Going to the States
 

One day in October 2000, I had recently started tenth grade, my father asked me to think about participating in a student exchange. At that time, two or three people I knew were exchange students in the United States and I knew very well of the existence of such an opportunity. But to me it sounded more like a nightmare than an opportunity and it took me less than a second to make up my mind: I told my father that I did not want to go. I felt like it was more or less irrelevant to even think about it and I told him that I did not feel like leaving my family, my friends, everything I had gotten used to over the last few years. Besides that, I did not admit it back then, but I was a little bit deterred by the thought of traveling to a foreign country by myself, living together with strangers and not having my friends and family around me. I had just turned sixteen and I was not very comfortable with being among strangers, not very independent and self-confident and I did not feel capable of mastering such a great task. My father ignored my refusal and in the following ten minutes he managed to convince me. I do not exactly remember what he said, but after he was done I knew that it was the right thing to do. I asked him to give me some time to talk to former exchange students and collect as many impressions as possible before I made a final decision. Fortunately, I knew some and could asked them about their experiences with their host families, about the school system, the American society, just about everything. They literally raved about their time in the US and everyone gave me the advice to take the chance and leave Germany.  After listening to quite a few impressions, I had a fairly precise idea of what it is like to be an exchange student and finally, my fear from the beginning turned into curiosity.

The first step was done - I made the decision. The next step was to find a way to get there. Somehow, I had to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and find a school as well as a place to stay. I chose the most common way and had a professional exchange organization do the work for me. Those organizations find, after you have applied, a school as well as a family and make sure everything is well during your stay in the host country. The great disadvantage is that they are rather expensive, but in return they take care of everything needed in order to spend a year in the US, such as visa and plane tickets. But as I said, you have to apply first and at this point I would like to start the first chapter of my paper.

Becoming an exchange student

As I mentioned in the introduction, I had a professional exchange organization do the work for me, because it is difficult for a private person to find a school and a family who is willing to put up an additional person for almost a year. There are numerous organizations in Germany and it is more or less unimportant which one you choose. The application procedures and working methods may differ slightly, but in the end they all do the same job.                             

I had the names of three different organizations (MAP Sprachreisen, FEE Sprachreisen and Team Sprachen & Reisen), which my former exchange student friends thought were good and after I had called them they sent me the application documents, including a brochure[1] with information concerning the organization, host families and schools in general, an overview of the different host countries, participation conditions, tariffs and an application form[2]. I applied at all three organizations, in case one or two of them did not accept me, but more important, to get an impression of their working methods in order to make the best choice. In addition to the application form they requested a copy of my last report card and a letter in which I described my person, interests, hobbies and expectations regarding the exchange year. At this point I would like to emphasize the importance of this letter. Most organizations do not offer the opportunity to choose your destination, so the more precise you describe your character and your interests the more likely you will be chosen by a family with similar interests.

A few weeks later all three organizations mailed back and invited me to personal interviews. Because the interviews were very similar, I would like to explain the procedures of Team in detail and leave out MAP and FEE. The reason why I chose Team will be explained later in the chapter

About two month after I had received the invitation, my father and I went to the interview in Munich. In my case, they had invited a second applicant, so they could interview two people at the same time. First we got very detailed information about everything concerning the exchange and what the following steps were; those will be explained later in the chapter step by step. In my opinion, the information was a little bit too detailed, especially since a great portion was untrue, as I found out during my stay. The person who talked claimed to be a former exchange student, probably during the 70’s, and since he worked for the organization, he told us, especially the parents, everything they wanted to hear. We got to hear the stereotypical untruth about the American society being prudish and abstinent and we all believed him. Fortunately, as I found out during my stay, most of it was, at least in my case, untrue. At the same time, he explained the collaboration between Team and World Heritage, their partner organization in the US and that the people working for World Heritage, look for a host family as well as a school after they have received the application documents from Team. The fact that you actually pay two organizations might be the reason for the outrageous tariffs.

The second part of the interview was a written English test, followed by an oral test. The written test again consisted of two parts. The first part was a 45 minute grammar and reading test and the second part was a 45 minute listening comprehension test. Both parts were quite easy, considering my rather modest English skills in tenth grade. For the oral test, the other applicant and I had to talk about our interests, hobbies and expectations regarding the host family and the exchange year in general, while the examiner was listening. Furthermore, they involved us in psychological conversations and asked things like “What would you do if your little host sister tore apart your clothes”, to find out about our mental condition. The last thing we had to do was to sign a rather ridiculous contract, in which we promised not get a tattoo or piercing, not to take any drugs and not to have sex during our stay in the host country. No exchange student ever kept that promise and there was no way to verify compliance with the commitment.

