Advertisement
Published: July 13th 2016
Edit Blog Post
We rose at three in the morning in Reykjavik, Iceland, battling a time change, uneven sleep in unknown beds, and following up a very long (26+ hours in most cases) day full of emotion, nerves, and travel preceding this early rise. Nobody seemed tired though as they sauntered into the kitchen and dining room of the youth hostel for breakfast. The scene outside the picture windows was one of tranquility and peace as the morning twilight, which was just now overtaking the evening twilight which had held firm and in fact never given way to darkness, bathed the tops of buildings in brilliant golds and oranges as the silent cobbled streets below awaited another days traffic that was still hours away. The tranquility of the outside world sat in stark contrast to the buzz of enthusiasm within the hostel dining room. Excitement permeated the group as everyone eagerly anticipated being reunited with their German partner in just a few short hours.
The bus ride to the airport was breathtaking as we traveled along an empty two lane highway next to the sea. We got to enjoy views of quintessential rural Iceland during a seemingly perpetual sunrise. Small red roofed houses
tucked in rocky, grassy fields along the shore bid us farewell as we passed. We sat staring in awe at the huge volcanic silhouettes in the distance across the bay, rays of sun filtering through the early morning clouds bathing a shimmering sea in light.
The final leg of our journey had commenced; we were almost there. Indeed, a three hour flight later, and seemingly a three hour wait for our luggage as the final three bags were nowhere to be seen for quite some time, and then, finally, we were on our way out the door to meet our friends! We looked forward to the cheering throng of signs and flags as we exited the "nothing to declare" tunnel. As we turned the corner, expectations were enormous, and then, nothing. An empty space greeted the confused travelers as we entered the airport lobby. Nobody to be seen...
Was the bus late? Did it break down? Was there a miscommunication? How do we get to Haigerloch now?
"Hey, I see a balloon, let's go check over there!" Exclaimed an American student. So off the group went to another exit. The new arrivals got to surprise the hosts
as we snuck up unintentionally upon them from behind. It was now that the celebration began with hugs, cheering and of course the welcome signs. All was right with the world once again.
A quick lunch and a not so quick bus ride later, we were at school. We were met by what seemed like Super Bowl media day, as a large contingent of parents and siblings waited not so patiently in the parking lot of the school armed with cameras, smiles and genuine warm welcomes. The parents were just as excited as the kids to finally be able to collect their charges for the next few weeks.
Wednesday morning, day one of school, began with a welcome gift from the illustrious principal of the school, veteran exchange host parent, and canoe life guard on the wild Neckar River, Bernd. He welcomed the students, and then led us on a great tour of the school grounds. It is hard to believe it has been two years since I have been here. Everything from the buildings and the trees, to the welcoming smiles and hugs from the staff feels as familiar as if it were yesterday that we last
departed.
Following the tour, our students were off to class with their partners. Some enjoyed Math (yes enjoyed it, no, really!), Science, Geography and French. The few who had French today have been nominated as our leaders while in Paris. A few joined Heidi and I as we visited a couple of English classes. They represented our program brilliantly as they shared about themselves, their homes, and answered questions posed to them by the students. They all did a wonderful job of encouraging conversation and providing thoughtful answers. We received incredibly positive reports from the teachers who hosted American students in class today, which is always great to hear!
After some free time for lunch, we met back at the school for the traditional Haigerloch Rallye, or scavenger hunt through town. German students were posted at various spots around town with information about the location where they were posted, such as the castle, the atomkeller, or the Roman tower. Mixed German and American teams were tasked with locating those speakers and listening to what they had to say. It was a great way to tour the town and learn its history quickly. And luckily, unlike the last time,
the rain held off for the duration!
We reconvened at the school at 6pm for the Welcome Dinner. A large assortment of food and drink, accompanied by boisterous and friendly conversation truly did welcome our group into this community. It was great to meet so many enthusiastic parents associated with this program. It was also a joy to see our kids pick up right where they left off in Edison! They very naturally associated in mixed groups, ate, laughed, and talked with one another before heading outside to the playground for basketball, American football, foosball, or just finding another place to talk and enjoy each others company. We have a group here with an already incredibly tight bond, and we are very aware of just how special that is.
During the welcome dinner, we got to celebrate Brodie's birthday as well! Everyone in attendance sang him happy birthday as his face turned ever deeper shades of red before finally being able to end it by blowing out the candles on the cake that his host family made for him.
A little over three hours later, and it was time to clean up and go home. Tomorrow is
another school day after all, though it will be anything but a regular one! We'll participate in the first ever Haigerloch Color Run tomorrow! After that event, we'll head to a neighboring village to make native masks. Dinner will consist of a BBQ in that village. It promises to be another great day here in Germany!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.34s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 13; qc: 52; dbt: 0.0821s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Diana
non-member comment
....for keeping us posted on all the adventures! Fun to read!