Jennifer aus San Antonio, Texas

Hi readers,

I don't know where to start. A year in another country, without everything you are used to, is a huge challenge. But it is totally worth it!

I live here in San Antonio, Texas. It is the 7th biggest city in the USA. I know it’s hard to believe, but it is. The city is really awesome. Everything is so huge. I come from Bremen and our city is "big" but everything is so stuffed together. Here in the US or especially in Texas everything is so pulled apart.

You drive 85 km per hour (50 miles per hour) in the city. But anyway you need to. Your feeling for distance is changing. Back in Germany I never would even start my car to drive (only) 15 Minutes one way to buy lotion. But here it is normal. My host family has three cars. I have my own car. Of course the main point is to drive the kids around but after work I can use it for private purposes. Gas is four times less than in Germany and everything is so far away that you just need to use the car. My street is so long that I need 4 Minutes until I cross to the next street. It is really huge here, but I love it. I just love it!

I take care of two little boys, 4 and 2 years old. I just got the young one potty trained after almost three weeks of trying. That is really something!! I feel very welcome in my family and have quickly  become very close with the older boy; after a while also with the younger one. He is my little cuddle baby now.

It’s amazing to celebrate within a different culture. It is a new experience which I never want to forget.
Halloween: I went walking with the kids in their costumes around the neighborhood, I even got candy. (My host mom threw most of the boy’s candy out, it was just too much.)
Thanksgiving... We had a blast.

Christmas: so different. Every time a present arrived it went under the tree. The whole time until Christmas the mountain of presents grew under the tree. Even I got a lot, which I really didn't imagine. We baked a lot of cookies for colleagues, friends and neighbors; even the garbage men got a bag. That was amazing. I love baking.
New Years: no big deal here. Really. No big fireworks at midnight. Well, I made my own party with my friends. Besides all the birthday parties: The fourth birthday from my older boy. My host mom rented the whole swim school.  But my first birthday party was from a friend. I tasted my first HEB-giant-sugary-birthday cake   at the Spiderman party.
On my younger boys birthday we wanted to have a huge waterslide in the backyard, just like we saw on a different party. But anyway birthday parties in US are incredible.

But my favorite thing here in Texas is the weather. It is sunny everyday here. The sun is always bright and hot for the whole year. They all pray for a drop of rain.

I arrived at almost the hottest time of year in Texas. I came from Germany with long Jeans, a T-Shirt and a thin jacket over my shoulders. The airport was, like every building down here, nice and cool. But we had to walk to the car and as I came out of the airport the heat hit me. I was all sweaty when we arrived by car. It gets very, very hot here. You can’t imagine it until you feel it yourself.

My host mom recommended a class called "presentation skills" for my college credits. It was just two Saturdays for 6 hours, but after already five months living here I understood nothing. I felt so bad. I hated myself at that moment and cried. I am not the big crier, I never was, but my host father came in my room and hugged me. It felt awkward but he talked me into coming with him and the boys, to sit on Santa’s lap. I calmed down and this picture of me, my host father and the two boys on Santa’s lap was sent as Christmas card to every part of "their" family, even without my host mom. That was really an awesome day, afterwards. Oh and as we came back home my host mom put a bar of chocolate on my bed with a note. It showed only a smiley face. That was the only time I ever cried in the US. I never felt homesick, but always felt at home.

Enjoy your own experience!

Jenny