Today after getting up I started reading the book I have to read for my English class. I don‘t know yet if this will be a book I like but the language level is certainly admirable, so it‘s a good idea to read it. At about 1 pm my host parents and I picked up my siblings that were at an event organized by their school band. It was at a bowling alley and because they didn’t wait outside, we went into the building to look for them. The place was crazy. There were so many more games and the lights and loud noises made it a little uncomfortable to stay. My host sister‘s best friend Gabi came with us and together we got lunch at this restaurant called Gloria‘s. It served latin food, basically it was just Mexican food. I had chicken flautas with rice and beans but I was so not hungry that I could only finish about half of the plate.
The rolls are Mexican flautas filled with chicken. It‘s really delicious to put avocado on top of it. Along with the dish they served this drink made out of rice. It tasted kind of sweet but I really enjoyed it. The only problem is that at this restaurant there‘s an automatic refill. So after almost finishing this cup, they immediately brought another one. Although it‘s a good drink, I could not drink a second one.
After returning home, my host siblings, Ximena‘s friend Gabi and I watched „Mean Girls“, which everybody knows is a pleasure to watch. And after some episodes of „Friends“ it was already 7 pm. In the evening we went to a place called „Shoemakers“ and I got a drink called frozen hot chocolate! It‘s basically milk chocolate in form of shaved ice.
I know all of the food in the pictures looks really unhealthy but the only reason why I try high calory treats like this, is because I eat it in rather small portions and a sweet drink or starbucks coffee replaces a meal…. I don‘t get much exercise here so I‘m really afraid of gaining weight!
When we returned home from Shoemakers, we watched another movie. Since everybody was so in shock that I had never seen a marvel movie before, we watched Captain America. The movie was pretty much what I had expected; unrealistic scenes and everything over the top…… But still, it was fun to watch 😉
Today was a really amazing day 🙂 I woke up kind of late and when I got up I had the whole house to myself. My host father was working in his office and my host mom had her first day working as a substitute teacher in a local primary school.
At about 2 PM my host dad asked me if I wanted to go grab some food. So we went to a sandwich shop next to Walmart. The shop owner promised me that the bread would taste like the baguette in Paris but honestly it was kind of fluffy and not crunchy at all…. The chicken was still pretty good though 😉
In the evening we had sort of what American High School kids would call a party. My host family organized that some of Ximena‘s and Luis‘ friends from Wylie High came over so I could meet some of the students before school starts. We were about 15 kids in the house, which is a lot more than I had expected. First, we went to the park and played some volleyball and basketball. It was really nice to finally get some exercise since most of the time we spent inside. But we didn‘t stay at the park for more than an hour due to the heat. When we got home, we ordered some pizza and chatted while playing a spanish game.
The pizza was surprisingly good. Probably because it has very little cheese on it.
This thing with the get-together was actually a really good idea. This way I got to meet a lot of cool students. But what I definitely noticed was that after telling them where I‘m from, a few minutes later most thought I was from Sweden! And yes, Americans are louder than Europeans. In addition there is even another stereotype that I have to confirm; a lot of people are fat! Not only today but every time I see a crowd of people I notice…. But just for the record, they are really friendly and welcoming 😉
And what I especially love about them was that they seemed really impressed with what I told them about my big love; my sorority <3
When I woke up today my host mom gave me a package and said that it had just arrived for me. So I opened it and it was a bedcover and pillowcase that were completely Texas themed!
Somehow my host mom must have known that I didn‘t like the previous one that was all pink and with flowers. I‘m so happy about this and like my sister Ximena said, this just screams yeehaw 😉
But shortly after this there was also bad news for me. Since I‘m now in the most advanced English class of the school, there is of course more work. Which I had to find out this afternoon…. So my English teacher Mrs Anderson mailed me to say that there is a book I had to read over summer break and that I should pick the book up at Wylie High as soon as possible. That itself is not that big of a deal but it has over 400 pages……..
What I notices in the last couple of days is that in High School all the staff already knows me. And each time they tell me that it was because of the photo that Mr Montgomery (the principal) posted. So apparently the selfie that he took with me was posted on Facebook, haha…
In the evening we went to a musical called „Fidler on the roof“ which was about a Jewish community in Russia where a father of five daughters has to learn that his descendants don‘t fall in love with the men he wants and that the whole generation is more liberated and doesn‘t care about traditions that much. The play was very impressing and the music was fun. But it was really long, so I got tired quite fast.
