This summer I went to Germany for two weeks (June 26-July 10) with the AHS Chorus Exchange program. I stayed with a German student, Sebastian, whom I knew from back in September, when students from his school came to America as exchange students. It was great staying with someone I was already friends with.
In Eppelheim, where Sebastian lives, school was still in session, so at 8 A.M. every morning we went to school with them. Most mornings, while Sebastian was in his first class, I was in rehearsal with the AHS chorus group. After rehearsal, we went on day trips. Some of our day trips included the French cities of Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Manheim and Strasburg. Each city had its own special attraction. In Strasburg, we visited the Strasburg Cathedral known for its astronomical clock. In Heidelberg, the main attraction was the Heidelberg Castle. Baden-Württemberg was known for The Gardens at Scwetzinger. Manheim was my favorite because we had plenty of free time to do whatever we wanted and many of my German friends got to come along. After touring the shops and streets, we spent time hanging out and throwing Frisbees in the fountain square.
In the middle of our trip, the entire AHS chorus group went on a 3-day excursion to famous places outside Eppelheim. One of the attractions we visited was the castle at Newschwanstein, which served as the model for Walt Disney’s castle in Disney World. Unlike its Floridian look-alike, the castle sits atop a huge hill, overlooking several cities and lakes and is never used. We also visited the Ettal Monastery, where we were given the opportunity to sing in the Ettal Monastery Chapel. The Chapel was a masterpiece of art with statues and paintings inlaid with gold. We then toured the Monastery’s famous brewery. We finished the excursion with tours of Oberammergau, Munich and the WWII concentration camp at Dachau.
Even after all this amazing sightseeing, my favorite part of the trip was definitely all the great times I had with my German friends and families. In Germany, there were so many different things that I liked. I liked how everything was within walking distance. I really enjoyed how the Germans were very sociable and polite. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I cannot wait untill the German students return to AHS in the fall of 2012.
