Tag: high school

Your Options After Graduating High School

Whether you realize it or not, high school graduation if your first real taste of independence. You’ve probably spent most of your life in school with the same people from your hometown who are all on the same path. What happens next is totally up to you.

Spring is creeping up, so it’s time to plan what your next move will be NOW. The most apparent option is college.

College is great for those who know exactly what they want to do as a career and are ready to dive head-first into their major. But if you’re not totally confident about college decisions, then that’s probably a sign to hold off until you know more about yourself and what you want. Taking out student loans just because everyone expects you to attend a university right away seems like a bad reason to go into debt.

Another option is taking a gap year.

Obviously, I don’t mean spending a year laying in bed watching Netflix. A gap year is time spent constructively towards personal growth and can help you succeed in college (and career) in the long run.

Gap years give you the interpersonal skills that aren’t taught in a classroom setting. These are things like interacting with people from different backgrounds, taking initiative, and respecting other cultures.

These skills lay the foundation for a successful college experience. Those who have taken a gap year after high school tends to have higher GPA’s in college, graduate on time, and are better prepared for employment.

Since the whole goal of a gap year is to have new experiences and gain independence, you’re not going to achieve the personal growth you need in your hometown. Traveling is a crucial aspect of the whole gap year idea, preferably in country with a culture that’s different than yours.

“I plan on going to college, but I don’t’ want to start a year later than everyone else.”

Breaking away from what your peers are doing will make some people question your judgment.

If you saw the movie, “Booksmart” that came out earlier this year, you might remember that the character Amy planned on going abroad for the summer after high school graduation. In the movie’s big climactic scene, she admits to her best friend that (spoiler alert) she’s deferred college and decided to go abroad for the whole year, not just the summer. Her best friend is furious, saying that this messes up their whole plan of graduating college at the same time.

This very real fear of not being on the same page as our friends adds so much pressure to the decisions we make as teens. No one wants to feel like they’re falling behind. But unlike the education structures you’ve been used to, college looks different for everyone.

Grade levels feel very separated in high school, but that’s not really a thing in college. You’re more likely to have classes separated by major instead of by freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year.

Remember that just because taking a gap year is unheard of at your high school do does not mean that it’s uncommon in general. While many people go straight from high school to undergrad, there is also a significant number of people who start college later in life.

Here are some ways you can travel during your gap year:

Work Abroad

Making money while backpacking is the best of both worlds. Life experience while boosting your resume at the same time. Work abroad programs focus on travel, so these types of jobs give you the flexibility to move around. Popular fields are hospitality and food service, but there are also trade skill options as well.

It’s important to note that this program utilizes a Working Holiday visa, which is only available to those between the ages of 18-29. If you’re interested in working abroad, it’s better to do sooner rather than later.

Check out our work abroad programs in Argentina, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Get an Internship

If you’re looking for specific career experience, try an internship abroad. We other a 12-week marketing internship in Thailand where you can earn academic credit and focus on different marketing initiaitves with other interns.

Learn more about our marketing internship in Thailand.

Live in a Homestay

It’s like being an exchange student, without the school. Basically, you have can live with a host family for 1-3 months with the commitment to tutoring them in English for 15 hours a week.

Homestay options are available in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Italy, Russia, and Spain.

Become an Exchange Student

This your last chance to have that exchange student experience of living with a host family and attending a local school!

You might be wondering, ‘why would I want to continue high school if I already graduated‘ but there are actually a number of reasons. First of all, it’s a major college application boost. You get to take more classes, become fluent in another language, and demonstrate your independence. You can even get college credit depending on the country you go to. If you study abroad in England, for example, their education system is structured differently.

Continuing high school abroad also gives you access to way more resources if you’re interested in applying to college outside of the United States. Just something to think about.

Here’s a list of all of the countries where you can study abroad.

Design Your Own

If you can’t pick where you want to go and what you want to do, why not mix and match? Spend 5 months working in Ireland, a trimester studying in Argentina, and a month living with a family in China! How many people can say that they’ve lived on multiple continents? Plus, it will still cost less and college.

The bottom line: Consider all of your options before committing to any life-altering decisions. And no matter what path you choose, congratulations on your high school graduation.

