26.09.15: Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and Final Goodbyes

Hey guys,

it's been while since I posted something. I've actually been back in Germany already for about two months now. In my last few days in the US I didn't really have time to post something and when I came back home I wasn't sure if I should keep on writing now that I am in Germany again. But when I looked through my old posts I realized that I atleast should write one more post just to have a nice finish.

So on the last weekend before I left California my hostfamily and I went on a trip. First we went to the Grand Canyon. It was a whole day carride and because we mostly drove through desert it was really boring. We spend the night in a hotel and the next day we went to see the Grand Canyon. When I first saw it, I was mesmerized by the view. The Grand Canyon is so huge I can't even described it. Unfortunately we've only been there for 10 minutes when it started raining. As if this wasn't enough a few minutes later it even started hailing, not small hailstones, no really big ones. They really did hurt. So we ran back to the car totally soaked and waited there. About 15 minutes later it stopped and the sun came out, so Ahnwyn and I went back and took some pictures.

After that we drove to Las Vegas. On our way there we made a stop at the hoover dam. We didn't stay there for long because it was really hot.
We stayed in Las Vegas for 2 nights. Our hotel was huge. The hotel even had a rollercoaster. Inside it looked like an own little city. Many restaurants, stores and bars were in there. No matter where you wanted to go you had to walk through the main hall where the casino was. One night we went to a show which Adam and his friend really wanted to see.

After that we met Barb and her family who were staying in Las Vegas the same weekend. It was nice to see Barb again but it was so hard to say goodbye for a second time.
When we came back home from our trip I only had a few days left before I had to go back to Germany. So I spent most of the time with friends and my hostfamily.
And then the day came that I had to leave. I can't really explain how I felt that day. On the car ride to the airport I felt so sick. "Fortunately" we were late as usual so we didn't have much time to say goodbye. That was good because I think a long goodbye would have made it so much harder. It didn't really sink in that this was goodbye until I landed in New York where I was staying for a week with my mom. When I saw my mom on the airport it just made it so real that my exchange year is over and that I might not going to see my hostfamily in a very long time. Even though I was really sad my mom and I had an amazing time in New York. It is a beautiful city. 

Now it's been about two months since I've left the US. I am still getting adjusted to my old life. It is not easy and there are many days where I just want to be back in Lancaster. But even though I was put in more difficult situations than ever in my life before, I don't regret it any minute that I went on this exchange. It might not always have been perfect but looking back at it in the end it was one of the best years of my life so far. 

02.06.15. Graduation & Goodbyes

Hey guys,
The last week was a rollercoaster of emotions. It was my last week in High School and I had to say goodbye to a lot of people without knowing when or if I am going to see them again. It was really sad but I don't think that I really realized it yet that it's never going to be like this again. I mean I am never going to have to run the mile in first period again (which is acually something good), I am never going to meet my friends during nutrition and lunch again, I am never going to hear Coach Johnson trying to speak german again and so many other things that I am never going to do again.

On Thursday was graduation. It was outside on the football field but even though it was in the evening it was really hot. The Seniors were wearing the typical cap and gown. It was so windy that they had to hold their caps the whole time so it won't fly away. A lot of people held speeches and then at the end the Seniors were  given their diplomas. 


On Sunday Barbs parents and brother came to pick her up. They left on Monday morning. It was hard to say goodbye to Barb. I just have gotten so used to sharing a room with her and her crazy personality.  Without her here it doesn't feel the same and half of our room is empty now. It is crazy how people you didn't even know a year ago can become such an important part of your life.

After Barb left Max and Liz picked me up and we went to LA. We had a lot of fun. When they brought me home in the evening I had to say goodbye to them too because they are leaving on Wednesday. 
I still have a little bit more than a week left here. So I am trying to do as much as possible before I have to leave.

Leo

17.05.15: Prom & Universal Studios

Hey guys,
Even though Prom was almost a month ago I decided to write a short post about it.
Prom was on a Saturday so in the morning Barb and I got our hair done and got ready. Before I went to Max and Liz, because I was going to Prom with them, we took pictures in front of our house. When I got to Max and Liz´ house they haven't even started to get ready yet. So they were really stressed out. When they were done we took even more picutres. Liz' date was picking as up from their house. We were late and already on our way when they realized that they had forgotten the flowers and that Max had forgotten her ticket. So we went back. Fortunately we got there in time because they didn't let anyone in after seven. Prom was in a Golf Course. Because our school is pretty small it was in a kind of small room but the room was really pretty. The one side was all just windows through which you could see the Golf Course, a small waterfall and a pavilion. In the beginning I wasn't sure if it's not going to be boring because we weren't allowed to leave until it was over and it was five hours long but it actually was fun. There was a camera team which took a video of the whole evening.  I don't think that it turned out well but it's a nice memory of the evening. Unfortunately it's to big so I can't upload it.