Over the following weeks they debated on whether to accept my application or not. I was concerned back then that they would refuse my application, but now I am very optimistic that they accept everyone who is able to come up with the money. Another few weeks later, I received the acceptances from all three organizations and it was up to me to choose one. The only difference between the organizations, worth mentioning, was a five-day trip along the East Coast of the United States before going to your final destination, which was only offered by Team. So I chose Team. Everything so far was not binding. What I had to do next was to inform the organizations within the given deadline, that I made my decision in favor of Team. As a result, Team sent me the final, binding contract. After my parents and I had signed it they sent us the official application form[3] and a checklist[4] with the things needed to make the application perfect. As you can see on the checklist, a lot of paperwork had to be done until I could call myself an exchange student, but from the moment where everything was sent in, all I had to do was to wait for the organization to find a host family and a school. Over the following months I received news letters[5], which I do not want to go into, because they mostly contained information, which was, in my case, untrue. In spring 2001, Team finally found a family and I received their names, address, phone number and email address. It was up to me to contact my new family, so I sent an email. From then on, my host brother Br. and I emailed back and forth in order to get to know each other and to find out about our interests. Naturally, we had a million questions to ask each other and it soon became clear that we had quite a lot in common, especially our passion for snowboarding.

The rest of my time in Germany I spent on deciding what to take with me and, of course, on partying with my friends and celebrating my farewell. On the day of my departure my whole family and a few friends came with me to the airport to say goodbye. I was surprisingly calm when I said goodbye to my family and my friends. I guess, because I was so excited to leave and see the world and meet new friends, I simply forgot to be sad. To make it easier for my parents I walked through the security check as soon as possible; I was free. Actually I felt more lost than free, but I was free. I got on the plane and left Munich behind me.

Five-day trip along the east coast

I took a plane to Stuttgart to meet a group of about fifty other exchange students from Germany and Asia and we continued our journey to New York, where we started our five-day journey along the East Coast. When we arrived at the JFK airport in New York, two people from World Heritage and a bus were waiting to take us to the hotel. Everything so far was fine until I found out that my luggage was not in New York. I would not have cared very much, but it had about 35°C and I had neither clothes to change, nor a tooth brush or a towel, which put me into a rather bad mood. After the people whose luggage did not get lost moved their stuff into the hotel room, we took the bus around New York and started our sight-seeing tour, which would continue on the next day. My first impression of New York was that it is huge! I had never seen that many cars and people before. Driving in New York is insane, not to talk about getting a driver’s license. We continued our tour after breakfast on the next day. Since the airline had managed to bring my luggage to the hotel over night, I was in a much better mood than the day before. Honestly, I do not remember too much from New York, because we left for Philadelphia in the early afternoon of the second day. That gave us less than a day to see the sights of New York, but we managed to see every single one. We spent a few hours in Philadelphia, mostly waiting in line to see the Liberty Bell, before we went on to Washington DC. By the time we arrived at our hotel in Washington DC everybody was totally stressed out. We stayed in Washington DC for the next two days and it was comparable to the events in New York. Once again we got up early, walked from one sight to another and went to sleep late. The trip ended on the fifth day and when we arrived at the Washington airport I was so exhausted and stressed out, I only wanted to go home and sleep.

Although we had a very busy schedule[6] and I had never been that exhausted in my life, I still feel like it was a very valuable experience and I am glad I joined the tour. The interesting part was not to see every tourist attraction along the East Coast of the United States. I am mentioning it because it gave me the opportunity to test my English skills in everyday situations and I felt more self-confident and comfortable talking to my host family when I got there. Even though I did not enjoy it very much I can say it helped the following course of my exchange year. 

We arrived at the Washington airport where everyone caught their planes to their host families. Since I had to wait for quite a long time, I decided to call my host family. I was a little bit afraid or rather nervous that I would not be able to understand them, but even worse, I did not know what to say. What do you tell somebody you have never seen before? Especially somebody you are supposed to live with for almost a year. I called anyway. My host mother answered the phone and we exchanged a few reserved words; I told her where I was and that I was going to be in Seattle in a few hours, hung up and caught my plane to Seattle. 

