Trenton and German students experience
exchange cultures

Submitted

After being awake for 21 hours straight, Tyler Brown and Caleb Smith, along with their German exchange students Kai Holzammer and Johannes Schockenhoff, arrived safely at Orlando International Airport. The first phase of their Rotary Short Term exchange had come to an end; the next phase was about to begin.

Pictured to the left of the Rotary flag are Vicki Brown, Scott Brown, Tyler Brown, and Kai Holzammer. Pictured to the right of the Rotary flag are Caleb Smith, Johannes Schockenhoff, Christine Smith, Shannon Smith and Damon Leggett, Rotary President.

On July 17, Caleb and Tyler boarded a plane bound for Frankfurt, Germany, en route to Stuttgart. Upon meeting their host families, both boys went on their way…Caleb to Ludwigsburg with Johannes and Tyler to Backnung with Kai. During their three weeks in Germany, the boys found many surprises awaited them. The German meals were very different than they normally ate, filled with vegetables, pasta, and bread, with meat eaten only a few times a week. The transportation used was primarily train or bike. And with the hilly terrain, the bike riding proved to be quite a challenge! They were amazed at the “oldness” of the country….buildings, towns, homes, churches. And, of course, the fact that both Caleb and Tyler spoke only English proved very challenging, although the German people speak German and English and were very gracious to speak English when communicating with the boys.
Caleb had the opportunity to travel with Johannes on a five day school trip to Taize, France, for the Council of the Youth. This was a large gathering of approximately 4000 students from all over Europe. It was held in a monastery, where the kids spent time in prayer and singing (in Latin, French, and German) and enjoying free time. Tyler had the incredible experience of traveling with Kai’s family to the Alps in Italy for “holiday.” He tried surfing and attended an opera in a large opera house in Verona.
On August 7, all four boys arrived in Orlando to the delight of their families. While in Florida, Johannes and Kai were able to experience true Florida living. They went to the beach (St. Augustine/Cocoa Beach), spent many days on the river, floated down the Ichetucknee River, and enjoyed our wonderful outdoors. Tubing and knee boarding were two new activities that they mastered. Even the sighting of an occasional alligator didn’t deter them! Of course, they did experience the life of a typical Gilchrist County high school student. Many evenings they went to Gainesville to go bowling, go to the movies, or shop at the mall.
On August 17, all four of the boys began school at Trenton High School (special thanks to the Gilchrist County School Board and Trenton High School!). Both Johannes and Kai found the school to be very different than their schools. In Germany, school hours are from 7:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; then they go home for lunch and free time. In contrast to 6 classes, they take 15 courses each year. Due to the fact that Caleb and Tyler play football for THS, Johannes and Kai found themselves at many football practices. Football and baseball are not common sports in Germany; both boys are much more involved in tennis and soccer. In Kai’s words, “I tried football and baseball. I was not good at football, but was OK at baseball. It makes more sense.”
Food was also an interesting change for Johannes and Kai. They said that the food was “lots” and very fatty, but they did enjoy cheeseburgers! Americans drive very big cars and drive everywhere. Along with the cars, everything here is very big…land, stores, fast food places. One thing that both agree about is the Florida weather. “It is HOT. When we came out of the airport, I first began to sweat!” said Johannes.
Johannes and Kai will return to Germany on August 28. It will definitely be a bittersweet farewell! All four boys have become good friends and have learned so much from each other and their cultures. Because Johannes and Kai speak German and English, the communication was not a barrier to their experiences in America. Caleb and Tyler have truly developed an appreciation for the need to know a foreign language as they have seen that the world is not as big as many think it is. Friendships may be found anywhere and life has many wonderful adventures to explore. This exchange has been one that all the boys were glad they didn’t miss!
Each year, the Rotary Club offers both short-term and long-term exchange opportunities to students. The information will be available in the late fall.
Do not miss out on the opportunity to experience an adventure such as this. These times come very rarely in life. Ask Caleb, Johannes, Kai, and Tyler…it has truly been life-changing!!