Full of expectations we met early at 6:15 am in Pforzheim and drove together to the Frankfurt International Airport. First we all had to check in and pass the security check. At 11:20 our plane departed and after 9 sleepless and exhausting hours we finally arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport. The pleasure of seeing our exchange partners again was great and after a quick group picture we all went home to our host families. After dinner and long conversations we all literally fell asleep.

(Emma Morlock)

The first whole day in America started with a walk against diabetes type 1 for about a kilometer. We actually walked so there was no running and at the end we got snacks and soft drinks. After that we had lunch at Nicole's with apple and pumpkin pie for dessert and played some American football too. It was a great day full of first impressions and fun.

(Mira Heller)

After an exciting weekend we could finally take part in the daily life of our exchange students: we went to North Brunswick Township High School. First the principal welcomed us and we got our student ID cards. We noticed that they have more classes than we do at THG, e.g. ceramics or teacher training. Later all the Americans and the German Club had an Oktoberfest to make us feel at home. In the evening the Americans invited us to the Regal Cinema to watch a kids movie. It was a great movie and all enjoyed it.

(Melina Sigrist)

Today, we went back to North Brunswick Township High School for the second day. We went to home room and then at 8:15 we left for Duke Farms. We got to ride on a big yellow school bus on the way there, which was a fantastic experience. It felt like being part of an American movie. When we got there, we rented bikes and rode around a beautiful park with so called "great waterfalls" which didn't contain any water. After that, we went to get pizza in Somerville. After lunch we explored the little town, but actually there wasn't that much to see, so we went back to school and met up with our exchange partners.In the evening we went on a little mission to New Brunswick, where we watched the sunset on top of a random parking deck. It was beautiful and another great moment to take back home.

(Aline Grimm)

On our second real day of school we were visiting a bunch of classes. We went to see Zack and Anthony perform in the first period. Later we had our first home room meeting. We talked about the whole trip and how everything was going. The last two periods we were in Herr Schmoll’s German classes.After school we all walked together to the shops of North Brunswick. At Five Guys we got some lunch, which was really good! Then we went shopping for everything, from clothes to candy and finally we got some Starbucks. Suddenly we all wanted to do some sports, so we got our stuff and went to a really nice park with a beautiful lake and a huge variety of sport fields. We played soccer and just hung out outside till we got hungry again, so we went to Buffalo Wild Wings, where the wings are so delicious. Then we all went to Megan’s just to chill, watch some movies and talk. All in all it was a really good day.

(Michelle Selensky)

Today was our third day in High School. It was a special one because the school day ended at 12:03. Therefore a few of the students were able to meet at an Asian restaurant to have lunch together. Afterwards we went to a mall and did some shopping. Because of the wide range of shops it's not surprising that most of the German students spent a lot of money. Afterwards everybody went tired but happy home for dinner.That was our 6th day in the States and unbelievable but true the 7th day will even be more exciting than this one.

(Lina Dihlmann)

Today we finally went to the Statue of Liberty, where we celebrated its 130th birthday. During the bus ride we could already see the New York skyline, which looked really amazing. When we arrived we went on a ferry, which first took us to Ellis island. We visited the museum there and learned a lot about the history of immigration to the USA. After that, we went to Liberty Island. We could even go onto the statue, where we had a fantastic view over NYC. It was "lit"! (High School slang).In the evening there was a game of the "Raiders" which is the school’s football team. We got lots of impressions of the American culture like for example seeing the cheerleaders. In the end we were very happy and also surprised to see the team winning because they hadn’t won for a long time. So all in all this was a great day with lots of impressions and unforgettable moments.

(Emily Rolle)

After having eaten a delicious breakfast consisting of pancakes, eggs and bacon, 13 Americans and Germans went paintballing. Here all the students acted as one team and had to beat the opposite team by shooting all of them. After 4 games and a lot of fun all returned home exhausted but content. After having very good sandwiches Robbie and his great family, Moritz and I went to the beach. After bathing our feet in the cold water and looking at the ocean we strolled along the arcades and ate some delicious fudges. When we were home again we went to Megan's house to sit at the fireplace, eat marshmallows, listen to music and talk about our day.

(Vincent Knörnschild)

The day at the Arias Household started with a wonderful breakfast, like every morning. After that the whole family went to church. There is no comparison to a German church! It's way more lively through singing songs with a professional band. Then we went to a steakhouse, It was so delicous that I will never eat a single steak in Germany again. Although pretzels are way different and are eaten with cheese dips. But the highlight of the day was a hardcore show in Asbury Park. The people there were going crazy. It was so much fun! So Fabian Morelli, Anthony and I didnt get that much sleep but it was totally worth it!

(Fabian Jakob)

After a normal day at school we went home and picked our costumes for Halloween. We brought a blond whig for me and went to a soccer game from the High school. Then we went to a Mall and ate a big burrito. Because we had the fancy costumes we got the burritos for 3$ instead of 8$. With a full stomach we went trick or treating and got lots of candy. In the evening all of the exchange students went to Bryan's, had pizza and sat next to the fire. It was a good day and a great Halloween. Happy Halloween!

