My two-week exchange in the USA
Last year, in November, my English teacher wrote an email to her students about this organization “Youth for Understanding” that offered a two-week exchange scholarship. I was really interested and sent an application.
Shortly after, during winter break, I got a call from them that I was accepted.
While on the phone my family and I were sitting in this restaurant, eating sushi and I was so excited that I spilled soy sauce all over my shirt!
After a lot of paperwork, meeting the other 14 students that were accepted, and a whole weekend all about preparing for our trip, we were ready to face this adventure.
A few weeks before our trip I even got the email address of my host family.
I was placed in a double placement. That means that I was not the only student from this program that my guest family would host. Her name is Emily and we got along great.
I stayed in Rappahannock County, that’s in Virginia.
My family was super awesome, and we did lots of fun things together like ballet and hiking and we learned to play the ukulele from my host father!
As for the project, we did lots of community service for example at the food pantry, on different farms, and lots of other smaller things.
We also did sightseeing and went to the surrounding towns, two private schools, and to a high school. The day at the high school was the greatest in my opinion because we got a partner student and spend the whole day with them, like going with them to their classes and everything. Something that was shockingly different from the German schools was that the teachers and the student were a lot more personal with each other almost like friends.
We also went to the University of Virginia. It was so big and very beautiful. It was so huge that it was like its own town with dorms, a huge stadium, a cafeteria with so many food options, and even its own public transport.
All schools had something in common which is that they were proud of their school and liked to wear its merch.
A very big difference to Germany in general was that in that country everyone was so friendly and super welcoming.
We went to Washington on our last two days before we had to leave again.
We looked at many monuments and had a tour through the Washington Mall. The Washington Mall is an area with lots of monuments and museums around the Washington Monument. I visited the Nature Museum and I liked it a lot.
We also went to a real shopping mall in Washington after our tour, it was great!
This trip was an incredible opportunity. I’m glad that it happened, and I won’t forget it! A big thank you to my friends, teachers and family who supported me throughout this journey!
Lia Sch. 9. Klasse
