John Whitaker: German Exchange

On June 18th, I, along with four others, left Nashville on our long-awaited exchange. After arriving in Frankfurt on an early Sunday morning, I was greeted by Til and Frau Hagendorn holding a "Willkommen, John" sign. I was asked immediately, if I wished to speak partly German or only German. I chose the latter; then, I received multiple indiscernible questions, which Til understood went over my head. Although I had been learning German for three years and found much success in the language, I hadn't learned in a German setting, that slightly increased the intensity and reality of each confrontation. Instead of a light-hearted conversation in another language, my German vanity suddenly became tested by the mundane interactions between my expectations and myself. After absorbing the Germans rays and reviewing verbs, Til took me to Eltville and the gardens, there. It was like a European Cheekwood set against rolling hills of vineyards beside the Rhein. It was an enjoyable way to get acclimated to Germany.

That Monday was my first normal school day. Except for several days, I would follow the same schedule for the following three weeks. I woke up around 7 am, eat a light breakfast of Muesli or cold cuts, and rode to school with Til and his neighbor. At school for three periods to start the day, we had German, which helped to readjust to the language everyday. Then, I would shadow Til in any other class similar to ones at MBA. In the middle of the day we had lunch followed by more classes. They don't have organized athletics after school, so we would have PE once a week. Til, however, remained very active, so we went to the gym or played soccer a lot afterwards.

We went to Heidelberg that Wednesday and saw the castle, there overlooking the city.

The next day we went to Mainz and saw the Gutenberg Museum, where the original printing press is, and we saw the Mainzer Dom, a huge cathedral built in the Dark Ages.

On the first Saturday, Til took me to Frankfurt. We walked around the city and saw the remains of the traditional area being encroached by the new commercialism and business capital of Germany.

The next Wednesday, Til and I were back with his art class to see the art museum. There were works by Picasso and Rembrandt as well as a Warhol piece of Goethe, the Frankfurter philosopher and poet.

The next two weeks were unique. I don't know, if I'll be able to live with students like me and converse with them ever again. I forged great friendships and still keep in touch. I miss the students and the Hagendorn family. Even though they're thousands of miles away and live in a separated culture, we share the same understanding of each other's differences and appreciate them. Through this common bond, I've realized we're not all too different. In these same moments, I've learned more about myself and what it means to be American as well as German.

After Wiesbaden, our next adventure began in Munich. We saw the BMW Museum, Olympic Park, English Garden, and Dachau. Dachau was trip in itself into the horror of the concentration camps and Nazi Germany. To consider that this happened only 70 years ago is chilling yet preposterous. What happened to the Jews was literal hell. However, the Germany now is another universe compared to their recent past. This dark history has likely given their country nightmares, which they're still quietly trying to forget. The growing youth and death of the wartime generation has helped them stray from this cursed image, though. Witnessing the current Germany made me to realize, that it's a misunderstood place.

BMW World

Munich Olympic Park

Isar River

Dochau

Jewish Memorial

We arrived in Vienna by train on July 12th. For the next couple of days we saw many of the churches, government buildings, and monuments in Vienna. We visited the Parliament building, Prater fairgrounds, Danube River, and a park to play soccer all in one day, before eating traditional Wiener Schnitzel. We saw the Schönbrunn castle, where Franz Josef lived. We climbed up the Stefansdom tower, once the largest building in Vienna and went to the famous Leopold art museum. Vienna was a very regal city. There were countless museums and historical buildings, for they have been a center of cultural importance for centuries.

1st Article of the Rights of the People

Vienna

Schönbrunn

I want to thank Mr. Paolicchi for organizing our exchange. I'm also grateful for Herr Dougherty. For three years now, he's continued to teach me about the German language and culture, while furthering my passion and aptitude for it. However, if it were not for the Wilson family, I wouldn't have had the opportunity for such an experience. I'll carry this memory and gratitude forever.