Hey, my name is Nina and I had the opportunity to do an exchange year in Maine, America. When I started my journey at the end of August 2023 I didn’t know that this year was going to be one of the best decisions in my life. Embarking on an exchange year in America wasn’t just about exploring a new country and learning the language, it was my opportunity to challenge myself and to grow as a person.
The first weeks of being in America were a challenge filled with doubting my decision to come here and homesickness. However after school finally began and I started playing soccer for the first time in our girls team, it became a lot easier. My worries about the language barrier and finding friends faded as I got to know more people and realized that everyone is very friendly and nice. School was a lot of fun and very different from what I knew, but not particularly better or worse. Different schedules, A days and B days, Soccer practice everyday and games on the weekend, Homecoming, school spirit, Football games and hanging out at Mc Donald’s were just a few of the typical things I experienced. I grew to love playing soccer even though I never thought of trying it in Austria and the daily practice helped a lot in improving my skills. Being in school and having all my different classes encouraged me a lot to improve my English and after two months I had no troubles at all expressing what I wanted to say and following my lessons in school. I found friends, ate a lot of unhealthy but very good food and traveled through America with my host. Especially the trips I went on with my host Gerald, opened my eyes and showed me how big our world really is. Going on a cruise from LA to Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, through the Panama Canal and finally back to Miami was already an unbelievable experience for me, but spending my winter break in Hawaii topped everything. These trips are gonna be an unforgettable memory and I will be forever grateful for the generosity of my host and the chance to see the world.
Of course it wasn’t always easy and I went through many ups and downs especially in the beginning, but that is the price you pay for such a great opportunity. While I am writing this text it’s already April and more than two thirds of my exchange year are already over. Time went by so fast and soon I will be back in Austria. I am glad that I persevered through every challenge and struggle I encountered and for everyone who is playing with the thoughts of doing an exchange in America or anywhere else, please do it! This year gave me so much and I would always do it again.
Nina Huber (7A)
