My Exchange Year in Germany

It almost feels like it was yesterday when I said goodbye to my family and friends, ready to board my plane to Germany, not really knowing what to expect but excited for what the future had in store for me. Now, I’m back at home, a little earlier than expected, with tonnes of memories, stories to share and friends from all over the world.

I’ve wanted to be an exchange student for my whole high school life. I read some brochures and decided to contact a local organisation called ‘Students of the World.’ Soon, I was applying for a 10-month exchange in Germany. I was so excited and happy to finally tell my friends and family that I would soon be flying out from Adelaide, awaiting the year of a lifetime!

I was placed with a host family from a small town called Gilching, just one hour from the capital city of Bavaria, Munich. I lived with my host Mum, Isabella, host Dad, Dag and a sister, Josi. I loved every minute spent with them, although there were days when I was very homesick, there’s no doubt about it!

I went to school at Max-Born Gymnasium, located in Germering, which was about 20 minutes from my home in Gilching. The German school atmosphere and language, of course, was still very new to me. The students and teachers were very welcoming and diverse, I had never met so many people with different backgrounds in just one place! On the first day of school, I was nervous just like any other foreign exchange student. I didn’t know anyone, I got lost in the school as it was huge, and it was hard for me to understand the German language, but it was something easily overcome with time. I loved answering questions about my home, school, friends and family back in Australia. I’d often get asked, ‘Have you seen a kangaroo before?’ and ‘Why is your English accent so different?’ I had the chance to take the following classes at school: German, English, History, Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Swimming and more. I quickly made friends with the other students and two other Australian exchange students attending my school at that time.

During my exchange program I made a lot of friends and met so many people from places like Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, Brazil, America and even Australia! On many occasions, we all got together in cities throughout Germany and other surrounding countries. Everyone was warm, open and never hesitant in giving hugs. We formed a bond straight away because we were all going through similar experiences as exchange students, so we talked about the differences at our host homes, school and our home countries. I learned so many things about other cultures, and even got to share my own. I baked Pavlova, Lamingtons and other dishes and desserts that come from Australia, for my host family and friends. There was never a dull moment with any of them, and they were always there for me, helping me through the adjustments I had to make, such as school and learning the German language. I will forever remember all the fun times we had together!

I had the opportunity to visit different countries surrounding Germany with my host family, friends and exchange organisation. Some countries I visited included Austria, The Netherlands, France and Germany of course. One of my favourite places to visit in Germany was Freiburg, to see Valerie, an exchange student from Germany that my family hosted last year. I loved meeting her family and friends and seeing places she had talked about when she was on exchange in Australia. Valerie and I travelled around Freiburg, situated in the heart of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany. We went hiking in the Black Forest, visited cathedrals and walked the old medieval streets. Another city I loved visiting was Amsterdam, in The Netherlands. There, I met my American, Italian and Serbian friends. We visited the famous Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank house and cruised on the Amsterdam Canal.

It was originally planned that I stay in Germany for 10 months, as an exchange student. However, during March I received a message that I would be leaving the country the very next day, due to COVID-19. Still, being away for 8 months and living with a different family has taught me a lot. I have grown and my perspective has changed in ways I never would have imagined. I can now say that I am independent, appreciate my family and friends a whole lot more, open to new ideas, bilingual and more confident in myself. Having my own adventure, completely immersed in a new culture and language, has proven to me that anything is possible and that I can do anything. It was the best time of my life. I will always remember that deciding to go out and discover what the world has to offer was life-changing and will be something I will always cherish.

Written by Bree Lambert