November 13, 2019
The Education System in the United States vs England
Before I came to England, I had only gone to school in the same school district and had no idea how different other schools can be. After living in a new country for 5 months, I now realize how different school can actually be. Let’s compare:

Summer Vacations

I was shocked when I found out that summer is only 6 weeks long in England! My initial reaction was “that’s unfortunate”, but that quickly changed when I heard how many breaks they get during the year. Each school gets 14 weeks off, just divided differently. In England, every 6-8 weeks they have what’s called ‘half term’ which is a week off once they finish a term. In America, we only have a few breaks during the year which can be quite exhausting.

Country United States United Kingdom

Summer length 10 weeks 6 weeks

Mother Day in Hayor in Dartmoor

School Years

Another major difference is the breakdown of school ages. Students in America begin and finish education one year later than those in England. There are also different levels of schooling offered at different ages illustrated in the charts below.

COUNTRY United States

Elementary School 5-11

Middle School 11-14

High School 14-18

University 18-22

COUNTRY United Kingdom

Primary School 4-11

Secondary school 11-16

College 16-18

University 18-21

Fishing in Wembury

HIGH SCHOOL VS COLLEGE

The biggest difference I experienced was going to college at age 16. In the US, I was a junior in high school and had another year before I graduated. However, when I came to England, I was a college student. This was even better than I could have imagined.

In the US I would attend 6 lessons from 7:20-2:13 with only 6 minutes passing time between classes and 25 minutes for lunch.

In the UK I would start on most days at 9, but only have 2-3 classes a day giving me at least a 2 hour break.

This was great for me because I could sleep longer, spend my free time catching up on homework, or hanging out with friends.

Country Start & End time Classes Lunch

United States 7:20-2:13 6 25 min lunch

United Kingdom 9-4:30 3 2+ hours break

I enjoyed attending 3 college classes because there was much more focus on each subject. With that extra focus, however, came more pressure. The grade received for each class was the final exam grade. In the courses I took, no coursework, homework, or quizzes counted towards the overall grade. This was very different to what I have experienced in the states as 85% of my final grade consisted of homework, tests, quizzes, and only 15% accounted for my final exam. Although I prefer the schedule I had in England, I enjoyed the grade breakdown of the states.

As there are pros and cons to both education systems, I cannot choose which one I prefer. However, I am fortunate to have experienced the differences and now appreciate them as well.

Greenheart Travel’s Tips for Studying Abroad in England
- You will experience culture shock in ways you don’t expect. Although England might be very similar to your home country, there will be cultural differences regarding self-expression, mannerisms, and social expectations.
- Every country has a different set of priorities on what it deems as valuable curriculum. There will be areas where you thrive and others where you don’t. This has nothing to do with how “smart” a country is.
- Do your best to request subjects that genuinely excite you. Though ultimately your courses will depend on the school, you are able to put in preferences. Make sure to choose subjects that you will be excited to learn more about or that your home school has said they will give you credit for. This will motivate you through the increased workload you can expect! Studying abroad at a Sixth Form college in England is one of our most academically rigorous programs!
- Use your study periods – catch up on studying in your own time, you’ll be expected to be very independent when it comes to making progress at school! Use your study periods so that after school you can focus on joining a club or sport.
September 11, 2019

High School in the United States vs New Zealand

I have been in New Zealand for quite a bit of time and while I was not mountain biking through the redwood forest, tramping (hiking) in native bush, and kayaking deep in volcanic river canyons, I went to school. The transition was not extremely difficult but there are definitely a few aspects that confused me at first. Here is a wee article on the New Zealand school system written by an American international student to other international students who are about to embark on a journey of a lifetime.

Firstly, since New Zealand is located in the Southern Hemisphere, it is important to realize that the school year, just like the weather, is switched. Instead of running from around August to June/May school runs from January to November/December (depending on your year level and the exams you choose to take). It can get chilly during the year, but it is important to wear your school uniform as many schools are quite strict about this. But do not worry, they will have jackets and pants as a part of the uniform. Lastly, New Zealand schools are proud of their culture and emphasize the Maōri word whanau (family) throughout the school. From the beginning of the year, you will be placed into a specific house with a portion of the school’s students and teacher. Many of these people will become close friends.

A normal school day goes as the following:

8:40, Arrive at school before
8:40 – 8:55, Roll check/homeroom
8:55 – 9:55, Period 1
9:55 – 10:55, Period 2
10:55 – 11:20, Interval (break)
11:20 – 12:20, Period 3
12:20 – 1:20, Period 4
1:20 – 2:10, Lunch
2:10 – 3:10 Period 5

However, on days where it is stormy outside the school often shortens lunch by ten minutes allowing students to get out at 3 pm.

