In the summer of my sophomore year in high school, I did an exchange program to Magdeburg, Germany.
It was one of the best experiences of my life. When I showed my mom the sheet of paper with information about the trip, I never thought she would say yes.
She did.
With this yes, I got opportunities such as meeting Magdeburg’s mayor and meeting an Olympic athlete.
I now also have many friends over there. Along with my host sister, I met all her friends and other exchange students.
This trip had so many stories I love to tell over and over. In Berlin, my friend and I nearly got lost in search of ice-cream, I got to throw a javelin, and I got to see the Harz Mountains.
I did a project over those same mountains that school year. It was so cool to see something I studied in real life.
If you have the chance to do an exchange program, I would highly advise doing so. You get so much experience and memories. My German improved significantly after summer I had so much inspiration to continue the language in college.
I still talk about that trip today, I used it for my college admission essays, and it is a great conversation starter.
I went to Germany with the program Sister Cities of Nashville. They are such a great program that helps people travel to foreign countries. They plan out everything and have other places to go to than just Germany. If you get the chance to travel abroad, do it.