What made you apply for an exchange program?
Way back in 2014, when I was in Year 2, my family went on a ‘big trip’ around Europe – we spent a week in Berlin, and I was hooked (looking back, it was probably the colourful, life-size bear statues we ran into wherever we went). I’ve been taking German lessons ever since. The more I learned about the language and culture, the more I craved to be there, in Germany, surrounded by it all – an exchange seemed like the perfect opportunity for me.
Where in Germany were you living and what places did you get to visit?
My host mum and sister live in a village called Plessa in East Germany – it’s two hours south of Berlin and right near Dresden. Every weekend, we travelled somewhere new. We visited Berlin; Moritzburg, the castle where the German Cinderella film is set; Ahlbeck, a town on the Baltic Coast where my host dad coaches a professional handball team. We were at the opening night of the famous Striezelmarkt Christmas market in Dresden. One weekend, we travelled six hours by bus to a town called Breslau in Poland. And we spent a few days in Prague, where my first plane home took off from. Looking back, I have no idea how we did so much in so little time! I’m so grateful for my host mum’s passion for travel and eagerness for me to explore the region.
What was your day-to-day experience like?
It was the simple, everyday moments that really made my exchange experience special: watching a movie late at night with my host mum, walking to the bus stop with my host sister (in the snow, while it was still dark), taste-testing the pumpkin soup Oma (grandma) had made, teaching my German friends how to make pavlova, going with my host hum to the weekly pilates class she led for the old ladies in the village. School started at 7:30 am, and my school, Elsterschloss Gymnasium, had been converted from an old palace. Breakfast, ‘first lunch,’ and dinner all consisted of salami and cheese on bread rolls (I’m not a kidding) – ‘second lunch,’ which we ate when we got home from school, was the only hot meal.
How did your language studies help prepare you for the experience?
I couldn’t have connected with as many people or had as authentic an experience as I did without my prior knowledge of the language. Right off the bat, I was able to communicate with my host family, make friends and understand what was going on in my classes at school.
What was the most challenging aspect of the exchange program?
The whole time, I was worried that I wasn’t ‘making the most’ of the experience, and struggling with this self-doubt was probably my biggest challenge.
What was the most rewarding or memorable aspect of your exchange experience?
As my confidence using the language grew, I was able to do more – have deeper conversations with people, watch movies and read books in Germany. My big project was reading ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ or ‘Harry Potter und die Heiligtümer des Todes’ from cover to cover!
What would you say to any Merici students contemplating applying for an exchange?
Obviously, I’m biased, but I would really encourage you to take the risk and apply. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a long-term program, like an exchange year, is your only option. Be ready to make mistakes and learn from them – you can’t take yourself too seriously! And above all, you need to appreciate how much it means for a host family to decide to take you in and look after you.
Gabrielle Shoebridge, Year 11
