Essay

BEING A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT IN THE UNITED STATES

What is being an exchange student?
- It's happiness, friendships, freedom, excitement, peace, tolerance, mystery, love, learning, improvement, smiles, pictures, hugs, tears, heartbeats, knowledge, memories … it's life.

I still remember that one day last summer – July 27th - when I was sitting in the hotel, starving, but after eating just a piece of bread and half of an egg, I felt so sick. I thought I wouldn't feel better until I got to the airport. So, my dad and I went an hour before we actually wanted to leave for the airport in Frankfurt/Main. I met another exchange student who was going to live in Meridian and we spent the remaining hours together until the plane was ready to board.

While I was boarding, I felt as nervous as I have never felt before: On the one hand I knew that I was going to do the RIGHT thing, but on the other hand, I thought I wasn't really sure what I was doing when I approved the invitation to do an exchange year from ISKA. I went to my place and I was sitting down and just looking out of the window. After a while, two Baseball guys were coming and sat down next to me. The plane was starting and I opened my farewell book from my friends. I hadn't looked in it before I left, and now while I was sitting in the plane about to leave, I was reading it. It didn't take me long (actually I just read the first entry) and I cried. Those boys were asking me what was wrong with me and I told them what I was going to do. They were kind of impressed and they told me that they could never do something like that. I felt somewhat proud of myself and I felt stronger and now I knew that I really was doing the RIGHT thing - at least for that moment. I felt so excited about seeing my host family, stepping into "my" room for the first time and about experiencing everything. I was listening to music that even cheered me up more.

After 13 hours in a plane and changing planes in Atlanta, GA, I was half asleep but still excited, to see my host family - the people I would live with for the next 316 days. It was similar to meeting my people that I had just seen on TV. I just had seen pictures of them that my host mom had sent to me, but it was still "weird." They hugged me and we got in the car and drove to "my" new home. I felt so extremely tired and I had the feeling that I had not learned English for the last 6 years at all. I pretty much understood most of the stuff that my host mom was telling me, but I didn't really say anything because I didn't know what to say and the things I knew I couldn't translate from German into English. As soon as we got home Jenna, my host sister, showed me her room, which was going to be my room. I was so surprised, because I didn't expect a room like that. I loved my room right from beginning. I even had my own little bathroom and a wonderful bed that I wanted to sleep in so badly. Some friends of Carrie Anne and Jenna were at "home" and they ordered pizza and I just sat on the couch. I still didn't know what to say and what to talk about, and all those other people were talking and I had a lot of trouble following them and trying to understand the things they were talking about.

During the next weeks before school started, I still had the same problems - I didn't understand most of the stuff, that they were saying, and if I didn't understand a question, I just said "yes" or "yeaaah" and smiled.

Another thing that I was scared about at the beginning was going to school – going to a high school in the United States. I was hoping that it was going to be like I had always seen in these movies. I tried to find out as much as I could about Tupelo High School, and when I found out that I was going to a high school with 14 buildings and about 2500 students, I was scared. I dreamed about getting lost at school and always being late for my classes, because I couldn't find the class rooms. I didn't know if I would really learn anything, because I would be learning in English for a whole school year. I was scared about failing all my classes, because I didn't understand a word that the teacher was saying, and that's how it was during my first week. I didn't understand my "country-speaking" teachers. Well, but all those other nightmares that I had, didn't happen.

The weeks, when I was just saying "yes", smiling, and not understanding anything, passed by and my English got better and better. Now, I understood people and I could make friends better and better and I talked more and more.

After a couple of months, I understood pretty much everything, and I thought that school was a lot easier than school in Germany. School was easier, but we had a lot of more homework than we had in Germany. I even had days when I spent 2 hours on doing homework. I just wasn't used to that much homework and having the same classes every day.

Another great experience that I had was being a cheerleader on Tupelo's squad. A friend told me that the cheerleading try-outs had been in April and that I had missed them. I was really disappointed because I wanted to practice with all those cheerleaders so badly and now I had missed the tryouts, because I had been in Germany. That was terrible. Well, I talked to my counselor and she told me that I should ask the cheerleading coach. And naïve as I was, I walked to her on the same day, and told her "my story." Honestly, I expected a "No, sweety I'm sorry. We can't let you get on the team, if you didn't pass the try-outs." But that's not what she said – Mrs. Rowe said, "Yes," and she told me that I should come to the next practice.