Schools often have a few sports days (one fun day and two competitive days of track and field/swimming) throughout the year in which students have the day off in order to participate. The teachers, unlike most adults, are referred to as their last name (e.g. Mr. Dunn). Teachers are often formal when needing to be formal, but will still share a laugh with there students. Classes are relaxed and less strict compared to the US. For our interval and lunch break, many students flock to the school Cantine for a classic New Zealand pie or hot chips/wedges while others, like myself, bring their own lunch. Most students will eat outside throughout the school at benches or tables with their friends. There will often be an international room open as well for international students to meet for announcements and such.

As far as classes go, you will be placed in a class with a number similar to the US but there can be lots of exceptions. For example, when I arrived in New Zealand I was a fifteen-year-old coming from my second semester of sophomore year, but on my first day of school in NZ, I was placed in Year 12. This is common due to the switched school years. As a student traveling to New Zealand at the start of the New Zealand school year, you will probably be placed in a year above what you currently are aged. Heres a handy chart to help with high school years, but remember, there can be lots of irregularities.

New Zealand Years	Age Group	USA Grades
Year 9	13 – 14	8th Grade
Year 10	14 – 15	Freshman Year
Year 11	15 – 16	Sophomore Year
Year 12	16 – 17	Junior Year
Year 13	17 – 18	Senior Year

The grading in New Zealand is completely different from that of the US and follows the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) system. Students do internals (class projects and tests) and can do externals (exams) in order to earn a certain amount of “credits” for each class. Each of these externals or internals have a set amount of credits that can be awarded if the external/internal is passed. These credits can take many forms of achievement from ‘not achieved’ (F) to ‘achieved with excellence’ (A). At the end of the year, a student is required to have a certain amount of credits in a class to pass the class. One can pass a class with only achieved credits just like you can still pass a class with a C in the USA; however, students often pursue excellence credits as this will be noticed by universities and scholarships.

This chart shows how the grading system transfers.

New Zealand Grading	USA Grading
Not achieved	F
Achieved	D/C
Achieved with Merit	B
Achieved with Excellence	A

So that is basically everything you need to know! The rest will be a fun surprise. If you are reading this, I definitely encourage you to take a leap and a risk and go to New Zealand as an international student. You will not be disappointed!

June 3, 2019

The Swedish School System from an Exchange Student’s Perspective
I’ve been in school here in Sweden for a little over two months! Time has gone by so quickly but I’m really enjoying the experience of going to highschool and staying with a host family. There are quite a few differences between the school systems that I noticed quite quickly! I arrived in Sweden by train from Copenhagen in the late afternoon on Saturday and met my host family for the first time. Everything was so new and a little scary, but they made me feel right at home by showing me around the house and having fika as soon as we arrived. Despite feeling more comfortable at home, I was starting school on Monday! I was nervous and I didn’t really know what to expect.

Early Monday morning my host father Mikael walked me to the school and we met with some teachers. I am attending gymnasieskola , the Swedish equivalent of highschool. They gave me my schedule and a laptop and my media teacher, Tommy, took me upstairs to the media room, which is full of computers and cameras. The first big difference between a Swedish and American school is how you address the teachers. In Sweden, they always go by their first name and would find it strange if you address them as Mr/Ms. This takes a little getting used to as I’ve been taught since kindergarten to always use Mr/Ms when talking to my teachers, but I enjoy calling teachers by their first name. I think it makes them seem more like a friend instead of an authority figure.

Secondly, the grades in school are a bit different from America. As I said, I’m attending gymnasieskola –– sort of like American high school. It has three grades and people are usually ages16-19 when they attend.

Here is how it’s laid out:

Förskola and Förskoleklass – like preschool, ranging from ages 1 through 6
Grundskola – 9 grades, sort of like elementary and middle school + freshman year of highschool. Ages 7-15. It’s divided into 3 sections:
- Lågstadiet (grades 1-3)
- Mellanstadiet (grades 4-6) and
- Högstadiet (grades 6-9) Gymnasieskola – 3 years, much like the last three years of American high school.
Despite being 16, I’m taking 2nd and 3rd year classes so I can experience the photography and media program more. Normally, a 16 year old would be a year one student in gymnasieskola !