When we finally headed back home, I noticed that all over Dallas the state flags were only half way up the flagpole. My host parents then told me that it was because of the shooting in El Paso. Apparently every time there is a shooting in Texas they put the flags lower to show their empathy. Although you might think that shootings are almost common in Texas, people are emotionally affected a lot.
On our way back we got some curly fries that we took home as dinner. They were quite normal fries but I‘m still gonna put a picture on my blog to make you jealous 😉
Today wasn‘t really much going on. In the morning I slept in and in the afternoon I accompanied my host mom to the primary school where she will start working on Friday. She just needed to sign the contract and get her school ID. So in two days already she‘s gonna start working as an assistant teacher at this school three days a week. What was weird at that school was that while we were waiting to meet the woman responsible for the recruiting, there were a lot of people entering the building and about 90% of them were overweight! When I start thinking about the previous days and people I met, I actually do recall seeing mainly fat people……
A little later we went to the library to get my library card. After getting this card I took a look at the books in the shelves. I was looking for a French book to not get too rusty with my French during this school year. Only after asking the library staff I saw the very mediocre section with about 10 books that were in French. So in the end I took a Harry Potter book. At least I already know the story…
Before dinner we played some games and not to brag, but Ximena and I destroyed everyone 😉
For dinner we had Tacos that my host mom made <3 They were delicious!!!!!!! When she got herself a glass of wine for dinner I finally caught the courage to tell them about my big love; my sorority. And to my surprise they actually seemed to like what I told them!!!!!!!!!!! ❤️
After dinner my host mom showed me some pictures of her two kids when they were younger, which was soooo adorable. And afterwards we all sat on the couch and watched „American Ninja Warrior“.
Today after getting up I watched a few episodes of friends on Netflix. Afterwards Lue (my host dad) and I went to Wylie High in order to get my student ID and pick up my Chromebook that I‘ll be working with in school. Then we met with Mrs Anderson, who is an English teacher at the school. She convinced me to take the AP class in English since there will be the more advanced students and I could learn more from them. She also told me that in her class they do more discussions and other things that would help me to improve my English. She was really convincing, so we went to my counselor and said that I would like to take AP English class instead of normal English. I‘m actually in the most advanced English class of the school!!!
In the hallway of Wylie High School you can find posters like this every few meters. The skull obviously stands for the mascot, the pirates. The thing you‘ll notice as well is that the four letters AHMO are everywhere. It is the school motto and originates from „I‘m going to kick your butt“. So with the right pronunciation you can say „AHMO kick your butt“. That‘s another example to warn all opponents, don‘t mess with the pirates…..they will kick your butts!
After returning home, I went for a walk with Lady Bug (the dog), so I could get some exercise and see more of the neighborhood. I was quite surprised that no other people were outside. The streets are huge and there are many houses, but still, there was NOBODY in the whole neighborhood outside. I really love this dog, especially when I watch TV on the couch and she lies on my lap <3
About an hour later my host mom said she would go to target and asked me if I wanted to join her. So of course I said yes. We went to target and a few other shops and afterwards got a coffee at Starbucks. For dinner we went to a Mexican restaurant and ate Tacos. It was delicious……..
Today I got up rather late because both my host siblings went to marching band practise early and my host mom and dad were doing some paper work. At 1:00 PM I had an appointment with the counselor of Wylie High. So for the first time I got to see my new High School!!!!!
Both host parents came along and showed me the school a little. It was quite a coincidence that the pricipal was in his office when we arrived. So a lady that works for the school immediately said that we should get into the proncipal‘s office because Mr. Montgomery (the principal) liked meeting the exchange students. I had heard about Wylie High School having a cool principal before and indeed he turned out to be the most awesome principal a school could have! When we entered his office he actually rejected shaking my hand and hugged me instead. He asked about my interests, told me a little about Wylie High and in the end took a selfie with me, haha……
This is the principal‘s office. It‘s full with pictures of students and merch of the school. I thought it was so awesome because it really shows school spirit!
So after meeting Mr. Montgomery we went to the counselor‘s office. The counselor that‘s responsible for me is Mrs. Gawedzinski. She helped me pick out my classes and encouraged me to take some AP classes, which are the more advanced ones. She also said that as an exchange student I would had some advantages like being able to change classes easier if I didn‘t like it. She was really nice and promised me that I would love High School. I also got the information how I can get assigned a locker!