My first cheerleading practice was so much fun. I'll never forget it. One of the girls told me a little bit about everybody, and then after that I was trying to do some toe touches. Some other girls taught me the cheers that I would have to know for the football games. I didn't take too long and Mrs. Rowe came to me and said that I'll be in the pep rally the next day. Wow! I asked if she was sure, because I didn't feel ready at all and she said, "Yes." I got my uniform that same day and I was so excited about the pep rally, but not as excited as about my first football game, which was going to be on the same day. All my teachers said that I did great during the pep rally. But the real "test," if I knew all the moves and words to the cheers that I learned, was at night. I felt so stupid when they were starting to do a cheer that I never had heard about before and I was trying to do the same moves that they did. I went to competitions with all of them and I even went to the State Championships in Jackson, MS with them and I won with them. I remember when Mrs. Rowe said "What are you gonna tell your friends in Germany – that you won State?!?"

I really enjoyed the time being a cheerleader on a fun and awesome squad.

I have also had the opportunity to go to a lot of places in the United States during my exchange year. I didn't expect at all going up north while I am here, but I did. Some Marketing students, Mrs. Angie Davis and I went to the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN in January. I saw a whole new part of America – people that were talking kind of "weird" (I must have gotten used to that Southern accent) and winter weather that was as cold as in my home country.

Other German exchange students and I went to Disneyworld in Orlando, FL in February. One could actually hear where all the exchange students were spending the exchange year: Just three of us were saying "ya'll." One of our chaperones even asked me if I'm doing an exchange year in the South because I was asking her for catfish when she offered me hushpuppies.

On my last trip, I went to San Francisco, CA. San Francisco actually reminded me a little bit of my home town in Germany. I saw all these famous sights, like Golden Gate Bridge, Redwood Trees in the Red Muir Park, and Chinatown, that I just saw in my English Book or on TV. I even rode in a cable car. I had so much fun in San Francisco.

My (host) family and I have been to Hattiesburg, Memphis, and Nashville together and I enjoyed those trips as well!

I ought to say, that I never really felt home sick, but that doesn't mean that I didn't miss my country, my family, and my friends. I guess, I just have been too busy to be homesick. I was one of those lucky exchange students that got placed in a really great family the first time. I have enjoyed my time here since the very first day.

All in all, I have to say that this exchange year has been such a blessing in my life; there is not even one day I don't feel grateful for having had that great opportunity. I am a totally different person now, just better. I sometimes surprise myself and remember how I used to be before I got on that plane on the way to Mississippi. Everything changed then…my personality, my knowledge, my way to see life and the world…Just like one of my friends once said: "The world is smaller now"…This is so true!

Being away from home made me a more open-minded, respectful, independent, confident, mature and happy person. Maybe this is something that could be obtained while living in one's own country, but the experience is just not the same. I feel all exchange students speak the same language: The language of feeling the luckiest person in the world for having the best experience in life. When it is time to go back home, hugs, tears and smiles seem endless. There are still the many phone numbers, e-mails and addresses, and now it's the time to travel and visit each other. But even if we cannot see each other again, our many sweet memories and the positive changes in our lives will always remain in our hearts.


Last but not least – I really have to thank a lot of people.

Thank you to my two families – my (German) family for making my exchange year happen, for helping and supporting me in every minute and also for paying for half of it – and my (American) family for hosting me, for being such a fantastic second family, and for taking me places. Thank you for everything. I love ya'll.

Thank you to ISKA, ICES and my area representative Mrs. Karen Allen.

Thank you to Mr. Mac Curlee, the counselors, and Tupelo High School for letting me attend. It has been such a great experience!

Thank you to my teachers for giving me advice and just supporting and helping me when I didn't understand it the first time you explained something.

Thank you to Mrs. Monica Rowe and the Tupelo High School Cheerleaders.

Thank you to all my friends. It has been so much fun to go to parties with you, to hang out, to do nothing, and just talk to ya'll. It was just the sweetest thing how ya'll accepted me. I'm sorry that I can't name everybody of you, but it would take me forever.

Jenny Leipert,

ISKA Exchange Student 06/07

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Today …
Today is one of those days having a great time with friends,
listening to my professor and learning a lot from her,
walking by myself
and realizing how lucky I am,
taking millions of pictures to capture the
unique moments,
having that wonderful conversation with a true friend,
sharing tons of smiles with friends and strangers,
talking to a friend
and trying to make her feel better,
hugging that special someone who made my
life happier,
crying tears of sadness but happiness at the same time,
saying good-bye to my friends with no words but just looks…
Today is one
of those days I am dreaming I am still an exchange student,
Today is one of
those days I wish those days returned… 

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