My first media class had only four other students, and in my experience, many of the class sizes are small to medium depending on what you are used to. Some of my classes range from 5-10 people and some of the bigger classes like math have 15 students. In Sweden, Gymnasieskola is much more tailored to your interests and future career than American high school. My school focuses heavily on media, journalism, and digital arts. That isn’t to say that we don’t have math and language classes as well. In my application process, I was able to express my interests which helped me get into a school that was a good match for me.

And lastly, the biggest difference! The schedule in Swedish school is basically the polar opposite of American schools. When I first received my schedule I was confused about the large empty spots between classes. I asked one of my new friends and they told me there were no classes in those spots and I could do whatever I wanted. I was shocked! In America, at least at my school, classes are back to back and you can’t leave the building freely or be in the halls while class is happening. With these large breaks in my schedule, I am allowed to leave school and do whatever I want whether it be going for a walk, going to a cafe or the store with friends, or heading to the lunchroom. This freedom reminds me a lot of what I’ve heard about a college experience and I really enjoy it. I feel much less stressed about school and I have time to do things I enjoy doing.

Swedish schools also don’t take being late or tardy seriously, which is good and bad. On one hand, it’s nice to not be punished for being a couple of minutes late. On the other hand, sometimes students come in 20-30 minutes late and end up missing most of class. I definitely recommend trying to be timely if you’re thinking of attending a Swedish high school! You’ll get much more out of the class and it’s much nicer for the teacher. Going to high school abroad is an amazing and invaluable experience, and I hope this insight helped. Thank you for reading!
May 9, 2019
Take 5: High School Abroad in the Netherlands with John Robinson

Take 5 is a Greenheart Travel interview series where we ask alumni five questions about their time abroad. This week, the focus is on John Robinson, who spent part of his high school experience studying abroad in the Netherlands.

Read on to learn what inspired John to go, his favorite Dutch show, and the friends he made from all over the world.

1. What inspired you to go to the Netherlands?

I would say what inspired me to live in the Netherlands most is how little I knew about the culture. Other than hearing about the very generous Dutch people, and the wonders of Amsterdam, I knew so little. I was inspired to learn as much as I could about the Netherlands from nothing. I was inspired by the thought of a fresh start.

2. What was your favorite way to spend your weekends?

My favorite way to spend my weekends would have to be traveling as far as I could go in the little time that I had. Although the late Sunday night ventures home were never something I looked forward to, I still desired to be out and about on the weekends. I would just find the cheapest train ticket, and then see what the Netherlands has to offer. Every new adventure was one I cherished.

3. Favorite Dutch show?

Favorite Dutch show was Undress for Love. They were always either watching that or some National Geographic special, so I didn’t mind.

4. Did you make any unlikely friends?

I did make some unlikely and unexpected friends. It was unlikely because they weren’t even Dutch! Three kids from Italy, two kids from Brazil, one from Mexico, and one from Australia. All of them I saw multiple times throughout my stay here.

5. What was the best piece of advice you received before going abroad?

The best piece of advice I received before coming over here was to live MY life. I carried that with me every day and thought about it with every decision I made. It’s my life and nobody else’s so, therefore, I will make what I can of it. I learned to stay happy as can be, and I learned to accept the outcome of my decisions.

Click the link below to find out how you can study abroad in the Netherlands!

December 14, 2018
Take 5: Discussing Travel Playlists and French Coffee with Ian Taraszewski

Time to Take 5 with Ian Taraszewski, who went to High School in France! Take 5 is a series where Greenheart Travel alumni answer quirky questions about their time abroad. Let’s dive in and learn Ian’s take on cafés, French music, and what it means to be present while abroad.

1. Best way to get involved?

It can seem difficult, especially in a completely new, completely foreign country, to get involved and make wherever you are feel more like home. But honestly, for me, the answer was quite simple and it was just being present. If there aren’t any clubs or teams that seem to present themselves initially, the best way to integrate the quickest is to just put yourself out there as much as you can. For me, that meant spending as little time in my room or by myself as possible, especially in the first few weeks. The less English I spoke, the more French I learned every single day. I did my best to talk about my day with my host family at dinner and introduce myself to the people in my class at school.

