INTERACTIVE: Trip of a lifetime

We’re sitting in a window seat of an American Airlines jet. We look out our window as the clouds open and the sunshine reveals our first view of your destination. Far below, we see rolling hills and valleys covered in a patchwork of brown and green fields sewn together with clusters of forests and villages. We think to ourselves “I can’t believe I am finally here!” The excitement builds inside as we watch the beautiful quilt get closer and closer. Eventually, we can see miniature cars speeding between the villages and along the Autobahns. Then, we see a city gradually appearing on the horizon. It grows until that is all we can see and we worry our plane won’t make it to the runway. But, then we feel the violent jerk of the plane slamming into the asphalt and slowing to a stop and we know that we are safe.

We have arrived in Frankfurt, Germany.

View a map of our travels:

Three RB students had the opportunity to travel to Germany last summer with a foreign exchange program called, Friendship Connection. These are our stories.

Senior Thomas Stastny arrived in Frankfurt’s international airport, passed through customs, and found his exchange partner, Corrin Helmuth, who introduced Stastny to his family. Stastny remembered feeling excited and nervous to meet Helmuth’s family because he didn’t know what they would be like and he wondered if it would be difficult to communicate. The Helmuth family was very nice and welcoming, but Stastny did have some difficulty speaking with them. As a result, they mostly spoke in English to him. After the introductions, the Helmuths took Stastny to their home in a town called Eschwege, which is a couple hours away from Frankfurt.

Stastny did many things while he stayed with Helmuth, which included going to school, experiencing and learning about historical sites, and attending a local festival. Stastny liked going to school in Germany and said the atmosphere was “very laid back.” He also really enjoyed the local festival, which was called Johannesfest. The festival is very much like Oktoberfest, but on a smaller, more intimate scale. There were parades, carnival rides, and plenty of delicious foods. If Stastny returns to Germany, he said he “would go back to see the festival.”

Stastny also went on an eight-day tour sponsored by Friendship Connection. It was the last segment of the month-long exchange filled with non-stop travel to some of Germany and Austria’s most famous destinations. Some of these places included a boat tour of the Rhein River, a tour of Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle, which was the model for Disney World’s Cinderella Castle, and a hike through an ice cave in the Alps.

Another senior, Zach Tarrant, also went on the exchange. Like Stastny, he felt nervous about meeting his exchange partner’s family. Tarrant’s exchange partner’s name was Alex Hintze and he lived in a small town called, Beilstein.

Tarrant also went to school. He said, “I really enjoyed the kids.” He felt they were very welcoming and he was glad he could understand them. Unfortunately, he was unable to understand the teachers as he was led to believe they would have a clearer accent.

Tarrant had a wonderful time in Germany, but he especially loved doing things with Hintze and fitting into the German culture. He also enjoyed traveling to cities, such as Marburg to visit The Elisabethkirche. The Elisabethkirche is the oldest pure Gothic style church in Germany. It was built in the 13th Century over the grave of St. Elisabeth, the patron saint of Marburg.

The last RB student to go on the exchange was myself. My partner’s name was Simona Borntraeger. When I arrived, everything felt so strange. It’s really hard to describe how I felt, but I can describe my emotions best as robotic because I was so overloaded with nervousness, adrenaline, and my new surroundings. The Borntraegers would have to repeat what they were saying because I would zone out. Eventually, my senses and my emotions relaxed and I was able to enjoy the experience. Borntraeger lives with her parents, her grandfather, and her two younger brothers in a tiny village called, Ruedigheim. Ruedigheim is a rural village about two hours north of Frankfurt. Many of the houses are hundreds of years old and they are nestled between little farms.

I did many things while I was on my exchange. Some of the most interesting were a camping trip to Croatia, day trips to Munich and Marburg, and experiencing the locals’ everyday lives. My camping trip to Croatia was really nice because we spent most of our time relaxing at the beach and swimming in the lovely Adriatic Sea. On our way back to Ruedigheim, we stopped in Munich to shop and see the sites. One of the best parts of my trip was learning about Borntraeger’s normal life. She showed me how her community celebrates a religious holiday called, Fronleichnam. I also saw how the farming community houses their livestock in barns located in the town and how they milk the cows.

By the time the trip was over, all three of us were ready to return home, but we will not forget the impression it made on our lives.

Stastny really liked the seemingly relaxed lifestyle and the interesting places it offered. He said, “It really opens your mind up to the world and is less expensive with a group versus on one’s own.”

Tarrant said, “It puts things in perspective” as he realized to get along with others one must understand others perspective.

I feel it was a wonderful opportunity to improve my German language skills while learning to appreciate another culture. All three of us also feel that the exchange facilitated the creation of lasting friendships, improved comprehension in the classroom, and allowed us to expand our plans for the future.

Italian, Austrian exchange students spend time at RB

Many students here at RB dream of seeing the world, visiting incredible countries like Italy or Austria. What would the people be like? What’s a regular Saturday night like in Argentina? How can you make it through the school day when nobody speaks your first language?

The lure of a semester in a foreign country isn’t strictly an American dream. RB has been host to many foreign exchange students over the years, and each one has had a lasting impact on RB. This year, we welcomed Fabian Winter from Vienna, Austria, and Kiara Ercoloni from Mainland, Italy.

“I love it here,” said Winter, “Everyone has been so kind to me.” As a player on the Boys Varsity Soccer team, he has made many friends and is adjusting to life in America very smoothly. “I have been speaking English for six years now, so at least I know when the coach is yelling at me,” said Winter with a laugh. 

The biggest difference between school in Austria and here at RB is “In Austria, you are in a class of twenty-two, and you all stay in the same room. The teachers come to you,” Winter said.

Ercoloni has had a great time in America so far. “I think I’ve done well adjusting to the American lifestyle. School here is very different; the social encounters are so much more personal. I love it here,” Ercoloni also added, “America was my first choice for a host country, because I have always wanted to live life in the U.S. “

RBHS welcomes foreign exchange students

This year RB is hosting two foreign exchange students who are both from France. Sidney Mompezat and Aurore Jacques are both here for the entire school year.

Both students had never been to America prior to the start of the exchange program. Neither were allowed to choose what city they would stay in but they were both excited when they found out they would be staying in a suburb of Chicago.

Mompezat decided he wanted to come to the US because he wanted to experience the life of a typical American teenager. “It’s been my dream since I was a little kid to come to the US and experience the culture,” he said.

Mompezat enjoys all his classes and is especially fond of the student teacher relationship that exists at RB. “There is a dialogue that exists in the US between the pupil and the teacher,” said Mompezat, “In France when you are in classes, you just sit down, be quiet and listen to the teacher.”

Jacques enjoys RB because of the shorter school day and the teachers. “The teachers here are less serious than in France and some of them are even funny,” said Jacques.

Both students are participating in sports this year. Mompezat plays wide receiver on the RB football team and Jacques is participating in cheerleading. “In France we don’t have a cheerleading program so I’m so glad I get the chance to cheerlead here” said Jacques.

Both students are hoping to improve their English while they are attending RB. They also hope to learn more about American customs, especially when it comes to education. “My hope is that when I go back to France I have insight on what it’s like to be a typical teenager in the US,” said Mompezat.