My Host Family

When I arrived at the Seattle airport I did not know what to expect and, to be honest, I did not care very much. I had been up for innumerable hours, being too nervous to sleep on the plane. The excitement to meet my new family kept me awake. I got off the plane and wandered around looking for Br. and L.. The only picture of them I had was a blurred one, which they had sent me with an email, but I soon found them. Due to a lack of experience in meeting host families, I did not really know what to do, so I just said “Hi” and hugged both of them. The feeling when you meet your host family for the first time is a very unique one and I hope I will never have to experience it again. The problem is that you are supposed to be part of their family and treat them like that, but on the other hand they are still strangers. Fortunately, we managed to overcome that barrier quickly. On the two-hour drive from Seattle to Bellingham, where they lived, they naturally had a million questions. I had none. I fell asleep as soon as I got in the car. When we arrived at their house, I put all my belongings into my room. It was late at night, and I went to bed immediately.

In the following two weeks before school started, I spent lots of time with Br.. He introduced me to his friends, showed me around Bellingham and we had time to talk.  Most of the time he asked questions and I answered a few reserved words, but we soon found out that our interests matched in many ways. I was glad to hear that most of the things I had been told about American youths were, at least in his case, untrue and Br. was just as glad to learn that the stories he heard about German drinking habits were true. Soon I looked at Br. as a friend and our relationship was much more relaxed. I started to enjoy my time in Bellingham.

It was very pleasant and comforting to find out that the stories I had been told about the typical student exchange and the typical host family might be true for most exchange students, but not for me. I was lucky to live with a family that was in many ways different from the typical American host family.

Background Information[7]

My host family consisted of two members, my host mother L. and Br., my host brother. They lived in a beautiful house[8] in Bellingham, Washington with two dogs and two cats. The house had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a downstairs living room[9]. It was a very nice house and I very much enjoyed living there with two interesting and intelligent people.

L. works at the Natural Resources Department of the Nooksack Indian Tribe as a hydrologist. Her job is to restore the natural conditions of the rivers in the Indian reservation, so that the salmon can breed and survive. The salmon is very important to the tribe, not only for food, but also for spiritual reasons. She is not only good at sewing and brewing beer, but she also makes the best peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies in the world.

Br. graduated from high school the same year I was living with them. He is thinking about going to university soon and becoming a lawyer. At the moment he works as a dish washer at a local brewery. What I like about him is his wide general knowledge and the fact that you can have quite intellectual conversations with him. We have seen each other a couple times since I went back to Germany and I am glad to have him as a friend.     

The reason why they wanted to have an exchange student living with them was because Br. is an only child and he wanted to have somebody around that was the same age. They chose me, because L.’s ancestors where from Germany and furthermore, because I am a passionate snowboarder like Br..

Life with the host family

I already mentioned that I was lucky to live with a family that was in many ways different from the typical host family. When people ask me about my exchange year and if I would do it again, I always say “no”. The reason is that no host family, no matter how nice or rich they are, could possibly be as good as Br. and L. were. They are both very intelligent people and I learnt a lot from them. L. was more like a friend than a mother. She was strict when she had to be, but always in a fair way, and treated me as an adult when I behaved like one. We never had big fights, respected each other’s opinion and discussed disagreements.

Jobs around the house were split up between the three of us. When we had dinner together, I helped her preparing the food. When it was time to clean the house, wash clothes, mow the lawn or do the dishes, we all helped. I usually hate doing housework, but in that case I sometimes even enjoyed it. It was an opportunity to contribute something to the family and it gave me the feeling of being part of it.

Unlike most American adults, L. did not care if we drank or smoked. Since the legal drinking age in the US is twenty-one and the age for smoking is eighteen, we had to ask her to buy cigarettes and alcohol for us, which she always did. Furthermore, she allowed us to have parties at their house and we had quite a few. Because you are not supposed to drink and drive, it was never a problem for L. if one or more of our friends, girls as well as boys, spent the night. In most cases, L. and our friends got along with each other very well and I think she enjoyed having young people around.

Another thing I appreciated was the fact that they were not very religious. The only time we went to church was on Christmas to see Br.’s cousins in a crib play. I had heard many stories of very religious host families and my organization told me to be prepared to go to church a few times a week, but like all the stories I had been told about the typical host family, this one was not true, either.

