“I thought there would be many different groups and cliques and they’re all against each other,” she said, “but, here everyone talks to each other.”
Diana is a foreign exchange student at Kimball Area High School. She is living with her host family, Mary and Dale Loch in Watkins.
Although Diana has taken English language classes for five years and is fluent, at first it was still a challenge adjusting to the American accent. “I was afraid to say something wrong or that they wouldn’t understand me,” Diana said. She came to the United States to learn to speak English better and to experience a new culture. “I want to see who they are and how they live,” she said.
“I live on a farm here and that’s different.” Many aspects of living in rural Minn. are different than the living in the big city in Germany. There are lots of pick-up trucks on the road compared to smaller German cars, plus teenagers can drive here (you have to be 18 to get a license in Germany), and there are more farms than she’s ever seen in one area. “You have to drive everywhere here because there is more distance between each city,” she said.
As a foreign exchange student Diana is automatically a senior in high school. In Germany, students don’t have the same schedule every day, and classes only go until 1 p.m. “It (school) is easier here because I have easier classes,” Diana said.
Diana thought she would be more homesick. “I miss my parents, family, friends and real chocolate,” she said. “I don’t like Hershey’s.” While the food is totally different, people do eat a lot more fast food in the United States. In Germany they only have McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC, not the plethora of fast food choices there are here. “I liked Taco Bell,” Diana said. “We don’t have a lot of Mexican food in Germany.” One all-American delicacy she doesn’t like is peanut butter. “I think you have to grow up with it,” she said.
Something that Diana didn’t grow up with but was excited to see is football. “I thought it would be more exciting,” Diana said, referring to the American teen movies in which crazed fans scream for their teams. “I didn’t understand the game, and no one could really explain it to me,” she added.
Over MEA break Diana and her host family took a trip to see Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and Mount Rushmore. Another thing she really wants to see is the Mall of America. If she could go anywhere over spring break she would go to Florida and Disney World. “I think Florida’s cool,” she said.
Going places, tasting different food and trying new things is all part of the exchange experience. For instance, Diana went bowling one night and, while they have bowling in Germany, people usually don’t go very often. Also, most of the movies shown in Germany are from the United States with voiceovers dubbed in German. Diana likes going to the movies and being able to hear what the voices actually sound like in English.
Overall, Diana is enjoying her experience. She making new friends while learning about a different culture and language, and learning about herself. “The people are nice and school’s great,” Diana said.
