Homecoming

Today was our flight back to Austria, and it was really exciting. On the plane, I was sitting by the window. One hour before arriving, I looked out of the window and suddenly felt my heartbeat with a positive feeling. Above the clouds, I saw the mountains stretching out. A smile appeared on my face because I knew that in about one hour, I would see my loved ones, my friends, and my family again.

But at the same time, I felt a bit worried. I knew it was the end of our journey, and I thought of all the experiences we could have had, all the people we met, and the distant people who had become close friends. In the end, I was happy that we were allowed to have this experience.

When we walked off the plane, we saw the airport, and on the balcony of Salzburg Airport, we saw our parents waving. In that moment, I felt a little tear running down my face, and we knew we were home again.

As we were looking for our suitcase, we couldn’t wait to hug our family members and talk with them about our journey.

So that’s 7ab, over and out.

Felix Wimmer

Goodbye USA!

Today was not only the last day in New York City but also the very last day of our USA trip. 

After we had breakfast, we left our rooms, packed our stuff and went straight to Central Park, where we wandered around visiting many places where famous movies such as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York were filmed. 

After leaving central park we had a small lunch and walked over to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) where we were allowed to walk through the exhibitions and the museum shop by ourselves. We had the opportunity to experience some of the most famous art pieces the world has ever seen (e.g. Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh), as well as to explore exhibitions by artists we didn‘t know before.

Then it was already time to head to the hotel and then to the airport, where we had to say goodbye to the US. We felt sad, that those amazing 3 weeks were already over, but we were also looking forward to seeing our families again. All in all we are extremely thankful for this opportunity and for all the wonderful memories we could collect during this trip! 

Paul Seethaler

A day in New York

7th of November: A day in New York

Our journey began at the hotel, from there we walked down to the Hudson River to explore some of New Yorks creative  spaces, starting with Little Island, a floating park on the river. Built on modern-shaped pillars, the incredible architecture offered stunning views of the river and the city. It was an escape from the chaos of the streets,  reminding us of New York’s quality to combine nature with art.

Next, we visited the Vessel in Hudson Yards, which was an impressive  architectural building because of its honeycomb-like structure and hidden stairs to the top of the artwork. Sadly there was a strict rule, that forbid us to walking up to the observation deck.

From The Vessel, we continued walking to the High Line, an unique park built on a former railway line. This green path lead us through the city, offering views of urban art, wildflowers, and the surrounding architecture. Walking above the streets, we felt connected to the city in a way that was very inspiring.

Another essential part of our day was the 9/11 Memorial and the Memorial Museum. The Memorial, with its two massive  pools, was a place of quiet reflection. On all  sides, names were engraved to pay tribute to the lives lost on that tragic day. 

The Museum strengthened the experience, taking us through, photos, and personal stories. Seeing items like pieces of steel from the towers and hearing recorded messages from loved ones made the tragedy feel very real. It was a humbling and emotional experience. Later that day we visited the One World observatory to watch the sunset.

One of the most magical parts of our day was seeing New York City at night. Despite the cold many of us were standing on the deck of the Staten Island ferry and we admired the skyline, seeing the Statue of Liberty, which stood in beautiful contrast to night sky. 

– an unforgettable impression of the city that never sleeps.

Lilly Meschtscherjakov

Next Stop: NYC

At 3 AM we got frantically woken up by an emergency alarm blasted through the hotel, we rushed through the emergency exit with our pyjamas. Confused and shocked we waited outside the hotel until the fire department arrived. The firefighters hurried inside the hotel… But luckily it was a false alarm. So we went back to sleep. We didn‘t get a lot of it that night.

At 7:50 am we packed our suitcases and hopped into the bus. We drove for about 4hrs until we arrived in the city. Instantly we were astonished by the sheer size of the city and the building. After dropping our stuff off in the hotel we had some time to explore Times Square and eat some lunch. We went to the Grand Central Station, it is huge! Over 2 million people commute to this station every day! 

Then we strolled through midtown towards Rockerfeller Center, there we passed the Empire State Building and other skyscrapers. Mr. Baier taught us a lot about the geography of New York City. We also visited to St. Patricks Cathedral.

Later that evening we admired Times Square at night. After eating dinner we headed back to the hotel, because we were very tired. It was a day full of adventure and experiences!

Nicolas Cossmann

Our 2nd day in Boston

Yesterday was our second and most exhausting day in Boston. We spent almost the entire day walking, but it was definitely worth it. We were able to see so many different buildings, went to the Mapparium and also walked along the famous freedom trail.

Our day started with a breakfast at 8pm and right after that we headed to the Prudential tower. It was overwhelming to stand in front of such a huge tower, as we don’t have such high buildings in Salzburg. When we arrived on the 52nd floor, we were able to see the whole city from above. It was a phenomenal view!

After a shopping break at the Prudential Center we went to the Mapparium. We were given a short but very interesting guided tour there. The Mapparium is a huge globe that can be viewed from the inside through a 30 feet (~9 meter) long glass bridge.

Eventhough it has already been a pretty exhausting and long day, we still got enough energy to walk the famous and historically very important freedom trail. Mr. Baier gave us a vey interesting tour and showed us many important places in Boston, such as the Holocaust Memorial.