What we all had in common was our passion for winter sports. The Mount Baker Ski Resort was only an hour and a half away from Bellingham and the whole family went there almost every weekend during the winter. Usually Br. and I snowboarded together and L. went skiing on her own.

Sehome High School

There are three high schools in Bellingham and the name of my high school was Sehome High School. It was quite close to my house, only a few minutes by bus. The school was an inconspicuous one-story building and when you drove by you could not see very much of it because of numerous tall trees, situated between street and school building. The first time I entered Sehome High School was not a regular school day, but an orientation day for the Freshmen who were about to start an excellent academic career at Sehome High School.

Fortunately, I arrived in Bellingham two weeks before school started and was able to attend the orientation day. It took place about a week before the end of summer break and Br. and I went there so I could get an impression of where everything was. The fact that I had been there and met a few people before school started made it much more pleasant for me to go there on the first day of school by myself. We walked around the school and Br. introduced me to a few friends. By the time we left, I had a strange feeling that everyone knew who I was and I did not know anybody. I remember people trying to talk to me and asking me questions. I could barely understand them, which made me feel very awkward. They could have made fun of me and I would not have known, but they all had very friendly expressions on their faces. I had to think about the exchange students at our school in Germany, where the reaction would be a complete different one. It always seems like nobody wants to talk to the exchange students, but I had not realized back then that the Germans are, to say it mildly, a rather selfish people. So I was surprised to see that people got excited just because I was there. As I said, I was glad to be able to attend the orientation day. That way I met some of Br.’s friends and had somebody to talk to when I had questions. Br. was actually still a student at Sehome, but since he enrolled in the Running Start program, he only took classes at the Whatcom Community College and not at Sehome.

Background information: SHS[11]

Sehome High School opened in September 1966, the same year in which fundamental traditions were introduced, such as the Alma Mater[12] song and the Sehome Fight Song¹², both written by students, and the school mascot which was also designed by students. The school has its name from a Samish Indian Chief named Sehome. Today SHS has about 1,200 students, 48% female and 52% male. 87.7% of the students are white and only 12.3% belong to ethnic minorities, mostly Asians. 

Choosing Classes 

Actually, I wanted to enroll in the Running Start[13] program like Br. did. Running Start students are enrolled in the high schools, but have the opportunity to take classes at the community college also. The college classes are not only better, but you can also take fewer classes at a time and therefore have more leisure time. In my opinion it would have been much cooler to go to college than to high school and I applied for the Running Start program. L. was very nice and helpful and made an appointment for me so could take the tests at the college, required to do the Running Start. I went back to the Career Center[14] to tell them that I was going to do the Running Start program, but they told me I was not allowed to, so L. called them and it turned out to be a constant back and forth. She even contacted their Representative to the United States Congress to get assistance. Some day, I went to the Career Center and argued with the woman working there, whether I was allowed to go on the Running Start program or not. She set an end to the whole issue by typing the words: Exchange students are not permitted to enroll in the Running Start program, on her computer, printing it and handing it to me. I was speechless. I had never experienced such impertinent behavior from school officials before. As a result, I was forced to take classes at Sehome High School. By the way, I was a Junior, so most of the students in my classes where about my age.

One of the differences between the American and the German school system is the much wider selection of classes[15] in America. Because I did not have to care about credits I was free to choose any class that sounded interesting. When I had to choose my courses, my English was still quite horrible and the people at the Career Center were not very patient. So my first semester courses were forced upon me, rather than chosen by me. I am not making any reproaches, because I was very content with their choice. In the first semester I took Technology, German, American Literature, Chemistry, Pre Calculus and World History, whereas in the second semester I took Statistics instead of Pre Calculus, and instead of Technology I worked as an Office Assistant (for more detailed information see page 25). I was very pleased to hear that neither Br., nor any of his friends were involved in extracurricular activities and therefore I did not feel the need of taking any either. They handed me a list[16] with the course titles, the periods and the room numbers. To find out what time which class started I had to check the daily schedules. We had three different main schedules[17] at Sehome: Schedule A on Tuesdays, Schedule B on Wednesdays and Schedule C on the remaining days. Then there were the so-called snow days. It basically never snowed in Bellingham, but when it did, nobody was prepared. Since they did not have snow plows, it was impossible to get to school in time. In that case, we had a Late Arrival Schedule. Late Arrival Schedule is similar to Schedule C with the difference that school started at 10.45 AM and each period and the lunch break were only 35 minutes long. They posted the daily schedule on the school home page so it did not take long in the morning to find out, which schedule we had.

