I came home and everything was there where i left it. It looked like I never left this place, but something is definitely different....I still try to figure out what. Perhaps it is English here in my lessons, which sounds different and not like that i would like to her again. Something changed and i guess it is just me.With new ambition I am looking forward too finally come back after school. The US is gonna be my destination after one and a half year hard work. And luckily i will have my driver license until then.

It is strange to come back to our german school after 4 weeks in an american. Now I realized how different both systems really are and I begin to miss nearly everthing of the american one.
Our breaks are feeling like an eternety because of the short breaks there so the whole day went slowlier here then in the USA. First I thought the 5 minutes breaks would not work but now I think it is even better! Everthing was so funny, intresting and relaxed in the lessons in Charles City and when we went back to our school there is the old stressful day with hard lessons where you need attention every second of the class.
Furthermore I am surprised about what the exchange did with me. For example sometimes I can not think of a german word and have to say it in english which is weird but funny at the same time. I also get used to get up late during the week because the house of my hostfamily was just about 5 minutes away from school and here I need about an hour to be at our Gymnasium in Walsrode. What a great life in America!

Now we are back in Germany for a few days and it's really hard. I'm still tired and a little bit sick. But we have to go to school and have to work hard that we know everything we missed as we were in the USA. And still I'm missing my host family and Heather :( . And I hope they will come and visit me and my family someday ( hopefully next summer :D ).

First day of school back in Germany

This post is for Monday, the 5th November 2012, the first day of school after the Gapp Exchange and vacation.
It feels weird to be back home. I'm happy to have my family back of course but it still feels different now. Now that I'm back in Germany I have to deal with all those "normal" problems again and I have to deal with a normal day again. Everything was a lot easier in America, it was like a whole new start with new people in a new country. No one knew me and they were just so happy to have me there! Then you come back here and everything is just like it has been before (except all the new stuff they did in school, now I have to work really hard!). As I expected it's very hard to come back to your everyday life.
Furthermore I really, really miss my host family. I knew I had a wonderful time with them and an amazing family but I think I really realized how lucky I was/am that I got to know them and that I was able to spent such wonderful four weeks in America when I came back home. Thank you so so so so much Sarah, Emily and Julie for making it possible! I love you!!
I still have a horrible Jetlag and am always trying not to fall asleep during class or just saying a proper sentence. But I'm sure this is going to be over soon, so it's not that bad.
I really, really want to go back to America some day and hopefully stay longer ;)

3. November 2012: the first day after our GAPP exchange. At this morning I slept a long time, because the sleep at the plain was very short and the whole flight back very exhausting. But I was so glad to be home, I have missed my family and my friends the last days very much.
While I unpacked my suitcase I thought about the last 30 days and reminded me on all the nice things I had experienced there and all the people who had welcomed me so heartly in their country! :) I thought also about the differents between America and Germany and I realized that there are so many, for example the food, the people, the environment, the school etc.
When I thought about the exchange I noticed that I changed myself too. I got much more self reliant and independent, because I stayed so a long time without my family. Besides I noticed the kindness from the American people, which is different to German people, so I changed my way of thinking and I think I got more friendly about strangers and other people.
I had a very great time there and I am happy that I got the chance to go to America; it was so wonderful!
So all in all I think everybody should go to America once in a lifetime to see it and make an own picture of the whole country. This is an exciting new experience for everyone!

November, 3 2012

My first day back home! I am happy to sleep in my own bed, but I am still sad that our time in the USA is  over now. All over the day I felt tired and do not want to do anything, but the everyday- life starts now, so I did some shopping and watched TV, that is all I could. I hope everybody is doing well in America, I wish I could stay longer. I do not feel ready at all to go back to school. I had some great experiences and I do not want to miss one of them. I definitely want to go back !!!

Heavy suitcases bring memories back home, 1st November

In the morning of the 1st November we closed our suitcases very early and we already put them into the bus but we didn't go to the airport yet. Before, we visited the Adler Planetarium and an aquarium.
The planetarium was very huge and we also watched a movie in which a man showed us the night sky with all its stars over Chicago.


a map of the huge planetarium

After our visit in the planetarium we had the last chance to take some photos of Chicago and to buy the last souvenirs for our families and friends. Then we went to the airport. We all were a bit worried about the weight of our suitcases because we all wanted to carry home so many things that our suitcases got heavier than they had been when we arrived four weeks ago.


  But luckily nobody's suitcase was too heavy and we all were able to check in without any big problems.
Around five o'clock we checked in at the airport and had to wait some hours for our flight. Most of us used this time to read the last few pages of the books we had to read for school at home.

 

 

Goodbye Chicago!

So I am back home for three days now. I miss America, especially my host family and the independence a lot. It is strange that I have to ask people for driving me and not driving with Lexy everywhere we want.
On Saturday i was reminded again on my great time in America. I was driving with my sister and it was like driving with Lexy. We had been singing loud and just drove where we wanted to. To McDonalds like Lexy and me did it sometimes. That made me cry because I miss her so much and that day was completely like a day we could had have together.
The first day at school was terrible. I was not just tired, I was sick, too. I hope tomorrow will be a better day!!

Wednesday 24th October, 2012

On Wednesday all German students of St. Ansgar went  to a Menonite school in the first two classes. The Menonites sang some songs for us and we also sang one for them. After that we asked them a lot of questions about their life and found out that they have to work after school at home. But they get no homework from the school. In school they have got all classes with all Menonites together who are in different grades.
Afterwards we went back to the high school and had a meeting with a nice couple who lived for about six years in Walsrode (Germany). It was very interesting to hear their thoughts about Germany. In our last class two of our German students went with some American students (learning german) to the elementary school and taught them some basic German words. When I came home, Olivia and me began to bake a cake for the German café on thursday(25th october). In the evening we wen to a volleyball game and there was a "kiss the pig contest". We had a lot of fun!

First day in Chicago

This was our first day in Chicago, we visited the Museum of Science and Industry. The museum was very interesting and it made a lot of fun in there. Afterwards we went into the city of Chicago for shopping and sight seeing on our own. There we searched for a special store and had to ask almost thousand people I think to find it. In the evening we stayed in our Hotel which is a bit outside of town and we did what ever we wanted to, that means e.g. watching movies.