This Friday was the Senior Trip. Even though we're not Seniors the exchange students were allowed to go. So in the morning we all drove with the yellow school bus to LA to the Universal Studios. I don't think that those buses are actually safe. It was raining a little when we got there which was actually good because there weren't many people in the park. I personally liked the Universal Studios more than Disneyland. Universal Studios doesn't have as many rides as Disneyland but they are way better. I had a lot of fun and the day went by so fast.

I only have two more weeks of school left which feels kind of strange. Barb, Max and Liz are going to leave a few days after that. I honestly don't know if I should feel happy that I am going to see my friends and family soon or sad that I have to leave. I am just going to try to enjoy my last few weeks here.

Bye
Leo

09.05.15: Fakten & Unterschiede

Hey guys,
I actually wanted to wait to write until I get the pictures from Prom before I write a new Post but after three weeks I still haven't gotten them so I decided to post somthing that I have been working on for the last eight months. I started this list of facts already in the beginning of my exchange year and added new facts once in while. So in the first few are in german and the later once in english. This is all just what I have experienced so it might be different in other places of the US.

Ein paar Fakten:

• jeden Tag in der zweiten Stunde gibt es eine Durchsage und alle Schüler stehen auf in Richtung von der Amerikanischen Flagge (die in jedem Klassenzimmer hängt) und sprechen mit der Hand auf dem Herz die Pledge of Allegiance. Wir Austauschschüler müssen sie nicht mitsprechen aber ich kann sie trotzdem langsam schon auswendig:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and the republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

• Die Kurse sind gemischt, das heißt es ist normal wenn Freshmen ( 9-Klässler) und Seniors (12-Klässler) im selben Kurs sind

• Es gibt in fast keinem der Klassenzimmern Fenster, und wenn sind sie abgedunkelt.

• jede Aufgabe oder Hausaufgabe wird eingesammelt und benotet

• es gibt keine mündlichen Noten, deshalb macht kaum ein Schüler im Unterricht mit und wenn melden sie sich nicht sondern rufen einfach nur rein.

• Die Lehrer haben jeder ein eigenes Klassenzimmer, das sie selbst gestalten mit Bildern ihrer Familie oder Postern von ihren lieblings Footballmanschaften. Außerdem hat fast jeder Lehrer einen Kühlschrank und eine Mikrowelle in seinem Klassenzimmer. Mein Biolink Lehrer isst als Erdnussbutter mit einem Löffel aus einem riesigen Erdnussbutterglas, während dem Unterricht.

• Es gibt hier nur Einzeltische an die ein Stuhl von der einen Seite mit einer Metallstange befestigt ist. Das heißt man kann sich nur von der einen Seite auf den Stuhl setzten oder man muss über die Stange klettern, was echt bescheuert aussieht(Ist mir am Anfang immer passiert).
• Manche Lehrer lassen während dem Unterricht Musik laufen. Mein Algebra Lehrer zum Beispiel hört manchmal Schottischemusik oder Musik von Harry Potter und Herr der Ringe. Letztes mal als wir einen Test geschrieben haben hat er im ernst Star Wars Musik laufen lassen.  

• Während der Mittagspause gehen viele Schüler zu Starbucks, McDonalds, Subway, TacoBell oder andere Fasfood Restaurants in der Nähe
• Wenn sich ein Schüler die Nase putzen will muss er aus dem Klassenzimmer da es 'unhöflich' ist. Dagegen ist es normal laut zu rülpsen. Vorallem die Mädchen in meiner Schule machen das oft.

• Die meisten Amerikaner gehen so gut wie jeden Tag essen oder gehen zu Starbucks

• Starbucks gibt es in jedem noch so kleinen Ort

•  Wenn man in einem Restaurant essen geht, ist es normal das was übrig geblieben ist einpacken zu lassen und mit nach Hause zu nehmen

•  Wenn kaum noch etwas im Glas ist bekommt man es umsonst wieder aufgefüllt oder ein neues Glas, ohne zu fragen

•  Man bekommt jedes Mal einen Strohhalm zu seinem Trinken, sogar in fancy Restaurants

•  Obst und Gemüse ist hier sehr teuer,

• Es gibt hier Süßigkeiten mit jedem Geschmack, von Erdnussbutteroreos bis zu Kaugummis mit Bacon Geschmack

•  Man kauft hier Milch und Apfelsaft in riesigen Kanistern (ca. 4 Liter)

• Fast alle Teenager hier essen die ganze Zeit Cheetos. Das sind Chipssticks die meiner Meinung nach nach nichts schmecken, aber unglaublich scharf sind.