At Sehome High School

When I had to go to school, I usually got a ride from L. or I took the city bus. I never took the school bus, because Br. told me that only losers ride the school bus and, since he is such a cool guy, I believed him. By the way, I found out later, that he was right. Normally I went to all my classes. It is much harder to skip class in the US than it is in Germany. If you did not go to school they would call your house in the evening and tell your parents what classes you have skipped. It is a recorded message, like an answering machine. I know it, because I answered the phone a few times when they called. Besides, I had lots of fun in most of my classes, so there was no need to skip school.

In the first semester I received very bad grades. Even in my German class I had a C. As I said, I did not have to care about grades and therefore I did not put too much effort into school. I came to class on a regular basis, but always unprepared. I never did my homework until I got bored and decided to work harder to receive better grades in the second semester. It worked out and I earned A’s in most of my second semester classes, even in American Literature, which I am very proud of.

Like all other students, I had a locker. There were not enough lockers for all students, so everyone shared theirs with a partner. My partner was a friend of Br.’s. After she had been expelled, I had the locker for myself. The hallways with the lockers almost corresponded to the smoking area at our school. Because everybody goes to their lockers between classes, you could always find someone to talk to; it is when you find time to socialize. A further advantage to having lockers is that you can leave books, which you do not need for homework assignments, at school.

As usual at American high schools, every teacher had their own class room and the students had to change rooms every period. In my opinion, it is better that way, because the students find time to walk around between two periods and furthermore, the teachers can leave documents and teaching materials in school, unless they need them at home. Every class room was equipped with a TV and a VCR for several purposes. Mainly, these were used to show video announcements, which were made by students, to inform the school about sport activities, school dances and other events. On September 11, the TV sets were turned on all day and we pursued the reports about the terrorist attack. 

Of course, there was an American flag in each class room. Everyday during second period, we had to stand up, turn towards the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance. For the first few weeks I stood up and turned towards the flag, but never said the pledge of allegiance. I thought it was wrong to pledge allegiance to a flag that I did not feel connected to. After the attacks of September 11, when American troops had attacked Afghanistan, I even refused to stand up. I did not intend to offend anybody and most students in my class respected my attitude towards the American foreign politics.  

A further peculiarity of American high schools is the cafeteria. At Sehome, we had a 35-minute lunch break where they sold warm meals at the cafeteria. I never tried anything from there, because people told me that it tasted horrible.  Usually I had a few cups of coffee for breakfast, which satisfied my hunger until I came home from school at about 2:45.

One thing that I really missed was smoking cigarettes during break. The entire school ground was a no-smoking area and we had to hide in the woods behind the school to smoke cigarettes. We got busted by the security guard on the first or second day, so I gave up on that. The security guard’s job was to deliver messages to the class rooms, bust people for smoking cigarettes and pot, to make sure that nobody was in the hallways during class without a hall pass and to supervise ASA’s. ASA stands for After School Assignment and equals the German “Nachsitzen”. Once, I got an ASA for leaving the class room without permission. The teacher sent me to the principal, where I had to confess my sin and he gave me one ASA. I am saying one, because there is no limit for ASA’s. Theoretically, you can get a hundred ASA’s for one offense, depending on the severity. Our school had, in addition to the security guard, its own police officer. I never found out what her duty was. She used to carry a huge gun, which was, in my opinion, totally inappropriate and irresponsible.

If you wanted to use the restroom during a period, you had to ask the teacher for the hall pass, so Chadd, our security guard, knew that you had the teacher’s permission to run around in the hallways. I do not know what would have happened if he caught you without a hall pass. I fortunately never had that experience.

One thing that I appreciated very much at Sehome was our library. Not only was it much more extensive than the one at our school, but you could actually use it and find the books that you needed. Each book had a number and was registered on the library computer. You could search for books by author, title or topic and the computer would tell you immediately if it was available and where you could find it.

