Spending 10 months on a different continent is overwhelming. It requires courage to leave your family and friends to get thrown into a foreign family that you have never seen before and you have to attend a new school, where you have no friends, yet. 

Although you might have read some of my other works, you might not know that I’m an exchange student from Germany. Or, good job figuring it out by looking at my last name. 

It was scary; I sat in the airplane by myself and it was the first time I have ever traveled by plane or alone. The flight here was about nine hours long and I landed in New York at 10 p.m. The other exchange students, from my organization, and I spent three days exploring New York City. 

On Aug. 8, 2023, I flew with a few other girls to Dallas. That was the day that completely changed my life; I met my host family for the first time and we immediately got along and the ride back was super exciting. They immediately made me feel like home and helped me to feel comfortable in my new room. 

I also remember the first day of school; we had to get my schedule before school started and I was so nervous to go to my classes. But I think I was most scared that I would sit alone at lunch. A person I had met introduced me to some of her friends so I didn’t have to worry about being alone. And all my teachers seemed welcoming and nice. The school here was very different from what I experienced in my old school, which made it a little bit difficult to get used to in the first few weeks. 

Going to football games was really cool, because in Europe we don’t really have school spirit, so it was exciting to get dressed up for the games and watch the dancers and band. Experiencing homecoming was one of my favorite school-related memories; I had found my close friends and it was great. 

However, being away from home is not easy at all and I missed my family and friends a lot. It went from seeing them daily to having phone calls twice a month. I had to get used to missing out on things that were happening at home. 

I have gotten to do so many things I always dreamt about and could never fulfill. I met special people during the past nine months and I found myself. Every struggle helped me develop myself in the best way possible. I know it was hard to come here without my family, but it will be even harder to go away from the family that took me in and treated me as if I have been here my entire life.

I really recommend doing an exchange year, although it is important to be bilingual. You need to be outgoing because that is the key to make friends and experience everything during your year abroad. It is easy to get homesick, especially if you have never been away from home. It can be very overwhelming and stressful to be in a different culture, and it is very important that you are able to adapt to different situations.

In the end, it will give you enormous knowledge and shape your character; it will help you to find your own path and get to know yourself on a different level. You will have connections and friendships that can last a lifetime. The year will not always be easy and happy, but it will be worth it.