2. Biggest language miscommunication?

My biggest language miscommunication was extremely awkward but walking away from it I just had to laugh because I knew that it was bound to happen at some point (and continue happening very frequently). It was right around my second week in France and I was in the downtown area after meeting with some friends but had to use the bathroom before taking the bus home. I walked into a cafe and wanted to ask the lady if there were bathrooms here. However in French when asking such a question people say ‘toilettes’ which means toilet. The phrase for bathroom ‘salle de bain’ typically refers to the shower or bath because in France the toilet is often separate from the rest of the bathroom. So, of course, I asked the lady working at the cafe ‘Est-ce que tu as une salle de bain’ (notice I also used the informal tu when I should’ve most definitely used the formal vous). After getting the weirdest look and an awkward “no”, I walked away having learned immediately the dangers of direct translation.

3. Favorite French song?

My favorite French song is always changing and I try to stay on top of new French music that comes out even though I’m back home. But ‘Tout Va Bien’ by Orelsan was a song that came out in France right around when I got there and stayed popular and playing on the radios throughout my study abroad, so whenever I hear it, it just brings back a lot of good memories. It’s a catchy song which is what first drew me to download it on my phone, but it was one that kind of grew with me in that the first time I heard it I couldn’t understand any of it, but by the end of my semester I could basically sing it by heart. It has kind of a deep meaning to it and was produced by Stromae who tends to have symbolic meanings in his songs about society that you don’t notice at first which I think is kind of cool.

4. French aspect you wish US Americans would adopt?

A French aspect that I wish US Americans would adopt is cafe culture in general. In France, it’s seen as a weird ‘faut pas’ to get coffee to go and eat or drink while on the way to other places. I think this ties into the French culture in general in that they take their time to enjoy moments. So when people go to a cafe together, it’s customary to sit at the cafe and enjoy an espresso with friends and talk rather than going to the cafe to study and be alone or take one to go. I also wish that the US would have espresso more often as opposed to a huge cup of coffee with milk and sugar. A standard coffee in France is a little cup with one shot of espresso in it, but people can still take a long time to sit and drink it which I think helps to appreciate it more.

5. When was the first time you felt like you made a friend?

The first time I feel like I made a friend was during my first week of school in France. My school followed a trimester system so arriving in January meant that I kind of just started in the middle of everything and classes were full in session. On the first day, after the principle had brought me in, introduced me and everyone realized I couldn’t speak that well. A boy lead me to his locker and let me put my books there. He also made sure there was a spot for me at his lunch table with some other people in my class. As I was first learning conversational French and until I could do things on my own, he would help me with homework and notes in class. It was really cool to feel like I had someone on my side from the getgo who made sure I felt welcome and not overwhelmed. Eventually, when I was able to speak more fluently our friendship became even better.

How amazing would it be to go to High School in France!? Click the link below for more information about Ian’s program.

October 16, 2018
Japan High School Exchange 101

High school can be a difficult time, but attending a high school in a country that speaks another language and embraces unfamiliar cultures and traditions is an adventure few can boast to their friends and family. Jes Stayton, study abroad in Japan alumni offers some advice to a prospective exchange student on making the most of this amazing experience.

Packing a suitcase for a Greenheart Travel program.

Packing Tips for Japan

One of the things I regret most about my pre-exchange program preparation is that I brought too much stuff to Japan. Bring everything you need, of course, but don’t pack with the mindset of ‘I’m going to be there 10 months, 5 months etc.’ Also, try to leave space in your bag for the things you will buy in Japan. Remember that you can buy toothpaste, shampoo and other necessities in Japan. I would bring what you need for the first month, and then buy everything else after that.

I think it might be a good idea to bring some bath towels. In Japan, everyone has their own bath towel, slippers, chopsticks, plates, etc. I doubt that your host family will require you to buy your own plates, but they might want you to use your own towel(s). This differs from family to family. My first two host families lent me a towel, but my current host family asked me to buy my own.

As for clothes, it is important to remember that you will be living here, not just on a trip. Don’t pack only your most fashionable things. Bring the clothes you wear for hanging around the house; the sweaters you wear when you are cold. Most Japanese houses don’t have central heating, so this is important. If you own long underwear, you should bring it. Most Japanese people wear long underwear during the winter. In fact, I think it is a good idea to bring enough underwear and bras for a week. Some families wear different underwear and bras everyday.

