High School USA Blog
Pre-Departure Thoughts: How my past influences my future
My name is Hanna, and I’m from Arizona. My philosophy is that all good stories begin with an adventure. The idea of “adventure” was always my compass, navigating me to... keep reading
Changing Weather - And Worlds
A young Floridian describes his summer experience preparing for a year in Germany.
Das Deutsches Projekt: Planning Goals for the Year
The countdown is almost up. In only 5 weeks I will begin perhaps my most important journey. I will see parts of the earth and pieces of myself I have... keep reading
Preparing for Germany
Starting off, I’m Andrew from Oregon and it’s just 36 days until I leave for the journey of a lifetime. Right now, writing this I realize how different the last... keep reading
How I FINALLY found my German track team
During the CBYX pre-departure briefings, the CBYX team kept emphasizing that you really have to take initiative to make your time in Germany what you want it to be. Turns... keep reading
More on German Public Transport
Germany is famous for its public transportation, and I have been lucky enough to get to use it frequently. From buses, subways, bullet trains, and even ferries, Germany has them... keep reading
Locked In (In Slovakia)
As a kid, I was always afraid of being locked into places. My parents still tell stories of how, while waiting in the car for my dad to shop, the... keep reading
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... keep reading
Karneval!! (Inside Germany's Craziest Festival)
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
Tulip Season, Bonfires, and Saying Goodbye to Winter (Finally!!)
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
Wenn die Kalte Kommt
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
War zone? No, it’s just New Year’s Eve in Deutschland
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
Meine Familie - Mi Familia - My Family
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
A Short Guide to German Jugendsprache/Slang
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
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
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