Questions & Answers

Leah Schreier
Sep 22, 2019
7 min read

Surprise!

I had the wonderful idea last week to do a surprise party for one of my closest friends here, Julia. The plan was to tell her that it was just a girls night but really, everyone would be there for her. "Everyone" being the people pictured in the Oktoberfest pictures plus Gabby. So that's what we did. We told her to go to Paulina's house (another exchange student who lives with 3 others) at 3:30 so that would give everyone else a chance to arrive. I got there early and we walked with another girl to the store to get cake, and pizza for dinner. Everything was set up already so there wasn't too much to do. Once Julia got there, we blindfolded her and had her walk into the room with all of us and the cake with candles. When the blindfold came off we all sang happy birthday and she blew out her candles. The night consisted of Uno, a spa (face masks), a walk, and an attempted movie turned game time; games like Most Likely To and Paranoia. We were all so tired that most of us fell asleep in the same beds. In 2 beds, one smaller than a double, we fit 6 people. That was a lot of fun.

My favorite part of the night was the walk. Even though it was cold and a couple people stayed behind, it was my favorite. Since we were in Esterwegen, a small town in northern Germany, there's not much light pollution. We walked outside and right away we could see so many start, it was beautiful. We all walked down a path that led to a small road, and because it was 10:30 at night, we just sat in the middle of the road looking up at the stars. On occasion there were even some shooting stars which was really magical. We had a few group hugs to stay warm and Julia and I walked back holding hands so that we'd stay warm (also because holding someone's hand is really nice when you need love and affection). Julia is the one in the pictures from Oktoberfest who's wearing a red sweater. Her hugs are probably one of the only reasons why I am holding it together so well.

Answers to questions that you may have:

How is my host family? They are wonderful. I've already written about them a little bit but here's a little more. My host dad and I have a similar music taste with things like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Elton John. Sometimes we watch football together because he has a game pass which allows him to see every game in 40 minutes or just the highlights. The Broncos are both of our favorite teams and it's nice watching football because it reminds me of home. My host sister and I listen to similar music too, like Billie Eilish and Luis Watson. We watched the 3rd season of 13 Reasons Why together and have another show that we both want to see as well. She's really fun and easy to talk to and we get along really well. My host mom is so sweet. She makes mine and Noelle's lunches every day and gives me hugs too. She's always happy which helps keep me happy. We all eat breakfast together at 7:20 every morning during the week. When I get home from school, we eat again. They're all really chill and relaxed which has made coming here easier. Like my parents back home, they trust that I'll be safe and make good decisions, so they don't put any restrictions on me when I go out.

How's the food? Bread. I love it. Breakfast is bread. Snacks at school are bread. Dinner/later-night eating is bread. After school lunch is when we have the real meals which are all really good. Mostly, the food consists of potatoes, noodles, and/or meat. So I have been very happy. And the pizza is good too. It's no Virgilios or New York style, but it's far better than Illinois pizza. My host family doesn't go out to eat very often but I'm fine with that. I like staying at home. Home is good.

How is school? School is school. I've never loved it, but it's good. Much better than the US because even though the schedules are a little confusing, I'm out at 1:25 on Montag, Donnerstag, und Freitag. Our grades are based on participation and tests, but my teachers are aware that I'm an exchange student. Some teachers translate things occasionally which is really nice. It depends on the class but some classes are copying notes, some are taking notes, some are just class discussions. I pay attention as much as I can (it's exhausting) and do as much as I can to learn. If we're reading from a book nd taking notes, I use my phone to look up what we're reading about and take notes in English. I have different strategies for each class to learn. Mostly I'm just trusting my teachers to understand that it's going to take me some time to learn.

What questions do people ask? The three main topics I get questions are about Trump, weed, and school shootings. Fortunately for me I'm not a big Trump supporter, because people here definitely are not. I always tell them that I don't focus too much on the politics, I just don't like the kind of person he is because he's too hateful. That way, I can't get into any debates with them. The main question about weed is "do you smoke weed?" and no. No i do not. Living in Colorado has made me HATE the smell so I have never even had the desire to smoke it. It has become quite apparent to me that other countries associate school in the US with being dangerous. I recently saw a commercial from Sandy Hook elementary school that broke my heart. The link is << https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5ykNZl9mTQ >> and it shows students in the midst of a school shooting. When a US exchange student get asked more about school shooting than anything else, you know that there's a problem. I tell people that I go to Columbine High School and if they know about what happened there, they can't believe it. Just like in the US, I get questions about what it's like going to that school. And just like in the US, I give the answer that it's the best school I've ever been to. I always feel safe there, I know that the principal and teachers care for the students, I know that the community cares for each other. It's a wonderful school and I'm honored to be a part of it.

How's the weather? The weather is sometimes like Colorado and sometimes like Illinois. The past many days have been really sunny but sometimes its cloudy for days on end with a lot of rain. There's been a couple times where it's been sunny while raining, or the rain will come from no where, and I laugh because it reminds me of living in Colorado. Overall, it's definitely cooler here. They use Celsius so I've gotten used to that but I think for most of the time it's around 40's-50's in the morning and 60's in the afternoon. No one wears shorts so I bought jeans and I put sweatpants on right when I get home every day.

Rhapsody 4:

Love and affection. I have come to realize that these are the two most important things that a human needs. Without them, we fall apart. We doubt ourselves and our ability to actually be loved. Love fixes us. It fixes us mentally, emotionally, spiritually. It's good and it's necessary. Receiving love and affection makes one believe that everything will be okay. As long as you have that one person that loves you, you'll be okay. The world can be a painful place but if you have that person who can help you back up when you've been knocked down, you'll be just fine. That person that can hold you and say "I love you and it's going to be okay" can be the difference between being happy and being sad. As an exchange student, and as a teenage girl especially, I need that. I have my friends and my host mom that give me hugs here, but it is different. It's still good and helpful, but it's just different.

I'm keeping my sanity because I know that I'm not alone with this feeling. Anyone who has loved and been loved, knows this feeling. It's the step after heartbreak; when you're in the phase of moving on from the pain but you enter the stage of loneliness. It's not a good feeling. This is what exchange didn't prepare us for; or maybe I just wasn't listening during this one part. The loss of love. It can slowly break you down and leave you feeling empty. Talking with other people who understand this feeling is good because I know that I'm not going through it by myself. On the outside, you could look at someone (or me) and not know what they're dealing with. So the point of this is me telling you, the reader, to reach out to those that you love. Tell them that you're there for them, that you love them, that they mean a lot to you. Anything to acknowledge their existence in this world and in your life. Let them know they're loved. I know that as adults, many people lose contact with their childhood friends. I recommend messaging them on Facebook just to let them know that you're thinking about them. You could make their day. I've had friends text me randomly to tell me that they missed me and those random texts are what keep me going. The knowledge that I am loved, even if it's just by friends or family, is enough. We all eventually find our one special person, but for now, a little love from friends and family can go a long way. To my girls that are reading this, I love you and we'll get through it together :) <3