Lastly, if you use a digital camera, it might be a good idea to bring an extra memory card. I was planning to delete pictures taken in America, but once I got to Japan, I found I didn’t want to.

A Japanese host family on a picnic.

Etiquette for Staying with a Japanese Host Family

The home stay is one of the most important parts of going on an exchange program. In my opinion, an exchange student’s relationship with his/her host family is most important. Before coming to Japan, I thought that most of my struggles would be at school, and didn’t think about the home stay much at all. However, after coming to Japan, I found that it was actually the opposite. The vast majority of my mistakes were made at home. Teachers and students at school also tend to be more understanding than the host family.

Remember that your host family is not your real family no matter how nice they are, so offer to help your host family with chores, and if you can, do chores that relate to you. This means that unless your host family says otherwise, wash your own laundry, clean your own room, etc.

Aisatsu (greetings) are very important in Japan. Always say, ‘Arigatou gozaimasu, ‘Ohayo gozaimasu’, ‘Oyasuminasai’, ‘Tadaima’, and other greetings. It took me a long time to realize that not saying ‘Ohayo gozaimasu’ to everyone, every morning, was rude. Also, if your host family bothers to correct your Japanese or teach you Japanese manners—study it. They are helping you out of kindness, so if you make the same mistake again and again, it looks like you don’t care.

Don’t worry too much about your mistakes, though. Always apologize, and remember the mistake so you don’t make it again, but try not to stress about it. I tend to make myself miserable that way. Your host family knows that as an exchange student you will make mistakes. They won’t hate you because of it. Try your hardest, and make sure your host family knows that you are trying, and you will be okay.

Architecture in Japan.

Studying Abroad in Japan

If you study Japanese at school, I would recommend asking your teacher what phrases, or words she/he thinks you should study. If your teacher, knowing that you will be going on an exchange program, goes out of his/her way to teach you something, I would make sure to study it. When I looked at my Japanese notes a month into the exchange program, I realized that many of the things I had trouble with in the first month were things I had already studied during my last few lessons before leaving. Also, don’t slack off during the summer.

Once you get to Japan, I recommend you try to write down the words you don’t understand, and study them later.

You likely won’t be able to write down all the words you hear, but anything you can write down is a step toward understanding Japanese. In class, you may not understand anything at first. I could understand my English classes, but not my history or religion class (I asked to take history, so don’t worry about that). Try to pay attention, even if you don’t understand. Listen for words you do understand, and watch the teacher.

Some teachers gesture while they speak, making the class easier to understand. If you take notes, try to notice the separate radicals (parts) of kanji. Knowing radicals will make it easier to write and remember kanji later. For example: the kanji used for “time” is made of the kanjis for “day” and for “temple.” I already know how to write these kanji, so remembering the kanji for “time” is easy.

People wearing traditional Japanese attire.

General Advice for Japan

One thing I think all exchange students should do is talk to people. No one will think you are stupid or laugh at you for not having perfect Japanese. At the very beginning of your exchange program, when you are still a novelty, the other students in your class and at your school will be fascinated by you. Complete strangers said ‘konnichiwa‘ to me in the hallway, and asked me questions about America. This period of time is a golden opportunity. Talk to your fellow students, and try to make friends. If someone invites you to go out together or eat lunch together at school, accept if you can. Later, it will be much harder to make friends, and meet people.

Try to focus on Japan while you are there. Don’t spend all your time thinking about your own family and your own country.

Concentrate on the good points of being in Japan. If you are homesick, distract yourself from it. This is difficult to do, but if you can do it, you will enjoy your time much more. Also, always try new things, because if you don’t you will regret it later. Join the bukatsu that you have always had an interest in, not just what sport you did at home. I joined the orchestra club because I play the violin, but I wish I had joined the kendo bukatsu instead. An exchange program is an opportunity to expand the bounds of who you are, so don’t worry about what you have always done, or what other people will think.

February 12, 2017
Friendships, Personal Empowerment and Why I Fell in Love with Germany

by Rachel Anderson, Greenheart Travel High School student in Germany

It’s hard to believe that my exchange trip to Germany is over. I have learned so much about myself and the world. The experience as an exchange student is so rewarding in so many ways. It was by far the best part of my 12 years of being in the school system.

Learning alongside wonderful people about an amazing culture helped me develop ideas of what I am hoping to do in my future and what I would like to see as an independent person. I feel so incredibly strong and empowered at the moment.

