TOWAMENCIN-  When applying for the opportunity early in her sophomore year to study abroad in Aalen, Germany, Grace Lewis knew that if chosen, this would be the adventure of a lifetime, and that’s exactly what it was.

Leaving your home for an entire year is scary enough, but for Lewis, this was the first time she had even left the country. “It’s funny,” she laughed, “because my family decided to take a family trip to Canada two months after I left. I felt really loved.”

After a little heart attack at the check-in desk when told she needed a Visa, something she didn’t have, Lewis had to make a phone call to Herr Baker at 9 AM. Eventually, she made it onto the plane and was on her way. She had no idea what obstacles would be thrown her way or how difficult it would be to adjust, but she could barely contain her excitement.

When comparing schooling systems in America and Germany, Lewis says there aren’t too many differences. “The main difference between German and American schools is that in Germany, the schools are separated by level, so instead of levels such as 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, AP, and special ed classes all in one place, there are different schools for all of the levels.”

“I was at the highest level of school, and I didn’t find it that much more difficult than the classes I take at North Penn. I thought my math and physics classes were very hard, but that just has to do with my non-existent math skills rather than the class itself. Other than that, the only really challenging thing was the German and being able to read and write well in that language,” Lewis stated.

Similar to American elementary schools, Lewis had a group of twenty-seven kids that she traveled around with every day, which helped her memorize her schedule.

“The teachers would go to the students unless we had to be in a certain room for a class, such as music or chemistry, so I didn’t walk two miles in between classes like I do at North Penn every day,” explained Lewis.

Classes usually end at 1 PM in Germany, except for Mondays and Wednesdays. On those days, Lewis had “Mittagsschule”, or afternoon school, which would last until 4:30 or 5:15, depending on the day. Her schedule consisted of math, biology, chemistry, physics, Italian, French, English, German, politics, economics, history, and gym. This may sound like a lot, but similar to American high school, classes would switch off every other day or even week.

It’s no wonder that a foreign exchange student would stand out to anyone, but how people choose to treat them is a totally different story.

“For the most part, everyone thought it was really cool that I was from the USA and that I was there for the whole year. They thought my accent was cute,” Lewis laughed. 

Surprisingly, one issue that impacted Lewis significantly was the presidential election that took place in November. With the two candidates on a global platform, she was constantly reminded of the chaos happening back home.

“I did not enjoy having to represent America during the election. I find Donald Trump an embarrassment to America, and having to explain why he acted or tweeted the way he did was exhausting and embarrassing. I felt as though I had to be the mature face of America because he was, and is, absolutely not acting mature on the world stage. The question I got most after people learned where I was from was ‘Do you like Trump?’ and I had to explain every time how I felt, why I felt that way, and how he got elected if he didn’t win the popular vote. The Electoral College is complicated and very hard to explain in English, let alone in German.”

School was not the only thing that she would have to quickly adapt to. German customs are pretty distinct compared to those of America, explained Lewis. Germans are a lot more formal and reserved compared to Americans. Unlike English, German has a formal way to say ‘you,’ which is used in instances such as talking to teachers, the elderly, or the Queen. Along with using this quite often, they also shake hands much more than hugging.

“I thought it was very strange that my family did this instead of hugging when wishing each other happy New Year,” recalled Lewis. “I used to smile at people on the street and they would look at me weird because that’s another thing that is much less common in Germany. “

Despite having to learn a new language fluently and trying to fit in with German culture, Lewis found herself having an amazing time experiencing new things. When the one-month mark of her being in Germany came around she was settling in fine but found herself struggling with the language barrier. “I was starting to come to the point where I was getting frustrated with my level of German and wanted to speak English again.”

She finally got her chance when Mary Beth Nieman, another North Penn exchange student who was in Salzgitter, came down to visit, and they went to Munich together for Oktoberfest. They got dirndls, met a table of American soldiers stationed in Munich, had Bratwurst and beer, and overall had an amazing night.

The opportunity to visit another exchange student, Kaitlyn Van Dame in Madrid, also presented itself to Lewis.

“Being able to speak English with another American while exploring a new country was so amazing. I was there for Día de Los Reyos Magos, or Three Kings’ Day, which is a huge celebration in Spain and being there for that was so cool. Kaitlyn’s host parents even gave me little gifts in my shoes and I just thought that was so kind of them. It was such an amazing week,” remembered Lewis.

Towards the end of her trip, a group of Americans from North Penn came to tour the country at the beginning of July and that was very special to Lewis. “It was so fun to see my best friend again and to trapeze around Germany with the whole group! I had an amazing time.”

Before being able to see familiar faces after months of being away from home, Lewis had the opportunity to travel to France, Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, and even spend her birthday in Austria, which she said is the best birthday present she could’ve asked for.

Her final weeks in the country may have been some of the best. “My family came to ‘pick me up’ during the last two weeks of my exchange and we traveled a lot!”

The Lewis family had hosted Cem Hoffman, who was a German exchange student this past year, so they visited him and his family and went to Berlin, Heidelberg, Salzgitter, and Salzburg, Austria.

“‘The Sound of Music’ is my favorite movie and it’s what first made me want to go to Germany when I was four years old. Seeing where the movie was shot in Salzburg and where Julie Andrews really was was so cool, and one of the best days of my exchange,” Lewis conveyed.

Lewis expressed that even though she didn’t always feel 100% confident in herself while in Germany, she never doubted her decision.

“I always knew that going to Germany was the best decision I had ever made and that it would change my life forever. It wasn’t always easy, but I will never regret it as long as I live.”