Philip Scholer, German, 2017

The moment I saw my host brother in Frankfurt, the jet lag vanished, replaced by excitement of reconnecting with him and speaking with him and my host father father in German. That evening my host mother and sister welcomed me and, we, as a family, walked through the woods to dinner at the tennis club.  The next morning I attended the school, The Humboldt School, where I was greeted by a welcoming ninth grade class. Joe, a fellow MBA student, and I introduced ourselves to the teacher, who gave us the class's reading and sat down with us to explain it in German we would understand.  That simple gesture- the teacher's engaging with us in German- made us feel that we had a place in the class. In the afternoon, my host brother and I explored the city of Wiesbaden and found a nice park to sit and interact with his friends.

After school on the second day, Paul, my host brother, and I played doubles with my friends. Playing tennis was a perfect example of how one can learn a language: I learned tennis vocabulary, such as deuce and ad-in, by listening to what the Germans said at each point. After doubles, Paul invited me to his tennis lesson where I received instruction in German in a sport I play at MBA.   

That weekend, my host family took me to visit Strassburg in France. We walked around the "old city" and I talked with my host mother as she explained some German phrases to me. 

On Saturday I attended a Tanzkurse, dance class, with some classmates from the Humboldt School. I learned classic German dances such as the Waltz.

On Sunday, my host family took me to Ruedesheim, a town on the Rhine.

Paul, my host sister and I in Strassburg

My host father and I at Ruedesheim, Rhine River in background

Paul and I at the whine fields in Ruedesheim

The second week: On Monday I attended a Chemistry class and, with instruction from the teacher and help from a classmate, did an experiment in front of the classroom. That afternoon, Barack Obama's Kenyan half-sister spoke at the Humboldt School and we, as exchange students, were invited to listen to her speak. She discussed, in German, poverty in Kenya and solutions to the systemic problems that cause it.

On Wednesday, we took the train to Frankfurt, and we saw many architectural wonders that we had learned about in German class in the Humboldt School earlier that week.

The Theater of Frankfurt. It reads "To the true, beautiful, and good"

Paul and I after the Theater outside the Kurshause

Ms. Obama and I at the Humboldt School

On Sunday, my host family took me to a Ballet of Mid-Summer's Night Dream at the State Theater in Wiesbaden. My favorite part of that night was standing out on the balcony and talking about the show with my host family.

The last week in Wiesbaden: On Monday we visited the townhall. There, a teacher from the Humboldt School showed us the balcony from which JFK spoke to Wiesbaden. That discussion combined my interest in American History and German. That evening my host mother, Paul, and I went to Johannesfest, a carnival, to watch fireworks on the Rhine River.

On Tuesday, The Humboldt School invited us to a Wurstfest, a dinner with sausage, where we celebrated the exchange and ate potato salad and traditional German sausage. 

On Wednesday, I went on a field trip with Paul's science class to a volcano museum. We walked around the forest and took a tour of the museum. I enjoyed learning about volcanoes and doing interactive activities in German.

On Thursday after school, I visited the Kaiser Friedrick Therma, an old Roman Bath House. It was very relaxing and while in the baths I learned about the Roman's influence on Wiesbaden and German culture. In the evening I visited a book store and observed what books the Germans teenagers enjoyed reading.

The English Gardens in Munich

Friday was the last day and Paul's 16th Birthday Party. That night I said goodbye to Paul and all his friends.

Munich: We took the first day in Munich to reflect and learn about some of the history in Germany, visiting Dachau. That afternoon we walked through the English Gardens. The next day, we explored the BMW Museum, where we learned about German engineering. After the museum, we walked over to Olympia Park, from which we had an expansive view of Munich. In the afternnoon, we toured Allianz Arena, where Bayer Munich play. The stadium showed an important part of German culture: soccer.

Vienna:The first excursion in Vienna led us to Stephansplatz, a market area centered around the church. At a cafe adjacent to the church, we tried a sacher torte, Vienna's well known cake. As we walked down the side-streets, around every corner brought a new courtyard with gold plated statues and towering columns. We woke up early the next morning to visit Schoenbrunn, the Hapsburg family's summer palace. The tour taught us about the history of the palace and the Hapsburg family's rise to and fall from power. In the afternoon, we visited an antique book and print store and explored exhibitions at the Austrian National Library. Before dinner we stopped by for a coffee at Cafe Central, which Sigmund Freud and other thinkers frequented in their day. The next day, Herr Dougherty took us to the Leopold Museum, an art museum that held works from German classics such as Gustav Klimt. After the Leopold Museum and some cheese sausage, a Vienna specialty,  we toured an unforgettable modern art museum. That evening we explored the park and its gardens.On our last day, we continued to learn about the Hapsburgs, visiting the Sissi Museum, dedicated to the beloved empress Elizabeth.

Stephansplatz

Walking through Vienna

The antique book and print store

A park in Vienna

The Declaration of Human Rights Posted on the Parliament

Sacher torte

Herr Dougherty and Senor Paolicchi, thank you for organizing the trip and the exchange with the Humboldt School.
Wilson Family, thank you for this unique opportunity. It was more than a travel itinerary; it was a way for me to immerse myself in a language and culture with friends. Because of your generosity, for four weeks I enjoyed learning everyday and experiencing something new. I will not soon forget the impact this exchange has had on my live.