So in the end I got the following classes:
AP Human Geography
French IV
AP US History
Debate
AP Environmental Science
English III
Statistics
I originally wanted to take art class but it would have taken place at the same time as French. So I decided to go with French since it‘s probably going to be an easy A for me. It was my intention to be a senior but she said that it was more convenient to be junior and that juniors could practically do everything seniors can (e.g. going to prom). In addition classes are mixed, which means I have some classes that will be mostly seniors. I‘m really happy about that because it means I can get to know not only other juniors but also seniors….
After leaving her office we walked around the school a bit and went to some classrooms I will probably have class in. I met some of the teachers that were preparing for the start of the semester. All of them were really enthusiastic when my host parents told them I was an exchange student from Switzerland. Well, I had to hear „so she‘s from Sweden you said?“ twice which made me chuckle a bit 😉
This is my school. The amazing thing about it is not only the size, but also that they have their colors dark red and white everywhere. It really shows school pride!
After leaving the school, Perla (my host mom) called a family friend named Alex (he‘ll go to collage soon) and asked if he and his mom wanted to have lunch with us. The reason she did that was that since I chose debate, Alex could tell me a lot about this subject. Apparently he was THE top debater in High School. So we went with him and his mom to a restaurant and had lunch. I heard quite a lot about the debate teacher that everybody just called „H“. Alex said he was more of a silly unlce than a teacher.
After lunch we picked up my host siblings at school and my host sister asked if Alex could stay over at our place a bit. So we all went home and watched „Friends“. After a little while my host mom said that she would go to Walmart to get some chicken, so I went along. We talked a lot in the car and in the store which was really nice, since there was only the two of us. After returning home, I saw both my host siblings and Alex sitting around the table playing a game called Dungeons&Dragons. I asked them about the game and the boys were more than happy to explain me. It‘s quite a nerdy game though, so I didn‘t really understand how it works. Anyway, we talked quite long and that was the point when I really heard my English improving! Since they were all talking pretty fast I kind of adapted and I feel like my pronunciation got better as well.
After dinner we watched a few more episodes of friends on the couch and Lady Bug (the dog) lay on my lap which was sooooo adorable <3
This morning I slept very long since I was soooo exhausted. At about 10:30 AM my host mom knocked on my door and told me that breakfast will be ready in 10‘. When I came into the kitchen I saw that she had made pancakes, scambled eggs, melon and pineapple cut into pieces and there were even strawberries on the table. I especially enjoyed the pancakes 🙂
While we were having breakfast Ximena (my lovely host sister) suggested to go bowling and ask some friends to come along. So her and my host brother texted some friends and invited them to go bowling. Ximena brought her best friend Gabi, who is a really fun girl and Luis (my host brother) asked Alex and Natan (both family friends) to come with us.
At the bowling alley we played one round and afterwards we played pool for about an hour. When we left we directly went to an outdoor mall to get me some school clothing. Jeans are not allowed at school for about three days of the week. So I got some pants and polo shirts and with size 0 existing in the US, I finally found pants that fit me…..
When we got home, we sat on the couch and watched a few different channels and talked. Once the topic „country stereotypes“ came up we all had a blast. Apparently cultures are perceived completely different in other places! After a while we started watching a disney show together which was actually kind of nice 😉
When I got a bit hungry because we hadn‘t had dinner, my mom made me this brisket sandwich. This is so cute and obviously made with love ❤️.
Honestly, I think I hit the jackpot with my host family. It was so awesome when my host mom today at the bowling alley referred to me as her second daughter 🙂
In the morning I had to be at the gym with packed bags at 2:30 AM already. Everybody was tired and didn‘t feel ready to fly to the final destination, but what choice did we have?! We arrived at the airport at 5:00 AM, our flight went 8:05 AM. I was really happy to be on the same flight as another girl from Switzerland. And as we found out, she‘s placed not to far away from Wylie!!!
During the flight I slept most of the time. I had a seat at the window, but the Slovakian student next to me wasn‘t very talkative so I didn‘t have anything else to do other than staring out of the window or sleep.
When we arrived at the airport we went to get our baggage, which is where my host family has already been waiting. They gave me a cowboy hat and flowers. In addition they had made two posters to welcome me.
They greeted me and we took a picture together before going to their car and getting brunch. During the car drive I was so relieved that they all reacted so well while picking me up and I could feel that they want my company <3
So at 11:30 we were already at a barbecue restaurant and ate brunch. From the inside it was exactely how I imagined a Texas themed restaurant.