Driver’s license

One good thing about the United States is the driving age of sixteen. Like many other exchange students, I gained a driver’s license in America. I wanted to gain an American driver’s license, because the driving age is sixteen, but more important, because it is much cheaper there than it is here. Although it turned out to be a lot more expensive than I thought, it was still incomparably cheaper than in Germany. In order to get a license at the age of sixteen you have to enroll in a Traffic Safety class at your high school. In my case they charged a $240 fee, which is, compared to the years before, quite a lot of money. I heard that two years earlier they only charged a two-digit amount. Traffic Safety Education was like a regular class after school and can be compared with our driving schools in Germany. We had to come to class every Monday after school where we were taught basic traffic rules and watched traffic safety videos. The peculiar thing was that they did not show how to do it right, but what will happen, if you do it wrong. I have not been involved in an accident, yet, so maybe it works. Every third week we had to take a test about the last two lessons. The tests were ridiculously easy and still, I managed to fail one. I got the chance to retake it a few days later. The practical part consisted of five driving lessons with the instructor in the traffic safety car, which had, like most cars in the US, an automatic transmission.

After I had successfully completed Traffic Safety Education, I received a driving permit and a Traffic Safety Education Certificate[18]. With the permit, I was allowed to drive a car with my parents or somebody, who had at least five years driving experience. In order to get a real driver’s license, I had to prove that I had driven at least fifty hours with a parent. Br. allowed me to drive his Toyota Corolla ’82. To be honest, I cheated a little bit. When we went to the store, for example, I drove there in ten minutes, we went shopping for twenty minutes and I drove back and wrote down an hour. That way, it did not take me very long to gain fifty hours of driving experience.

I went to the Department of Licensing to take the written test and I managed to fail it. I had to come back the next day to retake it. Surprisingly, I passed, but before I got my license, I had to take the driving test.  It was a rather funny experience. I borrowed Br.’s car for the driving test. When the examiner got in I was not so sure if the car could handle her weight. I do not want to go into it. It is probably disturbing enough to know that the seat belt did not fit around her belly and she had to test me without wearing a seat belt.

The driving test did not take more than fifteen minutes. All I had to do was to drive around the block a few times and then back to the Department of Licensing. I passed the test and received my driver’s license.

That was the last time I have driven a car in the United States. First of all, I did not have a car and second, I did not have insurance. I thought about getting one, so I could borrow Br.’s car now and then, but I figured out that it would have been too expensive for driving only a few times.

Still, it was a good idea to get my driver’s license while I was in America, because that way, I saved a lot of money. Back in Germany I took both the written and the driving test without the lessons and thus, I was allowed to drive at the age of seventeen. All together, without consideration of the money for the exchange organization, I paid about $400 for my driver’s license. Compared to the tariffs of German driving school, it was a very good deal.

Traveling

During my stay in the United States, I was lucky to have several opportunities to travel around the country and get an impression of, at least a few places in the US and Canada. You can not say that you have seen the United States, if you have only been to one place or region. Not only climate and landscapes differ from one place to another, but also the people and their mentality change. Most of the people in the area where I lived were rather polite and “laid back”, as they say, whereas people in New York reminded me of “grumpy zombies”. Of course, I do not intend to make generalization or spread prejudices, but you can certainly recognize a difference.

My first journey took me south, along the West Coast to San Francisco. Br., L. and I went there to visit L.’s sister and her family for Christmas. We went by car and it took us two days to get there. Our first stop on the way to California was Newport, Oregon, where we visited the Rogue Brewery, which brews one of my favorite American beers, “Dead Guy Ale”. After we had spent the night, we continued our trip to San Francisco. It is a beautiful city and it is interesting to see things that I had only known from TV shows and movies, like the Golden Gate Bridge[19] and Alcatraz[20].

I am not writing about Christmas Eve, because it was very similar to the customs we keep up in Germany. There are only two differences, worth mentioning: first of all, the presents were being exchanged in morning of the 25^th and second, it was warm enough to wear a shirt and it rained most of the time.

Two months later, in February, I flew to New York with my girlfriend and her mother to visit my girlfriend’s sister, who lived with her boyfriend in an apartment in Greenwich Village. It was the second time for me to go to New York, but it was by far more interesting than the first time. We spent ten days in New York and had enough time to walk around and have a closer look at the sights as well as the city in general. I enjoyed the second time in New York much more, because it was in the middle of the year and the sights were not crowded with tourists. But, that was not the only difference from the first time that I went to New York. The twin towers of the World Trade Center had disappeared and the skyline of the city had changed immensely. It seemed like the whole city was afraid of further terrorist attacks. For example, you had to show your ID to armed soldiers in order to get to famous sights, like the Empire State Building[21] or the Statue of Liberty[22].

