An unforgettable journey

Octavia Tsibes
Alina Niipare

I participated in the 2017/2018 exchange programme and my time in Germany was amazing. I learned about different cultures and how to communicate in a different environment I also learned how to be more independent without the help of my parents and friends.

We landed in Germany on 6 February. We stayed at the youth hostel for the night. The following day we had breakfast and we had a meeting about our stay and what to expect. Later we went to the train station and while we were there, we all went to Starbucks and went our separate towns and cities.

My host family got me at the train station in Mannheim and then we went home. That Saturday, Marleen (my exchange student) and I went to a party. Sunday, we had a day to rest for school the next day.

At school on Monday, I introduced myself to the rest of the school and I got used to my environment. The following weekend, Marleen and I stayed with her cousin in Cologne. We went to the Cologne dome and to different Christmas markets for a once in a life time experience.

The following week on Tuesday, we went to Strasbourg, where we stayed for the day and we also went to the Council of Europe. Our journey continued that weekend to Saarland whereby I met Marleen’s grandmother.

At the end of my exchange we all met up at the airport and checked in. I had to take an airbus to get from terminal one to terminal two which was quite a fun and scary experience. The challenge however, was arriving to the different terminals. After checking in, we went to Starbucks to get our last cup of coffee and we flew in the night and landed early Monday morning.

My host family really went out of their way to take me to different places and I am very thankful. My exchange family and I became very close during those six weeks. I enjoyed the food, people and the whole experience. Thank you AGDS for giving me the opportunity to go and have all these experiences.

* My name is Alina Niipare, I attend school at St Paul’s College. I am currently in Grade 11. My interests include reading, playing soccer and doing community service.