After eating a lot of meat before noon already, my family showed me around the area a little. They told me what shopping malls they have and we even went to Southfork Ranch.
Afterwards we went to the house and I finally got to see my new home. In the house I also met Lady Bug, their dog. She is such a cutie <3
In front of the house my host family insisted on taking a picture of me to show my parents that I’m alright.
My room is not that big but certainly I got everything that I need. As a welcome gift I got merch from the Wylie Pirates and my host dad explained me how a typical home game takes place.
After I unpacked, my host parents took me to target to get everything I still need. Later we went to the shops to get dinner. Since we all wanted food from another take-away, we went through 4 drive-ins. When we got home we all sat on the couch, ate our dinner on the couch and watched a movie. As I found out, my host family does this every Friday night!!!!
Today I got up at about 7:30 AM. After having breakfast with the Swiss students, the whole group met in a „classroom“ and checked in online for the flight tomorrow. That was done pretty quickly, so we had some free time to spend with our friends. We already ate lunch at 11:30 AM, since for the afternoon a trip to New York City had been planned.
After an hour long drive to NYC in the yellow school bus, we visited Central Park, Fifth Avenue and Time Square. It was really hot and we were all missing the AC. We saw a lot of incredible buildings that I couldn‘t imagine living in even in my wildest dreams!
The three girls next to me are German exchange students that were in the same group as me. Tomorrow we will all have to say goodbye when we fly to our host families. I‘m soooo gonna miss them <3
In a mall near 5th Ave we saw the door of the studio where Jimmy Fallon‘s Tonight Show is filmed. One of my favorite comedy shows ever!
At 5th Ave and Time Square we had some free time to shop, take pictures, eat or just look around. In addition we could get some points for our team (blue) if we fullfilled some of the exercises on a list. One of them for example was starting a conversation with someone with a dog and then take a picture with the dog. We had some difficulty finding a dog but once we spotted one, those points were ours.
Another exercise was to do the Cotton Eye Joe dance on Time Square and get a stranger to film it. We had learnt the dance yesterday and barely had any practise. Nevertheless we actually did it!
What I noticed so far in the US, is that people seem to be so much more helpful than in Europe. For example when I needed to use the restroom and I saw that at Mac Donald‘s they want to see a receipt before they let you in, I went to an elderly couple and asked if I could have their receipt. They immediately said yes and gave it to me!!!!! But I do have to mention that there are definitely weird creatures walking around in the city aswell. An example would be the guy I saw picking his nose so hard in public, I thought it would start bleeding any moment…
Anyway, back at Thornwood Academy there was a dance in the evening. In the hall there was playing music and everyone gathered and danced. I‘ve definitely been to better parties… but it was a good way to end the welcome days. In the end took a group picture of all the Swiss students.
Honestly, I won‘t even go to bed today since I would have to get up 2 AM again anyway. That‘s in about 2 hours and I still have to pack some stuff. I‘m really tired but I couldn‘t sleep anyway. I‘m sooooo excited to meet my host family tomorrow. I have the impression that they are like the nicest peole in the world and will make me feel like one of the family 🙂
Today after waking up and getting ready for breakfast we all gathered in the biggest hall of the building and got to know our fellow group members with whom we would team up and compete against the other groups throughout the day. I‘m in group two and met really great people in the first few minutes already. I‘m kind of disappointed that there are so few Swiss people at the welcome days. I only know one girl and three guys from Switzerland, so I spend a lot of my time with my new German friends 😉
This is the inside of Thornwood Academy, the place where we‘re gonna stay until we fly to our host familes on Saturday. And yes, it‘s American size………When I went outside to get some fresh air after lunch, I saw this yellow school bus parked near the building and just had to take a picture. I can‘t believe I actually get to ride a bus like this to school soon!!!!!
In the afternoon we played some more games in our groups and talked about culture diffrences. The fun part was definitely the evening though. In our groups we prepared a dance to a song of our choice. We clearly didn‘t win but it was a lot of fun to cheer for the others and have a good time. I‘m quite sure that EF wants to show us what High School spirit looks like…..
This wasn‘t the group that won, but certainly they got the crowd heated up with their flags.
After this we all went straight to bed because we were really tired. I almost can‘t believe that all of this was today! Tomorrow we will visit NYC and it will be the last day we‘ll spend in New York, since we‘re gonna fly to our families on Saturday morning.