By then we were all pretty tired, so we had some time to buy us food and headed back to our hotel.

-Matteo

Goodbye New Hampshire, Hello Boston!

Today’s morning was very emotional. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to our host families, but we were all looking forward to visit Boston.

After a 2 1/2 hour drive with the school bus we arrived at our hotel in Boston Then after a short break we took the Subway to the Harvard university. Mr. Baier showed us around on the campus. We learned a lot about the about how Harvard and other colleges/universities in the US work. Many successful people like Barack Obama, JFK and Steve Jobs studied at Harvard.

After the campus tour we went to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The museum was a great experience, because there were a lot of old exhibitions, but they were supported by up to date science. We saw some really detailed flowers and plants made out of glass, there was a huge exhibition dedicated to flora and fauna (Insects, Sharks, Animals in New England, Dinosaurs, Asian and African animals etc.), and also a big mineral collection.

Later that day we got to explore the infamous Boston Chinatown. The streets were beautiful and the evening city skyline was magnificent. After dinner in Chinatown we walked back to our hotel!

All of us are really grateful for the things we got to experience and the memories we made in the two weeks.

Thank you!

David Bojtschuk

Our last day in New Hampshire

Today was our last day with the host families and I couldn’t believe how quickly two weeks had passed. In the morning, I had the opportunity to meet the entire family at a family brunch. It was so interesting to talk to the grandfather who had lived in Austria many years ago. He was excited to share his experiences and very curious so I answered lots of questions.

In the afternoon some of us met at Makayla‘s house for a Friendsgiving dinner. We had a very nice evening, eating delicious food and spending time with each other. Of course the night was bittersweet, as we remembered the many things we experienced and had to say our first goodbyes. 

Altogether, the day was a perfect ending to this amazing experience.

 

Katerina Simiuc

College Football Game

 Dear readers,

This is our last weekend here, sadly. But before we all pack up and leave, we’re enjoying these final moments together, and that’s exactly what everyone did today. Many of us went to a college football game, which was incredibly exciting. It was amazing to see how Americans support each other in sports—a sense of community we’ve noticed throughout these past two weeks. The school offers a wide range of sports, and we saw athletes from different teams cheering each other on at games.

The college football game was thrilling, even though we don’t know much about football. Our hosts were kind enough to explain the rules and teach us some chants, making the experience even better. The end of the game was especially nerve-wracking, and I think many of us discovered a new sport to enjoy.

Those who didn’t go to the football game had a relaxing day with their host families, enjoying activities like shopping, hiking, or just spending time at home.

Belma Ibrasevic

Final day at ConVal Highschool

Today was our last school day. It was really sad because we had so much fun the last few weeks. We learned so much about the school system, how the teachers teach, how the students take part in class and just an American teens school day. It’s so sad for all of us to leave but we still have the weekend to enjoy.

 Not all of us went to school all day a few of us went glass blowing. It was a completely new experience for all of us that went.  We didn’t not know what to expect, but it did not disappoint us at all. Every one of us had fun. We had to form glass into flowers. At the beginning we had to hold a glass pencil into the fire and try to form a flower out of hot glass. It was really hard but in the end we all mastered it. We are excited to see the results tomorrow.

We all are going to enjoy the last weekend with our host and take in the last few moments.

                             Isabella Riegler 

 

Halloween night

Finally! Halloween night arrived. 

 Halloween has always been something i would only see in movies. People dressing up and going from house to house, spooky decorated neighborhoods, and of course plenty of candy. Growing up in Austria i have never experienced something quite like that before. But this year i finally had my first american trick or treat-night and it was even better than i expected. 

Just as it slowly started to get dark, we met up at the Great Brook Middle School at 5.30pm. As soon as i stepped out of the car and saw everyone’s costumes, the excitement kicked in. I then joined my friends and we went door to door to treat ourselves with some Halloween treats. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Houses were decorated with glowing pumpkins, skeletons, and lots of creepy mannequins. Some people have also set up fake graveyards and giant spiders and spiderwebs. Even a few pets were out in costumes. It really felt like i was being in a typical american horror movie. The homeowners would also compliment our costumes sometimes, and hand us lots of sweets afterwards. I felt my candy bag getting heavier and heavier every time we left a house. Some families would even give out whole chocolate bars, which must have felt like receiving a gold bar for some children. Some houses would also give out small scary toys. ( Me and my friend got matching spider rings :P ) One house even invited us to enter in, as they have decorated their house on the inside as well. I hesitated at first but then my friend convinced me to give it a try. The trick or treating was a once in a lifetime experience, but there was also something else going on too. A Halloween party! I realized that Halloween parties in America take their costumes very seriously and they’re being very creative with it. And because of that, they even hosted a costume competition, in which me and some friends participated ( we didn’t win tho ) The categories went from “the scariest costume” to “most creative” and “funniest”. I was really blown away by how much effort they put into decorating their house and creating their costumes. The atmosphere at the party was just amazing and we even played a certain card game called “spoons”, which i have never heard of before. It was an incredible night. 

I think that Halloween in America is much more than just getting their treats. It’s about creating memories and just vibing together and bring out your inner child, which i find so beautiful. I was really happy to be able to experience this year’s Halloween here in New Hampshire!

Marialuisa Bonafede