February 27, 2025
With many Changes, comes many more Opportunities
Hallo!
I know I’m writing a bit sooner than I normally do, but I just couldn’t help myself since I have so much to write about and I know my next journal entry will also be jam packed with information.
To start off this journal entry we have to go back to the beginning of January when I switched host families. I was scared, but also excited with the opportunity to almost have a new fresh start here in Germany and get to know so many new people. It almost sounds weird to call it a fresh start considering I’m still going to the same school, living in the same city, and I have all the same friends, but a lot of things have changed for me now and so many opportunities have opened up.
The first day with my new host family was very relaxing as all I did was move in all my things and then we had dinner together with family friends of theirs where we made hot pot. The next day I just continued to settle in and figured out my new route to school that I take everyday. I now bike everyday to school which is nice sometimes, but other times when it is -5 Degrees Celcius outside and raining, it is not nice. It will definitely be a lot nicer biking to school in the Spring and the Summer though.
A lot more things have changed now in my schedule though including:
Biking to school and back everyday
The start of the second semester of the school year
Starting to learn the piano
Very busy weekends filled with activities
I now have an older host sister (18) and a younger host brother (11)
Drinking way to much coffee and tea everyday as it is way to cold outside
None of this change has seemed scary though, all of it comes with new and exciting challenges in so many ways.
Some other interesting, but not remotely so life changing things I have done recently include:
Seeing a very bad german horror movie in theater about a werewolf disease (Germans will only watch movies in German if they are originally in german, they hate the dubbings into german and will always watch the film in the original language which is very commonly english)
Watching We Live in Time in theaters (this is actually life changing, everyone should watch this movie, but only if they are willing to cry I love you florence Pugh )
Having a movie night with my friends where we watched only classic German films such as Fack Ju Göthe and Bibi und Tina: Mädchens gegen Jungs (They would say this is life changing especially Bibi und Tina )
Going hiking in Heidelberg and realizing that I am very out of shape
Visiting the Art museum in Mannheim with my host mom to see a temporary exhibition called “Die Neue Sachlichkeit” about art created in the period between WWI and WWII.
Watching the Super Bowl with my school class. This one may be the most surprising to most people and is the most surprising to me as well. With the time change, we watched the Super Bowl from 0:30 to 04:30, slept for an hour or two (at the school), woke up, and went to school. (we also played cops and robbers around the entire school)
Celebrating galentine's day (twice)
Celebrating my 17th birthday with my host family
The coming months also have some very exciting opportunities coming up for me here in Germany that include:
Faschingsferien and Fasching (Karnival) next week
My last district inbound and outbound orientation where I will see next years outbounds for the last time
With my last district orientation comes a german test to see how well our german abilities are coming along and it comes with two parts
A writing/grammar portion
A conversational/ speaking portion
A three week long tour of Europe in April including many different countries
France
Italy
Spain
Austria
Czechia
Spring (finally) and with Spring comes lots more time spent outside exploring
As you can see, one repeating factor that continually pops up is going to the movie theater and watching movies. This would be because it is consistently negative outside and watching movies is a great way to stay warm and hang out with friends at the same time. The great thing that comes with this too is that I get so many more films to add to my Letterboxd (an app where you can track all the movies that you watch. Follow me at emyersbeck).
I would like to take this time now to bring us back to focusing on the Six B’s of being an exchange student and how to use those during your exchange year.
BE FIRST- try to take every opportunity given to you no matter what. Say yes to the opportunities given to you and you will learn so many new things. (if your host family and friends offer to hang out always say yes, YOU can also ask them to hang out and do different activities)
BE CURIOUS- Explore the world around you, take adventures on your own (I go on many walks on my own around my city, Heidelberg, and I have found to many beautiful places I wouldn’t have found otherwise)
BE ON PURPOSE- make plans for yourself and focus on learning your language, remember why you decided to take an exchange year in the first place (it is so much easier to communicate with others when you speak your countries language, the only time I speak in english now is in english class)
BE GRATEFUL- always remember that everyone’s exchange year is not going to be the same, try not to compare your exchange year to others exchange year, everyone is following a different path in theirs and every path is okay (experiencing homesickness is okay everyone feels it and I know I sure have, but don’t let that stop you. Not everyday will feel like the most perfect amazing day and that’s okay. You don’t have to do something special and amazing everyday.)
BE OF SERVICE- be there to help others, even the small amount of help you can give may change someone’s life (helping your friends and your host family with anything will always help you become closer to them, small acts of kindness are always appreciated)
I hope this reminder of the six B’s will help you remember that an exchange year is not a year in your life, but a life in a year.
Tschüss!!
Erin Myers-Beck