The German students had a a fun time touring around Germany.
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Over the summer, four young students had the chance to travel to Germany. Seniors now, Cole Rohrbaugh, Tagan Lehr, Madeline Traynor, and Sophia Hovis lived in the town of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, in Baden-Württemberg.
Their host families were chosen by York Twinning, since York has a sister city in Germany. The students lived with families, went sightseeing, and went to school. Their trip lasted from July 2 through 23.
German teacher Kathy Falatovich did not attend, but her daughter went along with the other four students, and she wanted to let her have her own experience without her mother by her side, Falatovich said. However, when she does get the chance to visit, she enjoys the language, seeing all the beauty, the history, and her favorite, the castles.
Falatovich said the students visited four other cities in Germany: Tübingen, Munich, Heidelberg, and Berlin. Lehr said she stayed in Stuttgart and Munich for the majority of her trip and then the last two days she stayed in Berlin.
Going to another country can be a great experience for some, but also frightening. Lehr enjoyed seeing how genuine Germans live like and hearing a native German speak; however, the part she did not like was not having the comforts of home. She also did not like Berlin because it was rushed and the exchange group did not do a lot in the city. Hovis did everything from castle visits to the zoo, to a river tour on the Daschau and a chocolate factory.
For Hovis, it was kind of odd at first because she didn’t know how much English they spoke/understood. She said her family was absolutely amazing and they took her to see “Tarzan” the musical in German and they had backstage passes. She also visited Neuschwanstein and spent a night in Austria.
Living with another family who speaks a different language can also have its pros and cons. Lehr said it was different and strange at first, but after awhile it became normal and felt like she was at home. Her host family were very welcoming and wanted to learn more about her and why she came to Germany. They even took her on a bike ride to a restaurant and get ice cream.
These two students said that Germany was very different than living in York. Lehr said Germans cook almost every meal, rarely use ice, and very few teenagers have a car or license, unlike in America and Hovis said that even though the city is almost twin-like to York, the streets are much narrower so that only one car can get down the road. Many young and older people smoke a lot in Germany, which was a con for both girls. All in all, both girls enjoyed their trip and would definitely do it again.