Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Samuel Pallhuber (4C) did it! He spends the rest of this school year in Wausau near Minnesota, Wisconsin. He participates in the EF High School Exchange Year program (http://www.efexchangeyear.org).
That’s what he has to say about …
School life
My first month in the United States ended a few days ago and I really have to say that I have settled in pretty well over here. I am getting along very well with my host family; I love my new school and I have already made some friends. I attend Spencer High School, a relatively small high school for American standards with "only" 600 students and it really does meet all the clichés: the lockers, the cheerleaders, the American Lunch in the gym, I love it!
My favorite subjects are US History, Environmental Science and Food Science. But what I like best about high school is that they have different sports teams. I'm part of our basketball team. To join the team was one of the best decisions I've made so far. We are in the playoffs right now, that means that we currently have a very stressful life. We have practice 3 times a week and we play 3 games a week. Nevertheless, it is worth all the effort because I have met most of my new friends in the team and the games are fun with the cheerleaders and the spectators.
Host family
I am very happy with my host family, they show me their country and I really appreciate that. Life in the US is very different from life in Italy. People are much more open-minded, no matter where you are going or what you are doing, you are constantly being engaged in conversations with people you don’t know. This is so cool!
Sightseeing and Food
Apart from my stay in Chicago and the trips I have made up here in Wisconsin with my host family, the most impressive thing for me are all the different stores like Walmart, Target or Fleet Farm where you can get almost everything. I am also a big fan of American food. Corndogs, cheese curds and tacos are my favorites.
Homesickness
Thank God I haven't felt homesick yet, but I do miss my family, my dog and my friends, especially my classmates. Nevertheless, I do not regret my decision to do the exchange year. Actually, it seems to me that I have gained more experience in the last 30 days than in the last 10 years of my life and my English is also improving day by day.
