Every year at Bear River High School we host exchange students from all over the world. Last year we had students from Spain to Serbia. This year a student from Frankfurt, Germany is accompanying the senior class until our graduation— Lara Bossek.
Bossek traveled 8,930 miles and was submerged into a new world at Bear River. There have been many changes to get used to.
“The biggest change was seeing how spontaneous people are,” she said. “Like there have been multiple times where friends have just asked me to come along with them on a drive and we’d figure out what to do once we’re all together. Things are not as spontaneous in Germany, and it’s a thrilling change!”
Bossek touched on how if she were to make plans with her friends in Germany, that the plans would be set in stone.
The people weren’t the only big difference between the two countries. Between the almost 9,000 mile gap, there was bound to be some rumors of America.
“It was rumored that Americans eat a lot of junk food, and that is 100 percent true, there are so many fast food restaurants around,” Bossek said. “Luckily, my host family cooks quite healthy so I’m fine, and don’t eat much of it.”
In Germany as a whole, there are a total of only 11,916 fast food restaurants. In the United States, there are 201,865. It makes sense how such a rumor was made, also because it is evidently true. Bossek isalso bound to miss some things about Germany.
“I look forward to being able to use my license again, since exchange students aren’t allowed to drive,” she said. “I also look forward to hanging out with my friends at home, and sharing my experience. Hopefully I can share some of the spontaneousness at home that I received here.”
Goodbyes will always be hard, but in every exchange student scenario it seems to be tougher. Keeping long term friendships alive is hard enough, but imagine the probability of potentially never seeing newly made friends.
“I am going to miss Bear River lots because I have made a lot of friends at this school, played sports and overall enjoyed all the different experiences,” Bosek explained. “Bear River has such great activities compared to my German school — it is more boring and stressful. I’ll miss the openness of school here. This next month I hope is the longest of my life. ”
Those friends she’s made at Bear River will struggle to say goodbye as well.
“It’s gonna be sad, she made my English class, while we read ‘Into the Wild’, bearable,” senior Maylen Cha said. “She’s one of my newest friends since she joined us in senior year. It’s weird to think I’m never gonna see her again because she does live halfway across the country. I really hope to stay in contact with her.”
If anything, exchange students that we get to meet every year are a reminder of how little time we actually have together. So while you can, get to know your exchange students, your senior class or anyone you know who might be leaving next year.