High School USA Blog

The festival known as Karneval in North Germany, and Fasching or Fastnacht in South Germany, can also be called the “fifth season” because it is simply a time unlike any... keep reading

Winter is FINALLY over. After months (roughly from November to early April) of cloudy skies, cold weather, and an average of one downpour a day in the northern region of... keep reading

As the weather starts to turn warm, I am thinking back on the long and cold German winter in which I experienced. Through the short foggy days and long frigid... keep reading

New Year’s Eve in Germany is legendary. All throughout the fall, my friends at school would tell tall tales about New Years celebrations from the past, about the crates of... keep reading

I haven’t written a detailed blog about my host family yet, but the short answer is, they’re awesome and have been unbelievably welcoming. Even though our village is pretty remote... keep reading

Jugendsprache (youth language) in Germany is the slang and expressions mostly used by younger Germans. Jugendsprache is ever evolving as it is mainly influenced by social media, much like the... keep reading

One of the experiences I was most excited for during my year in Germany was exploring German Holiday markets. I was lucky enough to get to explore three separate markets-... keep reading

Every Friday night I trudge through my small town to the same place. After a long day of school I ride home on the city bus. After relaxing and eating... keep reading

The silverware was set, the candles were lit, and the turkey, sitting plump in the middle of the makeshift banquet table, was gazed upon by all. What sounds like a... keep reading

Just this past weekend, my host grandparents, who we call Oma and Opa, hosted an all-weekend cousins event. I was invited, of course, now that I’m part of the family... keep reading

The day started off like any other. I went to school, tried to figure out what my bio teacher was saying, and walked to the bus stop after classes. Today... keep reading

When I began thinking about this adventure, I wondered how meeting people would be. I wasn’t sure if people would want to talk to me or get to know me... keep reading

German is undeniably a hard language to learn. Just when you think you’ve unlocked a new level of understanding, a split verb or the genitive case is there to humble... keep reading

Three Months in Germany: It’s hard to believe I’ve already been in Germany for three months. Time has flown by so quickly — sometimes it feels like I’ve been in... keep reading

This past month, I've been lucky enough to join the crowds at two different Oktoberfests -- first, the opening day of the massive, world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich on September 21... keep reading