Starting the ninth grade I came up with the plan do engage in a student exchange to an English-speaking country. To be away from home for a while, to get to know new People, Places and Cultures and to gain life experience. This seemed to be an important thing to do on the way of growing up and getting control over my life.
Firstly, I thought of the commercialised classic USA, I had pictures of the high schools in my head, but my dad thought differently. Not being a huge fan of the States, he straight up refused to let me go there, and by now I understand his reasoning.
So, my research began, to find a suitable country with English as their official language. UK wasn’t far away enough for this trip; India seemed a bit much so, I started digging deeper into Australia. I read books, watched videos and movies and was super keen to go there, also my parents liked the idea. Easiest would have been to call up an agency, get everything send home and don’t bother with all the preparations but who can afford these prices. The full package would have been at least 10.000€ and totally out of our price range so I had to find a way myself.
Luckily at my school, being a Rudolf Steiner school, there is some international connection and community. I got a list printed giving addresses and contacts of all Steiner Schools in Australia and New Zeeland, since that would have been nice too. At 14 I sat myself down to put my request onto paper in English, trying my best to sound convenient and convincing. My dad did a wee check of grammar and language, and I was ready to post dozens of letters around the world.
Long time no one got back to me, then some declines because the school was not suitable unrewarded, I waited. Then word had done its rounds and a teacher from my school presented me with my way to go. Her sister-in-law was teaching at a Steiner School in Canberra, Australia and their usual exchange partners to Germany were one person short so I could jump in. I was super euphoric about this opportunity, though my friends had their doubts and little energy towards my project I got everything ready with my family and the school with great motivation and joy. My dream would come true and only two months passed until my exchange student arrived.
Arts in Australia`s streets
My Guest for three month was a quite easy going girl, my brother had freed up his room to life in my parents dressing room and she felt pretty comfortable. After a couple of weeks, she would move around the town and nearby city freely and sometimes joined me and my friends. Come summer break, her parents and brother came over to get to know each other and to go on a quick trip around Europe.
A few weeks later in jumped on a plane going on my first budget long way travel. I spend 10 hrs. at Beijing Airport and finally arrived at Sydney after, it was overly exiting and I always loved traveling since. My aussi Mother and Sister came to pick me up from the airport and after embarking on a typical boat trip around the harbour, looking at the Opera house, Bridges, Beaches and Skyline, we drove on to Canberra, which was supposed to be my home for the next six months.
The Time that awaited me was everything but adventurous and free though, and I got into quite some conflict with my host family. It was very hard for them to deal with my urge for individual, responsible Life and tried to put many restrictions to seeing my friends, moving around the city or planning my time there. It didn’t help, that my sister was a very calm, lonesome person curling up with a book in her bed most of the time, so I did have some struggles to find connections there at first. A huge light on my time there was a good friend I made, Carla, a girl on exchange from Stuttgart came to the school and she is one of my dearest, longest friends till today. At first, I had put her down to being a snobby, City girly girl since they had asked my mother about which guardian I would book for the flight, and she made my time there and anywhere so much since. (Love you always sister)
By the time my hosts decided to kick me out and sat me down for the talk, I had already bought a plane ticket leaving in a few days to Melbourne. On my 16th birthday the dad dropped me off early at the bus station and the next week I properly enjoyed down under. I stayed with my friend, whom I had met a few weeks prior at a camp with my sister, and we had an amazing week enjoying St. Kilda beach, the area behind and their land outside the city. It feels like this week was a more enjoyable experience than 4 month I Canberra before that.
The most important things I learned my first journey were how to rely on myself only and not to care about restrictions so much, I got to see for myself, that you can and should do anything your want.