• Chocolate: The american chocolate is just awful, especially the dark one.

•  Reeces: Reeces are one of my favorite american candys. It's a chocolate „cup“ filled with peanut butter.

• Many kids are being homeschool by their parents and don't go to school. My friend Bella for example was homeschooled her whole life and just came to school for her last year.

• Americans love dogs. I haven't met a family which doesn't have a dog yet. And they don't just have one or two dogs, no most of them have 2-5 dogs. I am not kidding.

• Even though they have a speedlimit on the highway, I am sometimes really scared by the american driving. While in Germany you're only allowed to pass another car on the left side, American pass also on the right side. And the slowest car doesn't drive on the right line. They are just driving wherever they want.(But i is only allowed in certain states)

• At least half of the cars you see on the streets are Trucks. It's just sometimes really strange when I see some of my classmates that are maybe 16 driving these huge Trucks. (It's normal for 16 years old to own a car)

• When we go shopping, shopping carts are all over the parking lot. When people are done grocerie shopping, most of them just let their shopping carts stand in the parking lot.

• American eat a lot of sweet potatoes instead of normal potatoes, to almost every dish.

• Americans here in California love avocados, epecially on burgers.

• Almost every one has Netflix.

• In every restaurant are at least two televisions, showing baseball, football or basketball games

• When you order water in 99% of the restaurants you will get awful tasting tap water.

• You can't really choose where you want to go to school to. In the district where you are living in you have to go to school to. 
• If you want to go to the restroom or out of your classroom you need a pass because there are Security guys walking over the campus taking you back to your class or 'in house'(somehing like detention) if you don't have one.

Here a few pictures when Solveig and I went to the Getty Museum in LA. It's an Art Gallery on a hill right before Downown LA. Because it is so high up it has an amazing view over LA.

Leo

19.04.15: San Diego & Disneyland

Hey guys,
First of all I want to apologize for my not really creative headings.
I think in the last post I forgot to tell that Solveigs exchange student Marleen from five years ago is here for three weeks visiting. She is from the Netherlands.

Last weekend we went to San Diego for two days. San Diego is really pretty. It is so green there and so many different kind of flowers are growing there. Solveig told us that when she lived down in San Diego a few years ago it was even more colorful but because of the drought it has become so brown and dry. It's really sad. Even though I only have lived here for about 7 months I noticed how much the drought has affected life here in California. People aren't allowed to water their garden with more than a certain amount of water. A lot of people moved away. There are a lot of ghost towns here in the desert. And compared to a few years ago there aren't so many animals living here anymore.






 But now back to San Diego. The city had a little bit of an european or mexican flair. Unfortunately we didn't see much from it because we spent most of the time in the mall.
The next day we went to Carlsbad, a town on the coast. It was really pretty there but you could see that it was mostly a town for tourists.

Two days ago we went to Disneyland. It was really nice to go there but I wouldn't pay so much again for it. It really mostly is for little children. It's similar to the Europa Park but the Rollercoasters in Disneyland were really boring compared to it. But it still was a lot of fun.

Leo

08.04.15: Death Valley

Hey guys,
The last two weeks we went to L.A. a few times to see Hollywood, the walk of fame and Beverly Hills.
Beverly Hills is just crazy. The houses there are so huge and unique. Some even look like castles with towers.

 

Last week Thursday was the last day of school before spring break. In the evening I was invited to a birthday party. On the next day we left to the Death Valley National Park early in the morning to go camping. Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California which is with 57°C in summer one of the hottest places on earth. The camping place we went to was in the middle of nowhere about three hours from any civilization without service or electricity. When I saw the camping place I was really shocked and thought I was hallucinating. In the middle of the desert was this small oasis with green grassland and some palms which made really nice shade. Because this place was exactly over a hot spring there were hot tubs under the palms. We built our tents in the desert a few minutes from that oasis. On the whole camping place there were only two restrooms one sink, no mirror and one shower for all the campers. Even though there was only desert around us the landscape was really pretty. We were surrounded by huge mountains which just looked gorgeous by sunset and sunrise. It was so quiet there you couldn't even here birds. The only animals there were wild donkeys. In the beginning I hought they were really cute but when they started to eat our food and even our books when we weren't at our tent. They destroyed one of our tables during the night trying to get our coockies. On Sunday it was so really windy. It was so bad that we couldn't even see the mountains anymore because there was so much sand and dust in the air. 
Even though it was a nice experience I was really glad when we went back home on Monday.

I am sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes in my blop posts. It always takes me about an hour to write the text and upload the pictures so most of the time I am to tired to read it again and correct it.

Bye
Leo