NHS Students plan to visit Germany through their language class. A few students hosted a German exchange student earlier in the year and now this summer, they will be visiting Germany and staying with their student.
Junior Tess Bigham said when she heard the school was organizing a trip to Germany and an exchange with German students. She thought it would be a great experience to witness the lifestyle in another country. While they are in Germany, they will be doing a lot of sightseeing, and traveling to different cities, and some students are even going to a music festival called Hurricane.
“We are also going to be staying with host families for two weeks and while we are with them we will be going to their school,” said Bigham.
This group of students will be away for about a month. The first week they will be traveling around the country, and then for the next two weeks, they will be with their host families. The last week they will continue to travel around Germany. They have a few layovers but not any site stops on the way.
“We are leaving on the 3rd of June and I believe we are coming back the 1st of July,” said Bigham.
Bigham texts her exchange student every once in a while about random things and their plans for when she stays with her. In Germany, she is most excited to sightsee and travel to the other cities and towns nearby. She will be traveling with the selected students who hosted a German exchange student.
“I have a few friends [of mine] who are also going [to Germany with me],” said Bigham.
Junior Margaret Oswald will also be visiting Germany this summer to visit the German students she hosted earlier in the fall. She has been enrolled in German for the last three years and she wants to have the experience of visiting Germany. When she had the opportunity to visit she was ready to follow through.
“In order to better immerse myself in the language traveling to Germany is a great experience,” Oswald said.
While they will be visiting multiple cities, Oswald is most excited to go to Berlin because she has yet to experience it in person. She will be staying with their host family for two weeks and then will be able to independently travel for a little more than one week.
“I will be staying for almost two months, but my classmates will be [in Germany] from June 3rd to June 31st,” said Oswald.
Oswald will come back to Kansas on July 18th because she is staying in Italy after the German trip.
“Similar to Germany I love to take any opportunity available to travel. When Lily [ offered that I come along with her for a trip to Italy I was very open to that idea. I have never been to Italy, so I wanted to experience a new country in Europe,” said Oswald.
Oswald has made sure she was in contact with a few of the German students that were at the high school, but with the very different time zones, it is difficult for them to have conversations.
“Both of us have very busy lives, and there are many things that cause a disconnect. I do enjoy getting to talk with the students whenever possible,” said Oswald.
Oswald is very excited about the food they have in Germany. They have a lot of different things that are not found in America and she wants to experience that. She wants to learn new things and because she will be in Europe for a good amount of time, she will be able to learn a lot.
“Everyone going on the trip are some of my closest friends. I am very excited for the group we have going, and I think we will make the best of every situation,” Oswald said.
