on trips with EF you should plan on spending 250$ (for one trip). The price depends on where you go.

On this point, I'd like to proudly tell you that I paid everything by my own. I worked hard for that money and the feeling being able to afford the whole trip is priceless! Of course I'm not judging those who get the thing paid by their parents! It's cool to experince this as a young adult and it's even cooler when you spend your time with natives like in a highschool. For those who already are 21 and over, there are so many amazing things to see/do and make sure you won't miss a thing ;)

Organisations 1x1 - Wichtige Dokumente

Hey cuties,

natürlich dürft ihr vor und während eurer Reise die wichtigen Dokumente nicht vergessen. Ich sag euch, auch für mich, als diplomierte Kauffrau (und die kennen sich doch mit Papierkram aus ;)) war das nicht ganz einfach. Denkt daran, dass Visum früh genug zu beantragen. Und am besten macht ihr das NICHT im Winter. Ich stand im Februar eine ganze Stunde vor der Botschaft bei -15°C(!) und habe dann nochmals eine Stunde drinnen gewartet. Zieht euch also besser warm an oder geht im Frühling oder Sommer ;) Was ihr für Dokumente braucht, um das Visum zu beantragen seht ihr HIER. 
[schon komisch, wenn man an die Zeit zurück denkt, wo jeder Tag fast nicht enden wollte und man die Familie und Freunde bei jeder Gelegenheit mit "Wenn ich in Kalifornien bin.." oder "In Kalifornien..." Sätzen zugestusst hat]

Vergesst auch nicht die notwendigen Versicherungen abzuschliessen. Entweder habt ihr eure eigene (prüft, ob alles abgedeckt ist) oder die ERIKA Versicherung von EF.

Auf die Reise solltet ihr dann folgendes mitnehmen:

• Das Flugticket (hin und zurück)
• Pass (schliesst Visum mit ein)
• I-20 Formular
• Dokument von EF, welches sagt, wie die Einreise in die USA abläuft 
• Dokument mit der Notfallnummer von EF, falls irgendwelche unerwarteten Problem auftreten.

Für euch (und EF):

• Kopie Pass und Visum
• Bankkarten und die dazugehörige Nummer, um diese zu sperren
• Versicherungsunterlagen übersetzt in English (Kopien für EF)
• Kopie Fahrzeugausweis [meinen Internationalen Führerausweis habe ich bisher noch nie gebraucht]

via

For your journey you shouldn't miss to bring the most important papers with you. There's a lot to organize before you leave the country and I tell you that's not as easy as creating a new Facebook group. Be aware of appling for your Visa early enough, so you don't have to worry or getting stressed because it's possible that you have to wait a long time until you get an appointment. Furthermore, I recommend going to the embassy in spring or summer but not in winter. I had to wait one hour outside (no easy task when it's only 5°F) and one more inside. See here (and translate to your language with the tool on the left sidebar) what kind of papers you need to apply for a visa.
[I remember the never ending days before my trip and telling my friends what I'm going to do here and how it would be over and over again]

Having the right insurance during your stay is vital, either you have your own or the ERIKA insurance with EF.

That's what you should take with you for the trip:

• Your flight ticket (go&back)
• Your Passport (including your Visa)
• The I-20 form
• Papers you got from EF about entering the country
• The emergency number of EF, just in case...

What you should take with you (for you and EF):

• A copy of your passport and the visa
• Your creditcards / bank account cards and the emergency numbers to lock them
• Insurance papers in English (for you and EF)
• A copy of your drivers license [I never needed to show my international drivers license, though]

Ask Nissy =)

Hi lovely people,

Ich erhalte in letzter Zeit immer mehr Kommentare (oder hauptsächlich Nachrichten und Mails) und ich freue mich über jeden einzelnen! Die netten und zuvorkommenden Mitarbeitenden von EF Bern haben mich angefragt, ob sie den Link zu meinem Blog auf der unten angegeben Seite erwähnen dürfen. Da ich sehr gerne über meine Erfahrung in Kalifornien berichte und mich sowieso riesig über mehr Leser freue, habe ich natürlich JA gesagt ;) Ihr könnt mir also gerne alle möglichen Fragen stellen (mit welcher Hand ich mir den Hintern abputze bleibt jedoch geheim - ewww ich weiss, ihr denkt jetzt sicher "wie kommt die auf so'n scheiss (wortwörtlich xD) aber es gibt nichts was es nicht gibt haha).

Hier gehts zu diversen EF Seiten die mir persönlich als sehr hilfreich und informativ (ich hab keine Ahnung ob es das Wort in der deutschen Sprache gibt xD - fragt mich also besser auch nichts über das Thema "Rechtschreibung ect." ;)) erscheinen:

Wie alt bin ich?

http://www.ef-swiss.ch/aya/programmes/

Wo will ich hin?

http://gg2.ef-swiss.ch/aya/destinations/

Zeig mir wie's dort aussieht:

http://gg2.ef-swiss.ch/aya/videos/

Was für einen Kurs will ich absolvieren?

http://www.ef-swiss.ch/aya/programmes/

Wie will ich wohnen?

http://gg2.ef-swiss.ch/aya/student-life/accommodation/

andere EF Seiten:

http://www.ef.com/new-country/

Fragen an mich: 

• Twitter @ThisIsNissy
• eMail denise.probst@hotmail.com
• oder hinterlässt einen Kommentar unter einem der Posts

I've got a lot of requests / questions of some lovely readers lately and I'm super excited about that! The lovely staff of EF Berne (Switzerland) asked me, if they could feature me on their page and with no doubts I said YES =) I'm more than happy, if I'm able to help you guys or better, tell you what I've been experiencing. Please ask me any question you want to (well, I won't answer weird questions like "which hand do you use to wipe my bottom" - ewww I know that's disgusting (I don't know why I'm talking bullSHIT xD all the time)) But to get back to what I actually wanted to say, I would have been lucky, if I had the opportunity to ask someone about anything before I came here! So don't be shy ;)

This link goes to the EF Website (for some more infos):

http://www.ef.com/new-country/

This is where you can ask me:

• Twitter @ThisIsNissy
• eMail denise.probst@hotmail.com
• or simply leave a comment under one of the posts. 

