Question Marks.

Nowadays, people rarely look at me for the answer. (With the exception of English class and, sometimes, Math.)

However, thirteen pairs of eyes were looking at me at this point. Every single pair was tense with anticipation and anxiety for the answer. I was sitting in a circle with just one of the groups of Germans taking exchanges next year to America. These kids were going to a range of places in America from Texas to New Jersey to Michigan, and they were looking to me for the answer.

Last weekend, I was in Köln (or Cologne) with my exchange organization AYUSA for three days back in that same old youth hostile from my mid-year seminar in January. I was there again with exchange students, but instead of getting the advice, I was now giving it out and holding the wealth of knowledge as a current exchange student and a real American.

There were questions that I could answer thoroughly though and give my perspective. I explained what a normal school day could be like and the situation of public transportation (they were shocked that there really is a yellow school bus). At one point, one of the girls countered me and told me how she heard that in America you had the same classes everyday. She was set on what she had heard, and immediately, I started to counter argue and point out how my school had the A-day/B-day system. Then I had to smile to myself when I thought about how I was that girl when I came to Germany: I knew the answers. Two of my sisters had done this, I have always been surrounded by exchange students, and I just knew what to expect. Despite knowing that, most of my exchange experience has caught me off-guard, but I was still glad to help these exchange students however I could.

“How long have you been here? When do you go home? … Wow.”

“Did you have homesickness? What’d you do?”

“What’s high school like? What’s the biggest different between school here and there?”

“I heard they don’t have [insert object name] in America, should I bring it?”

“Do you have your own bedroom here?”

“You’re from Texas, right? Do you have a gun?”

“Have you been homesick?”

“How much money do I need per month for spending money?”

“How often do you talk to your family in America?”

“So what’s homesickness like?”

“Is everything really cheaper in America?”

“Where have you been in America?”

“Do you know anything about [Insert host-city name here]?”

“I’m scared about getting homesick. Is it hard?”

“Was it hard making new friends here?”

“What was your first day of school like?”

I answered every question as well as I could, but with always a side note on there: “But that’s how it is for me, personally, it could also be like…” Hopefully whatever I said will help someone in the long run, but they’ll figure it out for themselves. I am sure of that.