What I enjoyed most was to see my mother and my brother. They came to New York for a couple days to visit me and to experience the city.  

My third and last big journey took me into the dessert of Arizona, to Lake Havasu. My girlfriend and I went there to visit my grandparents. They came to Arizona to visit my grandmother’s cousin, who had emigrated during World War II and married an American. We took a couple days to drive around Arizona and the surrounding states, Nevada and Utah. I have to admit that, although Utah is inhabited by the Mormons, it has the most beautiful and amazing landscapes I have ever seen. We drove north to the Grand Canyon[23] and went on to Utah to see the Bryce Canyon[24]. Although Bryce Canyon is less famous than the Grand Canyon, it is much more beautiful with its red and white limestone gorges. Another beautiful and rather unknown national park in Utah that we went to is the Zion National Park. On the way back to Lake Havasu we stopped in Las Vegas, because my grandparents thought that it would be worth seeing it. They were right. I am glad that I have seen it and I hope I will never have to go there again. I do not understand why some people think that Las Vegas is a good place to get married. The city, with its countless casinos, flashlights and shabby prostitutes is full of sleazy, gambling-addicted people and after two hours I had to leave, because I could not stand it anymore. To say it with the words of Hunter S. Thompson in the movie “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”: “It’s bat country.”  

Back in Germany        

After ten excellent months in Bellingham, it was time to go back to Germany. I felt sad, because I had made many friends and could not believe that I had already been there for ten months. On the other hand, of course, I was excited to go back and see my family and friends. I doubtless would have stayed longer, if it had been possible.

Two years later, now that I am writing a paper on the issue, I get a chance to recapitulate the ten months in the United States and the time after, and draw a conclusion. For myself I can say that I am very grateful for the time in the US. I have to thank my father that he first convinced me and second, made it possible. Living with a host family in a different country in a totally different environment helped me to gain maturity and furthermore strengthened my self-confidence. I made many new friends, to whom I still keep contact. Br. and L. came to Germany a couple months after I had gone back and Br. and I traveled through Europe for four weeks by train. I am glad that we are still friends and keep in touch.

Although, I was not allowed to get my high school diploma in the US, I was able to continue school in twelfth grade. I had to make up a few things that I had missed in eleventh grade, but it was not very difficult. With the help of a friend I was able to make up the missed stuff in less than a week.

Concerning my driver’s license, I was allowed to drive in Germany at the age of seventeen for six months, but then I had to get a German driver’s license. The good thing is that I only had to take the tests and did not have to pay for lessons.

As a concluding statement I have to say that my exchange year in the United States was the most exciting, interesting and valuable experience that I have ever had and my advice for all readers who are thinking about participating in a student exchange program is: Don’t hesitate, take your chance while you are still young. When you are old you won’t ask yourself what you have done, but what you haven’t done.

Interview with Br.
 

- Why did you take an exchange student?

  Because I'm an only child and we thought it might be fun to have someone else living   with us (especially from Germany) that was my age.

- Why did you choose me?

  Because none of the French and Swedish girls could snowboard, damnit, had to  get you.  Just kidding, I think we decided to choose a guy for some reason or another, and you seemed the coolest, which was entirely based off the fact that your bio said you snowboarded, you can't really tell anything from the little descriptions that they send. They don't have a a catagory that asks you how much you enjoy drinking and  partying.

- Would you take another exchange student?

  Maybe if it was easier to get someone that was older than 16 or 17.  Right now, if we   were to have someone come live with us, not only do I not live at home any more, but   I don't even attend school right now, and they'd probably be kind of bored if they   couldn't hang out with me, (since I'm so cool, haha).

- What are your plans after high school?

  University, but food service right now.

Interview with L.
 

- What do you know about your ancestors from Germany?

  My father's grandmother and grandfather came here from the Black Forest area.  My great grandfather came first and then sent for my great grandmother.  I know that they were named Hieronymous, and she was named Hilda. They came here around 1899. My grandmother (Madeline Hieronymous, later Madeline Doremus) was born shortly thereafter, on Jan 25, 1900.  I don't know why they came to the U.S., but I suspect it was to find more opportunity to make a better living.  My great-grandfather worked as   a butcher and a meat packer in the Chicago meat packing industry.  There were apparently great slaughter houses there in the early part of the 1900s.
He later moved to New York and bought a dairy farm, which they lived on for the rest of their lives. 