Are you working hard or hardly working?!

Hi love bugs,

Da ich seit meinem Lehrabschluss vor 2 Jahren nie mehr wirklich für etwas gelernt habe, ist der Cambridge Kurs mit 2-3 Stunden Hausaufgaben pro Tag HARDCORE!! Nicht selten sieht das dann so aus....

XOXO

Nissy

I've never really studied for something since I graduated from my commercial apprenticeship [I'm not sure if I can say "graduated from my commercial apprenticeship" but anyway] that's why the Cambridge course with it's 2-3 hours homework a day is HARDCORE for me! Well, as you can see in the photo above, I'm doing pretty good xD

Cambridge Prep

Hi sweeties,

Letzte Woche habe ich meinen Cambridge Vorbereitungskurs angefangen. Ich werde im Dezember das Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) machen und hoffentlich auch bestehen xD Eigentlich wollte ich ja das Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) machen, da sich aber zu wenige Studierenden für diesen Kurs angemeldet haben, wird er nicht durchgeführt (ich weiss sowieso nicht, ob gut genug wäre für dieses Examen ;)). Leider heisst Cambridge Kurs auch jeeeeeeede Menge Hausaufgaben! - 3 Stunden pro Tag!! Krass nicht?! Naja, ich hatte meinen Spass in Los Angeles ;P haha

Last week I started the Cambridge preparation course, because I'm going to do - and hopefully pass - the exam for the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) in December. First I wanted to do the exam for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) but there weren't enough students for the course and I'm probably not THAT good ;) Unfortunately, the Cambridge course means a lot of homeworks too - 3 hours a day acutually!!! Well, since I had an awesome time in LA and did almost everything I wanted it's okay somehow ;) hihi

I'm a nerd...pssssssst

EF Blogger Competition

Hey my friends,

Oh mein Gott, als ich diese Woche mal wieder ein bisschen auf der Bloggerseite von EF herumstöbern wollte, habe ich festgestellt, dass da mein Namen steht! Und zwar nicht einfach so, sondern weil ich den 3. Platz bei der EF Blogger Competition gemacht habe =) Whoohooo! EF ist so grosszügig und hat Cierra, die auf dem 2. Platz ist (hier gehts zu ihrem Blog http://cierrastef.wordpress.com/), und mir einen 200$ iTunes Voucher spendiert! Danke EF!!!

Guckt euch auch den Siegerblog von Giulia an: http://giuliaisgonnarunthistown.wordpress.com Herzlichen Glückwunsch Giulia und viel Spass mit deinem MacBook =)

XOXO

Nissy

via

Oh my God!!! As I checked out the EF Blogger website last week, I saw that there is my name and my blog link on the page. And guys, they didn't just wrote my name because they like it (lol), but because I made the 3rd place on the EF Blogger competition!! How excited!! Cierra, the girl who made it on the 2nd place (check out her blog here: http://cierrastef.wordpress.com/), and I won a 200$ iTunes voucher! How awesome is that?! Thank you so much EF!

And of course don't forget to check out the Giulia's blog http://giuliaisgonnarunthistown.wordpress.com! She's the winner of the competition! Congratulations Giulia and have fun with your new MacBook =)

XOXO

Nissy

Red Rock Lake

Es tut mir echt leid, dass ich so lange nichts gepostet habe. Wie schon in den vorherigen Posts erwähnt, ist das WiFi meiner Hostfamily echt zum ......!

Also jetzt aber zum meinem Weekend. Gestern war ich mit Nadine und Melanie bei Red Rock. Das ist ein grosser Felsen von dem man runter ins Wasser springen kann (siehe Video). Das Wasser war aber nicht besonders hoch und so sind die anderen von einem kleineren Felsen runter gesprungen (ich hab dem Ganzen nicht so getraut, da man wirklich an einen bestimmten Ort hinspringen musste – ich bin nicht so gut im zielen ;)). Es war echt cool aber irgendwie trotzdem nicht anders als in der Schweiz. Spass hatten wir aber trotzdem =)

XOXO

Nissy

I’m so sorry for the lack of posts the last few days. As I mentioned in previous posts the WiFi of my hostfamily sucks!

But now to my weekend ;) Yesterday Nadine, Melanie and I went to Red Rock. It’s a huge rock and the cool thing about this rock is that you can jump off of it (check out the video). But the water wasn’t deep enough so the others just jumped off a little rock (I didn’t do it, I was a bit skeptical and you had to jump on a specific spot – I’m not that good at that ;)). It was pretty cool but nothing you couldn’t do in Switzerland too. We had a lot of fun though =)

Das Video ist besser ohne Ton ;)