Winter into Spring

Catching You Up

   It’s been an amazing — and busy — past few months! The winter flew by, and honestly, I’m happy it’s behind me. Riding my bike to school every day in the freezing cold was brutal, but despite the weather, winter was full of unforgettable memories.

   Before Christmas, my mom and grandmother visited me here in Germany. We traveled together to some incredible places: we visited a famous castle near Munich (Neuschwanstein!), toured the breathtaking cathedral in Köln, and then returned to Hannover so they could meet my host family. Christmas itself was great. On weekends, my younger host sister Isa and I would go ice skating, and on Christmas Eve — when Germans celebrate — we made fresh pasta by hand and exchanged gifts. My host parents gave me thoughtful presents, including a sol de janeiro perfume, cat socks, and a winter jacket I really needed. My older host sister, Maja, gave me a clubbing top, and Isa gifted me a skincare set. We also spent time with extended family, which made the holidays even more special.

   New Year’s was just as memorable. I celebrated with my host family and their friends, and I had never seen the sky so lit up with fireworks before! One of my favorite memories from Christmas break was shopping with Maja and my host grandma — it reminded me of when I stayed with my host grandma for two weeks while my host family traveled to America. Maja and I stayed up late talking about life and all the drama — definitely made us closer.

   After the break, it was back to school… but not for long! In February, I went skiing with my host family in the Austrian Alps. I’m not the best skier, and after falling countless times, I ended up sliding down part of the mountain sitting down — poor Maja stayed with me the whole time! One night, Maja and I even went “clubbing” in Austria, though the place was pretty empty. Still, it was a fun night meeting new people and laughing together.

   One of the bittersweet parts of winter was saying goodbye to some of my closest exchange friends. Winter is known for being tough for exchange students, and it definitely was. My friend Elisha left shortly after Christmas — we had been really close, always meeting up to shop or grab food. She also introduced me to a nail salon I still go to. Later, another friend of mine who lived in Hamburg left. I tried to visit him before he flew home, but a train strike got in the way. Luckily, the next day, I made it to Hamburg, and we spent one last day together exploring — and even got chased by swans near a lake! I’m happy they’re both back home and enjoying life, but I definitely miss them.

   In March, I visited Berlin for the first time with my class. It was incredible! My friend Angelia and I ran all over the city, got sushi, and picked up way too many souvenirs. That trip brought me much closer to my classmates, and some crazy, unforgettable things happened (stories for another time!).

   Spring also brought a lot of good memories. One highlight was Frühlingsfest, a month-long fair that reminded me of a mini Oktoberfest. I went multiple times with my host sisters and friends. My favorite ride was Break Dance, but there were a few rides so intense I thought I might actually die.

   One of my proudest achievements this year was running the half marathon in April with my host sister, Maja! We had been training all winter and finished with a time of about 2 hours and 10 minutes. I even placed 12th in my age group! I’m so proud of both of us — we didn’t stop once, just grabbed water at the stations and kept running.

   During spring break, my host family and I traveled to the North Sea. It was beautiful but still really cold, so definitely didn't get in the water. Afterwards, Maja and I went to a Central Cee concert in Düsseldorf, which was so much fun.

   Finally, I celebrated my birthday weekend — and it might have been my favorite weekend yet. On Friday, my actual birthday, my host family woke me up singing “Happy Birthday” and surprised me with a gift: a trip somewhere special in a few weeks! After school (where luckily my last two classes were canceled), I went shopping with my American friend Isabella, had cake with my host family, and later went out into the city again with some other American friends. Saturday, I spent time with my friend Esme, and on Sunday, some of my classmates came over for a birthday barbecue and trampoline park trip. It was so much fun, even if jumping after eating wasn’t our smartest move! My younger host siblings came too, and it meant a lot to include them in the celebrations — I know they would do the same for me.

   Everyone was so thoughtful with gifts. My friend Manzi even wrote me a poem — very on-brand for him, and it was so sweet.

   Looking back, I’m incredibly thankful for everything I’ve experienced this winter and early spring. Even though there were tough moments, the good far outweighs the bad. I finally feel like I have people here I can rely on.

   Now that things have calmed down a little, I’ll definitely be posting more updates soon!