  Also, my mother's grandparents came to New York from Germany, through Ellis Island, in the early 1900s.  I don't know as much about them. I know that my   grandfather's father and brothers had a business in New York buying old houses and remodeling them, and reselling them. They made a lot of money doing this, which is still in my mother's family.  They also built furniture. I only know that their family name was Heepe.  This is my mother's father's family.  My mother's mother's family also came from Germany and is named Kloot. My middle name, Adele, is a family name, which was passed down from this family.  However, although I know that they also came to the U.S. around 1900, I don't know anything more about them.

- Where do you work and what is your job?

  I work at the Natural Resources Department of the Nooksack Indian Tribe.
I work as a hydrologist, trying to restore the natural conditions of the rivers in the   Nooksack WAtershed (and WHatcom County) so that the chinook salmon (whose  existence is recognized by our government as endangered) may be restored to historic levels of abundance.  The Chinook salmon are important to the Nooksack Tribe for food, commercial and spiritual reasons.

- Why did you choose me when you decided to have an exchange student living with you?

  We chose you as an exchange student because you were from Germany (where we had visited in August 1999 to view the eclipse that was visible on my birthday) and   because like to snowboard and you listed that you did not participate in regular   religious activities.  I spoke with your father after we had selected you, and we talked about your application.  Apparently we never did receive your full application (only a faxed copy of some of the pages).  So, we really didn't know everything about you that you had put into your application!

- Would you take another exchange student?

  I would like to have more exchange students living with us.  However, because   Br. doesn't live here anymore, I think it would be strange for them.  So, I haven't tried to find another student to live here.  Maybe under different conditions, I will have more students, for a shorter time, when they have other activities to do in the U.S.

Course Description[25]

Technology

This class introduces students to many different manufacturing processes as well as computer applications in the manufacturing industry. Students will learn how to design and build products using CAD (computer-aided-drafting) software and CNC (computer-numerically-controlled) machinery.

Students will start their own manufacturing business, including advertising, marketing, and selling products that they have manufactured.

German

Courses review and continue study of grammar with listening and oral skills emphasized. By the second year, students should have a good grasp of basic structure in order to communicate in simple sentences. They will be able to understand fairly complex spoken language. Reading and writing are also emphasized. Cultural presentations in the world language are continued. At the end of second year, a great deal of emphasis is placed on oral proficiency in the specific world language.

AMERICAN LITERATURE

This course consists of a survey of American literature from its beginning to the present. Students will write a variety of essays dealing with literary analysis and personal experience. Literary analysis essays, a research paper and other types of essays may be included. One essay will focus on the analysis of one major work of literature.

CHEMISTRY

This class is designed for students who have an interest in chemistry and/or who need chemistry for a non-technical vocation. Chemical calculations are kept to a minimum to accommodate students who are not strong in mathematics. The course is an introduction to basic chemical concepts such as elements, compounds, general chemical reactions, atomic theory, kinetic molecular theory, solids, liquids, gases, chemical bonding, acids and bases.

Pre Calculus

This year furthers the study and application of polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions, sequences and series, and conic sections. The study of trigonometry and circular functions includes graphs, oblique triangles, fundamental and composite angle identities, and applications with vectors, polar equations, and complex numbers.

WORLD HISTORY

This course demonstrates how the present has grown out of the past with an emphasis on ancient, medieval and early modern history. The first semester focuses on the selected cultures and regions of the world to the industrial revolution including Western and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America (non-U.S.). Building on concepts and cultural understandings learned in previous social studies courses, World History examines the significant historical persons, events, and movements that are the foundation for contemporary world cultural, economic, and political issues. It will also offer an overview of the structure and process of appropriate universal themes as they have operated historically in those regions. Such globally-informed students will be prepared to make a positive impact on the future. Activities include: text and other selected readings, note-taking, homework, lectures, group work, map requirements, film, projects, and tests.

Statistics

This course provides a one-semester course in statistics and probability for the general college preparatory student. Topics include the gathering and use of data to address problems and issues, statistical influence and probability.

Office Assistant

Students will gain experience in general office duties. Office assistants will be responsible for greeting the public, taking and distributing messages, filing, compiling lists, mailings, answering phones. Regular attendance is mandatory.