THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 26, 1996 TAG: 9607260057
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Teenology
SOURCE: BY CARRIE ANSELL, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 54 lines
Editor's note: Carrie Ansell, a 1995 graduate of First Colonial High, just completed a year as a foreign exchange student in Germany. She filed occasional dispatches from abroad, and this is her final letter.
WELL, I FINALLY made it back, and what's my first impression of the United States?
It's HOT!
When I got on the plane in Frankfurt, it was cold and rainy, jeans-and-sweatshirt weather. As soon as I stepped off the plane in D.C., the heat and humidity hit me like a hot, wet sponge. Humidity was one thing I did not miss this past year.
My first three days in the United States were a constant surprise. Everywhere I looked there was something I hadn't seen in a year and had totally forgotten about. The most welcome of these surprises was water fountains. There are no water fountains in Germany. If you wanted something to drink, you had to buy it.
After stepping off the plane, I (and the 50 other American exchange students that I flew with) decided to visit two of the most sacred American institutions. No, I'm not talking about the Capitol and the White House. I'm talking about Taco Bell and 7-Eleven. It's amazing what an important role cheap food plays in the life of a teen-ager.
Everything here is cheaper, in fact, and stores are open all the time. Three weeks later, I am still surprised that I can go shopping after 6 p.m. or on weekends.
Still, coming back is not that easy. It's hard to switch cultures, and even harder when you are expected to accept the culture because it is your own.
Going abroad, you get a certain leeway as a foreigner. It's OK if you question things or think they are strange. Coming back after a year, you are just as much a foreigner, despite your U.S. passport.
My first weeks have been spent learning to deal with people all over again - American style. I don't shake hands with my friends and relatives here like I did in Germany, I give hugs. Americans, in general, are more courteous and friendly, at least outwardly. Germans, on the other hand, are more organized and honest. They are also a lot more open-minded. From alcohol to R-rated movies to sex, Americans are a lot less open and lot more prudish.
I think what I've really gained this year is perspective. I don't see everything through my ``American lens'' any more. I'm more objective when judging things. Although I've realized not everything about America is perfect, I really, truly am glad to be home.
After all, where else can you get a Slurpee? ILLUSTRATION: LETTERS FROM GERMANY
Carrie Ansell by CNB