Hopping on a jet to travel halfway across the world to a foreign country would be exciting for any 17-year-old teenager, but for Brianna Layden, the airplane ride was just the beginning.
Layden, who travelled to Germany and stayed there for 11 months through the Rotary Youth Exchange program, said her stay in Germany was one of the most exciting times of her life.
“It was amazing there, ”she said. “It's nothing like how it is here in Alberta.”
Layden, who was 17 at the time, was one of 50 Rotary Youth Exchange students who travelled to Germany to live and attend school for 11 months in the Monschau Nordeifel Rotary Exchange Program.
“I was able to see German customs, and how people live there,” she explained. “It was eye-opening to see how different it is from Canada.”
Layden stayed with three families during her stay, all of which were located in one of two cities, Cologne and Aachen.
During her stay, she attended a special Rotary school, and studied as a full-time student. She was able to choose her classes and mainly focused her attention on English courses.
She primarily took Grade 10 and 11 courses, with one Grade 12 course.
“School was very different from what I was used to, obviously,” Layden said.
“I found that both my teachers and the families I stayed with were more strict when it came to homework.”
Food was another alteration Layden found to be a significant change, but a change she enjoyed.
By the end of her stay, she had several favourite German dishes, one being schnitzel, boneless breaded meat that is popular among German households.
And when it came to having fun, Layden said the Germans did it better.
“Germans definitely know how to have fun,” she said.
“At graduation they had smoke and fire shooters, it was amazing.”
By the end of Layden's stay, she said her trip home was bittersweet.
“I knew I was going to miss the families I stayed with and the customs of Germany,” she said.
“But I was ready to go home to see my family and friends.”
Her stay was from August 2012 to July of this year.
Representatives from the Innisfail Rotary Club were unavailable to comment on the Rotary Youth Exchange. However, according to Rotary International, the Rotary Youth Exchange has more than 80 countries and 8,000 students participate each year in the program, which is administered at the regional level by Rotary districts and at the local level by Rotary Clubs.
The Rotary Youth Exchange has been in existence for more than 75 years.
Layden heard about the exchange program through both a friend and an uncle. The now 18-year-old said that the application process was tough, and she almost did not make the deadline. However, in just the nick of time, she did and was approved.
Although she has now moved on to other things in her hometown in Alberta, she said she would never forget the year she spent abroad in Germany.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I was blessed.”
