A Youth Exchange Report From Tyler O'Shea
October Update
3 months in! October was without a doubt the longest hardest month so far. That being said it was also amazing. I saw and experienced so much that I had only ever imagined and I've grown leaps and bounds in my maturity. But still, October was LONG and HARD. In this month I saw a soccer game, traveled with 52 exchange students around the country, gone to 3 castles, beat homesickness, and even learned a new language fluently!
October had what's called the German “Herbstferien” which means the fall break. And when they say break they mean break. I'm talking 2 full weeks off school. These people don’t mess around. Well if you'll remember, one of my gifts for my birthday back in August was tickets to a soccer game in October. So one Saturday during the Herbstferien my host family took me to Hanover to watch Bremen vs Hanover play. The atmosphere was incredible and I had an amazing time. Bremen sadly lost 1-0.
Another thing I did during the Herbstferien was that I went on the Rotex Deutschlandtour. The Deutschlandtour is a tour that travels through the entire country for 10 days with 52 exchange students visiting cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, Munich, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber and seeing sights such as the concentration camp Dachau, Castle Neuschwannstein, Potsdamm, and much more. This trip was definitely the best trip I've been on and I'm so glad to have experienced it all. My favorite city was definitely Berlin with all the history and cool things to see.
After returning from the Deutschlandtour I began to feel homesick as there wasn’t much to do so I was bored and therefore began to think about home and how long it will be until I see my family again. That continued for a week or so and it really sucked but through talking with my oldie I was able to get through it and now feel better than ever. Homesickness definitely matured me however and I feel much stronger for having beaten it. Oh! I almost forgot! Whilst in Munich my district met up with the other district based in Munich to tour around together and who should I find in the other district? NATALIE! It was so great to see her and to tour the city and the Allianz Arena and simply to catch up with another Kingwood person!
So, in conclusion, October was incredibly difficult while at the same time being worth it. I saw so much and have grown a lot. I'm still really glad that I'm here and would like to thank Rotary for this amazing opportunity!
My name is Tyler O'Shea I'm 16 years old and I'm going on long term exchange to Minden, Germany next year. First of all I would like to say thank you so much Rotary for making my dream come true. Rotary has been with me the entire time to help me get prepared mentally for my exchange. I'm so glad I chose to go with Rotary because they are so helpful and really want what's best for you. What's great about Rotary is that they're all unpaid volunteers so you know that they're not working some kind of angle. Exchange gives you the opportunity to meet people from not only your host country but from all around the world. I think that's what makes Rotary so great. When you meet people from different countries you gain a different perspective on the world. this makes you a much more well rounded person. I chose to go to Germany because when I first started learning the language in 9th grade I found I really loved the language and culture and wanted to study it in a different way. I am so greatful to Rotary for all they've done for me.