… to be a foreign exchange student during the COVID-19 pandemic

That last goodbye was one of the hardest moments of my life. Tears flowed down my parent’s faces as I hugged them in the airport. They were tears of joy because of the opportunity I was given, and the experience I will have. But not being able to see my family for eight months was going to be the hardest part. As the hours went on and the plane took off, I was officially on my way to The United States of America.

I grew up in Northern Germany, in a smaller town called Funnix. There I attended school through what Americans know as their sophomore year of high school. Growing up in Germany was a very different life than everyone in America is used to, we often took field trips to other countries for the day. To us it was no big deal, such as Americans going to a different state for the day. Germany has a very different culture than America.

 I grew up learning both the low German and English language in school, and this provided me the opportunity of a lifetime. I will never forget the day I received the life changing phone call. My family and I were eating dinner, when we heard a ringing in the distance.

As my mother picked up the phone, I instantly recognized the deep voice on the other end of the line. A few weeks prior, I had applied to be a foreign exchange student, and be sent to the United States of America to experience a different culture. A few moments later, my mom hung up the phone and tears instantly started rolling down her face. She looked at me and smiled as she struggled to form the words, “you are gonna get to go to America.”

I would be staying with a family that I have never met before, and going to a school that I knew no one. I was scared by the thought of not knowing anyone, but I knew that I could not deny this opportunity.

As I landed in the United States I was greeted by my temporary family that would be looking after me, in my time being here. As we walked out of the airport, I was greeted with the skyline of Chicago. Never have I seen such a big city with industrial skyscrapers. I could instantly tell how different the cultures were by the city I stared at, and the way people moved about. It was very similar to how the movies and books painted the United States of America. 

I was fortunate enough to have been given an amazing temporary family that made the transition much easier. They introduced me to many people who today I call friends. But it was not all a cake walk.

Walking through the doors of Huntley High School on my first day of school was terrifying. I felt as if I was an outsider, and that I would not be able to relate to other high schoolers. I had a hard time making friends in the beginning because my mind was overwhelmed with the thought that if I speak they will not like me.  I remember sitting by myself during lunch for the first week at school. But I quickly learned that just because I grew up in Germany, does not make me any different from anyone else. I began to open up, and try new things that did not exist in Germany.

I gained so many good friends and experiences in my time in Huntley. The experience became life changing as soon as I decided to put myself out there. I even picked up swimming and joined the high school team, which created so many lifelong friends.

Sadly my experience in America was cut short due to COVID-19. When the outbreak first occurred, all exchange students were sent home to avoid being stuck here. It was hard to leave all my new friends behind so suddenly. I felt as if I needed closure, but there was no time for that.

When I really look back on my experiences, I am so grateful for the opportunity I was given. The people I met, and the things I had learned have changed my life for the better. It is interesting how different countries, with different cultures, can be so similar yet so different. If given the opportunity, take the leap of faith like I did, and experience those different cultures.