U.S.A: when someone German hears this, the first thing that most people think about high school is big cars, guns and school shootings. And it is true, you have really big cars. We don’t have trucks, maybe only a few people have them.

Guns are not legal in Germany, only when you are a cop or a hunter. Only one really bad school shooting has happened in Germany.

Here in America sports is very important; everyone goes to the football games. In Germany we don’t have sports in school; we have one time per week a sport lesson. The real sports, like soccer or tennis, you have to play after school in a club. Most people play soccer; football isn’t so popular. Only in the big cities you have maybe two football clubs.

You change classmates in each class, but we have the same people in most classes except only for languages or math. I like that more because you know the people better.

Here it is logical to go after high school to college. In Germany you have more choices. College is so expensive in America; most universities cost nothing to us. Most students move after high school to another city for the university.

I think one of the biggest difference is also the food. I have to ask first my host parents, if this is an American Italian Restaurant or a real Italian. In my opinion, you put often your American touch in the food. But I do enjoy your hamburgers.

But one thing I really like here is, that you can drive at sixteen. We can drive when we are eighteen. We can drink alcohol, at 16 like beer and wine, at eighteen we can drink whatever we want. In my view, we have a not so many problems with alcohol like the Americans. Because it is legal, it is nothing special.

For me it is crazy, that America is so big you need so many hours to go from one side to the other side. In Germany you fly maybe one hour to the other side. Another thing I noticed is: you do not use public transport.

When people ask me why I choose America, I have actually not a clear answer. But the first time I thought about an exchange year, was when I was ten. My cousin came for one year in America and she said every time that this was the best time of her life. Most people go after the 10th grade in another country, so I ask my parents at the end of my 9th grade if I can go. At the end, I am really happy to be here and I can not believe that my third month has already started.

Leonie Frischmuth // Senior Staff Writer