We arrived at Washington D.C on January 29th , a really warm day for this season.
We, a group of 5 MBG students, were now in the United States of America.
By the way, we were the guinea pigs of the new exchange program of our school with a high school in Berryville, Virginia. This exchange program has been planned since last February and could now initiate in spite of start troubles.
Directly, after getting off the plane, in which we already had might to affirm neither to want to kill the president nor to carry nuclear explosive, we transferred to a shuttle bus. This bus delivered us to the airport building, where we might to join the queue of those, who wanted to enter with us the “country of unlimited possibilities”.
After approx. an hour of wiggled locomotion we might audition to the immigration officer, where we were bombarded with interesting and sometimes mindless questions, where we might leave our fingerprints and a photo of ourselves and where we were sent to the custom. After this apparently endless procedure we were received heartily by our host families in the arrival hall and could now try our school english during the one hour lasting to Berryville. We now had the Sunday to relax and to get to know better our host families.
On Monday we 5 met again at the Clarke County High School and started our school life with creating our schedule. It was really fascinating, how you could choose your classes, although there were guidelines and required subjects. Afterwards we were sent into real high school life without period of grace and had to take part at once squarely in our classes. After some days we knew our lunch times and could open our lockers without the help of american students. Mostly we 5 met during lunch time, because everyone had chosen other classes and the high school had really many different classes. Thus we mingled more and more with normal school life, had to write the many, more or less difficult tests and 3 of us joined a school team, which was connected with training every afternoon after school. These sports teams had many members and big fan clubs, which came mostly to every play, although you had often to drive a long way bi-directional.
Other high lights in our everyday school life were a false bomb threat of a student, whereas all students had to be evacuated in school buses, a drug tracing and a tornado training, as well as 5 school days, which had to fail unfortunately because of 5 cm fresh-fallen snow.
Our everyday life was also enlarged by trips with our host families, particularly in spring break and some Washington trips together.
So the 2 month of our stay passed quickly and because we had embosom our host families, friends and team students, the goodbye was difficult on the last day alternatively at the airport. So on May 4th we made for our home journey with low priced clothes, sports equipment and proved English and a experience for our live in our baggage. We had a really great time and recommend everybody to make such an exchange or stay in a foreign country.

P.s.: Perhaps you noticed that from June 20th until June 29th not only students from Chicago have been at our school, but also a small group of American students from Virginia; that have been our exchange partners.

Von hinten links nach vorne rechts: Katharina Schuricke, Korbinian Weisser Eva Finkenzeller, Felicitas Ilg und Victoria Pregler