by Aleksandra Szymczak, Ellen Davey, Samantha Coates, Catherine Allan and Keira Edwards
Overall, our experience in Germany has been life-changing; we’ve had an amazing week that we don’t think we’ll ever forget. Coming to another country and living there for a week has affected our lives in so many positive ways. Throughout our trip, we expanded our knowledge of the German culture and language. In addition, we had the wonderful opportunity to travel and visit so many intriguing places, such as the Landschaftspark (a historic coal museum), Cologne (an incredible city of colour and culture), Schalke Stadium (which has the second largest football fan club in Germany), a chocolate museum and so much more. We also took part in German lessons in a German school, which was fantastic for building our confidence with speaking in German. Travelling around Oer-Erkenschwick gave us the opportunity to get to know our surroundings, and get to know the way of life in Germany.
The German exchange was an incredible experience, and we are so grateful for the privilege of visiting such a fascinating country. We can’t fully explain in words how much we’ve loved this week, and how well we’ve bonded with our exchange partners, their families and the people in our class. We have made life-long best friends and unforgettable memories. We have also realised the beauty of seeing Germany’s culture, so similar to our own and yet so different in other ways. A special thanks to all the teachers who made this trip possible, we wish we could stay in Germany forever! We already miss the trip so much, and would do it all again in a heartbeat.
