Fondue and Foreigners

My time in Switzerland was a very formative time in my life. I had already graduated high school and was taking a gap year before I started college. AFS was a perfect way for me to stay engaged academically while still have the freedom to explore a whole new culture and place. I was very lucky in that my host family was everything that I needed. They were caring and invited me into their community and family wholeheartedly while still gave me the freedom to travel and learn and make my own decisions. I lived right outside of Zurich, Switzerland, and as a county girl from rural New England, I never felt more like I was in the center of the western world. I went to gymnasium in the center of the city and due to the great public transport system I was able to go anywhere incredibly easily. The most meaningful social connections I made were with other exchange students and other foreign students. I formed most of these connections in AFS program get togethers and orientations as well as in my German course for non-German speakers. My school offered a very good programs for students new to the language and academically this is where I thrived and was most motivated. I believe learning a language is such an important step in understanding the culture, and my AFS year in Switzerland gave me that very valuable opportunity.