"In a different world" (von Laura H.)

Nach ihrer Versetzung in die Qualifikationsphase absolviert unsere Schülerin Laura H. in diesem Schuljahr ein Auslandsjahr an einer amerikanischen Highschool im Wilmington, Delaware. Über ihre ersten Eindrücke und Erfahrungen hat sie den folgenden Brief für unsere Website verfasst:

In a Different World – Exchange Year 2011-2012

The decision to make an exchange year was made in the end of 2009. I decided to make my exchange year with International Experience (iE). At first I had to fill out a short application with the most important information about me. Some weeks later Terry Schofield of iE called and invited me to an interview.  Everything went good and after the interview I was officially accepted but I still had much work to do.

First I had to fill out a real application with information about myself, which took a long time because some questions were really stupid and I did not know how to answer them.

After I finished the application it was already February 2011 and I had to go to a “preparation seminar” for one weekend. It was in Göttingen and there I met 60 other students which wanted to go to America in summer 2011 for one year. On that weekend, where we only allowed speaking in English, we talked about difficulties with the language, problems that can come up with the host families or in school, homesickness, the Visa and many other things.

In the beginning of June I got the information for the Visa, which was very complicated. There I also had to fill out information about everything, which took me about three or four hours. When I finally finished it I got an appointment in the embassy in Berlin on July 19th. International Experience told me it would take about two or three hours and they would interview me but I went out of the embassy after an hour and they also did not interview me.

         After I got my Visa there was nothing left that could stop me from going to America except from the fact that I still did not have a host family which really bothered me, because it was the end of July and some other students of iE were going to America already. On July 24th I wrote an e-mail to Paul from iE who lives in America because I thought he would know first when there was a family for me. In the evening I had a response, which told me I had a family but they still did not have all information of the school. One day later I received another e-mail from iE and it said that I will live in Wilmington, Delaware with Jaci, my host mom, Kevin, my host dad, the two dogs Chessie and Robin and the cat Roxi. Since then I was very excited and nervous. In the end of the day I also was called by iE and they told me everything about my host family but the most I already knew.

         Two days later I knew my flight would be on August 24th. I had less than a month in Germany but it still seemed like too much time until I would get there. The next weeks I was very busy to buy everything I still needed, to pack my suitcase and meet all my friends a last time. After I knew for one week where I would get I was not nervous anymore. From the night on the 23 to the 24 I did not want to sleep, so I stayed awake the whole night. The next day I had to leave with my parents at half past five to get the train to Frankfurt. I still was not tired but also not very nervous. I could not really believe that I would stay in a different country where people speak a different language for one year.

         When we arrived at the airport we had much time but I had to check in soon, so there was not much time left with my parents. After we have eaten something we went to the suitcase control and from this point on my parents could not accompany me any longer. When I was sitting in the airplane I was suddenly very tired and I slept but just for half an hour because then the airplane started. During the flight I watched some movies and TV shows and I was still not nervous but when the stewardess said that we would arrive at the airport in Philadelphia in an hour I was very nervous.

         Finally arrived in Philadelphia Jaci and Kevin were already waiting for me and we were driving to my new home for the next school year. The next day Jaci drove with me to the Concord High School where I talked to my guidance counselor about my schedule. I wanted to be a senior, so I could not choose any subjects. I had to take two English and Math classes, History, Physics and Health but that was okay for me because I was a senior.

         The first weekend I was with my host family in Rock Hall Maryland at the beach. Jaci and Kevin have two boats; a big one and a little one, which Kevin always takes to fish. They also have a Jetski. That weekend we took out the big boat but after ten minutes the boat broke down for whatever reason and we were sitting there waiting for someone who can help us. After a quarter hour a man who went out with his boat for fishing helped us. In the afternoon we also took the Jetski out and at least that was working. On this weekend also hurricane Irene was supposed to come and because of that we left in the early Saturday morning. These days iE also called my host family and asked if they want to host another student because they do not find more host families. After Jaci and Kevin said that they are okay with that iE asked if my family wants to host a girl from Spain, called Malena. They agreed and then she was informed by iE.

          Just one week after I arrived I had my first school day on a Wednesday. Everyone was very nice but I did not like the first school day because I did not know anyone. The second day in school I changed two subjects. I changed from Honors US History to CP US History because that is the easiest and Statistics to Pre-Calculus. The second day was way better because there I got to know some other students.

         After the second day I had a long weekend because here in America is on these days a holiday called “Labor Day” but I still do not understand why they celebrate it. On Sunday I got to know many people of the family but not all because Jaci and Kevin have both have four siblings and their siblings all have children.

         On Monday we drove to the airport again to pick up Malena, who arrived on that day in the afternoon. She is one year younger than I am and she already had to go to school on Tuesday. But on that day she just got her schedule and after that she could go home with Jaci, so she had her real first school day on Wednesday. The next school days were also for me much better but I do not like English 12 and Pre-Calculus at all. The teachers are just horrible but I think I have to live with them for the next year. Except from that I get along very well in school and with the language.

         Since Malena is here we were two more times in Rock Hall Maryland. The one weekend it was not very good weather, actually it was really cold and the last weekend it was very good weather. The second weekend we were in Rock Hall Kevin took out the little boat and we went fishing. I caught 3 fishes called Otto, Bubbles and Christopher. We also took out the big boat because Kevin’s father told us he repaired the boat but after we were on the water for ten minutes the boat broke down again. The third weekend we took out the little boat for fishing where I caught my forth fish, called Herbert, and when we were on the way back Kevin said we can jump out of the boat because it is not so deep anymore. I did not think about it any longer and wanted to jump out of the boat but it was deeper than I expected so I fell into the water.

         I get along very well with Malena and it is always funny with her. I cannot believe that I am here in America for almost two months because the time was just flying by and when I look into the calendar it seems like I will graduate here next week and will be home again in two weeks. But unfortunately there are still eight months left and I hope that this coming months will be as great as the last two ones. I also hope to survive these next months because I already destroyed a shower curtain, a blind, broke a plastic thing on the window of Kevin’s truck, I fell out of the boat, I ran into a metal rod, I already lost the fishing net and I keep on hitting my lamp off my night stand.

Laura H.