(Fabian Kurz)

In the morning I realized that today is already November 1. Unfortunately time passes so fast here... Today was our penultimate day in NB High School and it was like all the others. Me, my partner Mary and some Germans went to her classes which were band, health, lunch and human behavior. Also, in the library, only we had our homeroom in which we talked about our trip to Washington D. C. with Mr. Kohler. After school Mary and I just relaxed at her house because we were and still are super exhausted of all the programs we made. But still, we're having a great time! Afterwards we went to the sports night, planned by the German Club, from 5 to 8 pm in the gym. We played basketball, soccer, badminton, volleyball, lacrosse and we all had a lot of fun with all the Americans:) At home I packed my bag for our 3-day trip to Washington. Although I know that we're going to miss our Americans, I'm sure we will have an amazing trip to the US capital!

(Rita Constantino Heidrich)

Today we went to Washington D.C.by train. We met at the train station at 7 o'clock and rode 3 hours to Washington. When we arrived, we walked to our hotel and later we visited the Capitol. After this we took the metro to our hotel again. In the evening we walked together to a restaurant, which was very good and after this we went back to our hotel and went to bed.

(Moritz Hawener)

Today we went to the White House. We couldn't go inside, but it was very impressive. Then we went to the Washington Monument, the WW2 Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was an exciting day. We walked a lot (and sometimes some people didn't like it). In the evening we drove to Georgetown. We split into groups, ate something and went shopping. After this we went back to the hotel.

(Johann Treichel)

After everyone had breakfast and packed their luggage to leave Washington this evening we all went to the city to see some museums. The museums in Washington are all quite close together and most of them are free. We split up into smaller groups and decided which museums we would like to see. My group went to the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History and the Air and Space Museum. My favourite museum was the Air and Space Museum where you can see lots of original and replica planes, rockets and other things that were used in space. After the museums we went back to the hotel to get our luggage which took longer than planned because someone lost her phone in a museum (but got it again) and only half of the group got into the first subway. So it was a little stressful to get the train but in the end we all arrived in North Brunswick again.

(Fabian Morelli)

On our second and last (full) Saturday, we all went to NYC to watch a Broadway musical called 'School of Rock' at the Winter Garden Theatre at 2:00 pm. But before there was time to explore NYC by visiting stores, walking through Manhattan and taking photos. When the show started, we were all excited and we all enjoyed it. Afterwards, the exchange group split up and my group went to McGee's Pub, which is based on the bar of 'How I Met Your Mother'. It was a great experience and we had a great time there. Then, we went to Times Square to take photos, go shopping, admire the wonderful, huge and unique scene. Time flew and it was time to go home.

(Huy Nguyen)

Tonight we had an extra hour of sleep (end of daylight saving) and in the morning my partner Mary and I just relaxed. Later we drove with her mother to New Hope, a little city in Pennsylvania next to the Delaware River. It's a really old city with nice shops like a vintage store. At 5 pm we met at Robbie's house to celebrate our Thanksgiving dinner. Actually Thanksgiving is only at the end of November but for having this experience we did it earlier. It was a really funny night with the whole group!

(Rita Constantino Heidrich)

This day had already started very nicely with a fantastic breakfast including pancakes and pumpkin waffles. It would become even better because today was the (only) day the Americans were joining us on a field trip. We went to Philadelphia with the whole group. First we went to Independence Hall. It was here that the Decleration of Independence was signed in 1776. After that we ate at the Reading Terminal Market. Then we visited the Mütter Museum and were given a tour around the museum where we saw many crazy things such as skeletons and a model based on conjoined twins. We left Philadelphia at 3:30 and were supposed to get back by 4:30, however we did not get back to the school until 6:30. The reason for this was because there was a rally for (and with!) Hillary Clinton because of the presidental election tomorrow. It took a long time to get out of Philadelphia and then the bus driver got lost which took even more time. Even though it took a long time we all had a lot of fun on this bus ride!

(Melina Sigrist)

The 8 November is not only our 18th day in the States, moreover it's Election day. So it's not surprising that the members of the Republican party as well as the members of the Democratic party are trying to get support for their candidates. If they were successful or not will come out tonight. Because of the election the school was closed today so we had a day off. For this reason the Germans were able to make trips with their host families. My host family took me to Princeton after they voted. Princeton is best known as the location of Princeton University but it's also a very beautiful and "old" city. Because of the university's reputation we decided to make a free tour. A student of the university told us interesting facts about the buildings, student life and famous people who visited Princeton (e.g. Albert Einstein taught for a while there). Afterwards we had lunch and unbelievably but true: I ate my first burger! A record shop, Urban Outfitters and a café were our last stops before we drove home to watch the election on TV with the hope, that a certain person will not make America great again in the next four years.

(Lina Dihlmann)

The day after a landmark election. The political landslide has left many of us speechless and stunned. America is a split country and the divisions under the first African-American President seem to have deepened. Yet we had many good discussions in school and with our host families about the outcome of the presidential elections and their unexpected winner.

(MK)

A last day at the High School gives us time to say goodbye to many friends we've made and buy some last sweat- and T-shirt souvenirs at the school shop. The farewell party in the evening makes us realize that the group has gone a long way: from strangers in June when the Americans came to visit Pforzheim to mates when they left in July. Now many of us have become friends for a lifetime and plans for the next (non-school) visits in Pforzheim or North Brunswick have already been made.

(MK)

Back in Europe. Although some would have given everything to stay in New Jersey and finish school at the High School everybody made it on the plane. The flight was easy and smooth and we arrived safely in Pforzheim at noon.

(MK)