This October, you might’ve heard about the 18 German exchange students and 2 German teachers visiting our school from Meissen (Meißen), Germany. Before they left, we asked them to write about their favorite experiences from their time here. Timpview and Gymnasium Franziskaneum Meißen have been sister schools for almost 25 years, meaning Timpview sends our German students to go to school at Gymnasium Franziskaneum Meißen, and they send their students to Timpview. This year, the Germans first visited Chicago, then came to Provo on October 5th and left Provo on the 16th, going to Bryce and Zion national parks with some of Timpview’s German students, then visiting San Francisco before flying back to Germany.
These are the favorite moments the German students shared:
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When I first visited Timpview High School, I found everything very interesting. I really enjoyed the school tour because I was shocked at how big it was and how many things there were that we don’t have in Germany. I was particularly impressed by how open and friendly all the students were. This made it easy to become friends. Another great experience for me was being able to watch Quincy’s cheerleading practice. She showed us different things, which I found very impressive.
Thessa Winkler, 16 years old
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Yesterday, Hanna, Toni, and I spent the afternoon at City Creek Center in Salt Lake City. We walked through a bunch of stores, checked out some cool stuff, and, honestly, spent way more money than we planned to.
After shopping, we went to the Food Hall to grab something to eat. It was nice to just sit down, talk, and people-watch for a while.
When we were done, we headed back to the car. Toni’s host mom had driven us there, so she picked us up again. The whole day was really fun, and even though our wallets are a little lighter now, it was totally worth it.
Lilli, 17 years old
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My most memorable experience in Provo was the opportunity to attend your practical classes. It was really nice to take a look in your practical classes, seeing the practical learning that takes place here.
My journey began in the culinary arts lab. With the help of the students, I learned how to cook a tortilla de patatas. As our second recipe assignment of the class, we were tasked with making meringues, which I think came out really good.
Later, I traded the kitchen for the car workshop. I think it was pretty cool being able to join the classes, and see that the students at Timpview are able to learn those practical things. It was incredible to see how the students worked on their engines and applied their knowledge, and how they mostly worked on their own.
Carolina, 17 years old
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The basketball game was definitely the greatest activity I did with my American host family. I went with my exchange partner, his brother and his dad to a pre-season game of the Utah Jazz. The atmosphere was so good, even between game times, they had enough other entertainment. It was so fun and interesting to see an American basketball game, because of all this entertainment and the atmosphere.
Luca Philipp, 16 years old
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When we arrived in Chicago the smell of the subway nearly kicked us out of our socks. It was disgusting.
But as soon as we left the station and made our way with our suitcases to the surface, it was like entering a new world.
From the quiet smelly subway, we stepped right into the vivid city-life of Chicago.
Many people, gigantic buildings, so many stores and restaurants.
It felt like I’d been pulled right into a movie.
I have never experienced so many new impressions at once.
Sina Eichler, 18 years old
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During my exchange in the U.S., I had a great time with my host and her friend painting a big poster to ask a boy to the school dance. It’s a special dance where the girls ask the boys—something we don’t have in Germany!
After we finished, we secretly put the banner in front of his door, rang the bell, and ran away laughing. It was so exciting and really fun! I think it’s a great tradition, a lot of work, but it makes everything much more personal and creative. I wish we had something like that in Germany!
Ilka Metzig, 17 years old
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My favorite memory from the exchange so far is our trip to Chicago, where we landed at the Airport in America and stayed for around 2.5 days. As there are no comparable cities in Germany, everything was kinda overwhelming at the beginning, especially the huge amount of people. But I could experience many new and enriching things such as trying new foods—for example the typical deep-dish Pizza—visiting new places like the Willis Tower, and talking to new and different people.
I also enjoyed our time here in Utah very much. Staying with our host families and witnessing the highschool-life was a great opportunity as well. I feel like being exposed to the english language at all times helps me with using and understanding it immensely.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to be here and all the people I met on this way!
Charlotte, 17 years old
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One experience I’m especially grateful about was the opportunity to take various courses that we don’t have at our German school. The chance to visit a cooking class or a car-shop are some of the fondest memories I brought back from the USA to Germany. I was delighted to see how willingly the students at Timpview High School included us in their lessons and how much fun they had talking with us, just as we had talking with them. I especially liked that many of the classes are practical. This gives students the opportunity to choose the area in which they can shine the most, especially if they aren’t exactly the best in school.
Hanna Jänsch, 18 years old
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My favourite experience during my time was painting pumpkins. One evening me and my host family went to a park where a lot of kids and students met together to paint pumpkins. It was organised by Church. There were also a lot of snacks like cookies. After everybody finished, people with the most scariest, funniest, most creative, etc. pumpkins won prizes just like a competition. It was so fun for me, because I’ve never done it before in Germany.
Benedikt Kahleyss, 16 years old
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One of the highlights of this exchange was, for sure, the trip to Chicago. It was the first time I had ever seen a city this big and the view from Willis Tower was stunning. I especially enjoyed the free time we got to spend on our own. Ironically, the most fun I’ve had on this trip was outside the planned activities, spending time with my host family and friends and experiencing all the different attractions nearby. Don’t get me wrong, the school was incredible. It’s unexpectedly big and offers so much more than our school does and it feels much more like a community and not like a place you’re forced to be in. It’s safe to say that I’m extremely jealous of the school system and most of the stuff in America and I’m extremely happy that I participated in this exchange.
Toni, 17 years old