This feeling is accompanied by a huge hole in my heart because now I am supposed to live in a life where some of my best friends are living across the world. I am so thankful for what those friendships have taught me. It makes me realize how amazing the world is and how many people are eager and excited for an adventure.

I feel so comfortable in my own skin and I feel completely aware of who I am. With a new sense of what makes me happy I feel so excited for the future because I know that I will be happy very easily with the simple things. Over the past three months, I ate some of the best food I have ever tasted, danced with incredible people, laughed at all my mistakes, expanded friendships into life-long friendships, and fell in love with Germany. I already plan on going back as soon as possible because I can’t imagine living a life where those people aren’t in it.

Coming home after this experience has been very difficult. It was amazing seeing my family, friends, and home again. Yet it seems so weird to not share this experience with my friends in Germany. I just want them to be right beside me. I already miss them like crazy and I am so excited to keep in contact with all of them.

Once I got home I noticed ways which my lifestyle has changed, it’s really nice because I feel a greater connection to my home and I always want to keep busy because that is the way Germans live there life. I am so grateful for this opportunity and I would recommend it to everyone who is even slightly interested.

April 28, 2016
A Surprise Party for My Final Days in Finland

by Natalie Griffin, Greenheart Travel High School Student in Finland

On April 8th, my second to last day here in Finland, I had already made plans with Evelina to go to her house. When I arrived we walked to her room and when she opened the door, I was surprised to see 4 more of my friends: Karoliina, Anni, Josefina, and Milla who all shouted “surprise!”

We then went down downstairs and started my surprise party eating mud cake, chips and dip, cheese balls, and carrots and cucumbers. Then we walked around outside for a bit before going back inside where they surprised me with presents.

After that we played a game called “murder” where we all had to pick a card from the hat and whoever got the card for the investigator would leave the room while the person who pulled he murderer cards and the victims sorted out the order of killings. Whoever had the card that said “k1” would die first and “k4” would die last if the murderer wasn’t discovered. The murderer would fake kill the first victim and the victim would scream, cueing the investigator to enter. The investigator had to ask everyone else where they had been and each person had make up some kind of excuse on spot. It was a lot of fun to see what kind of excuses each person would make, trying to trick the investigator into choosing them.

The investigator, after hearing each person’s story, then would choose someone to question to further and bring them away to another room, if they heard a scream from a new victim then they knew they chose the wrong person and would have to choose again. We had a lot of fun during the game but after a while we switched to playing a clean version of truth or dare which was more of just getting to know each other better.

Both Josefina and Karoliina had to leave early, but the rest of us continued to talk and eat more food until Sari came to pick me up too. I’m gonna miss them all a lot and I had a ton of fun here in Finland. I hope I can return soon!!

April 21, 2016
An April Fool’s Day Joke and Weekend Activities in Finland

by Natalie Griffin, Greenheart Travel High School Student in Finland

On April fools day, my art class pulled a prank on my religion teacher because she always would complain about people walking past her window while she was teaching. In order to prank her, my art teacher cut out a larger than life cardboard cutout of the pope and we all went outside with it.

We walked up to her window making lots of noise while a kid hid under the site of the window. He slowly raised the pope up so it looked like the pope was waving at the class through the window. My religion teacher, as well as her class, found it very funny and she now keeps the cardboard pope hanging up in her classroom.

After school I took a bus to Lahti with my friend Anni to watch The 5th Wave, and we spent the day walking around stores and ate at Arnold’s bakery as well as Burger King. Our movie started at 6:30 so we had a lot of time to spare before it started so we waited at the movie theatre 2 hours and 30 minutes early and watch funny videos and then a show on Netflix together. We also bought a lot of candy and popcorn for the movie.

The Saturday after that, me, Jasmin, and Tomi went to a castle in Turku. It was really cool to walk around in and luckily there were English explanations in each room too. We got to also dress up in the time periods clothing and feel how heavy parts of armour were. It was so much fun and very cool to see!

On Sunday, I went to a horse stable with my friend Elina so that I could ride her horse. Since the outdoor riding ring was wet we went on a trail ride around a dirt rode with me riding and her walking next to me.

We got to talk and learn a lot more about each other and it was a lot of fun. I only walked and trotted so that she wouldn’t have to run too fast but it was still really exciting and I’m glad I got the chance to do it!

April 20, 2016