What a day! For our ten German students the day officially began at 7 am in Straubing when their bus headed for Munich airport. As soon as they reached the exchange participants managed to check in and to drop their baggage without further problems. They went through security checking and passport control and after one and a half hour finally they settled down at gate L15 to wait for boarding.
Till then the atmosphere in the group was quite relaxed. The trip still felt like an average school excursion and not like the big adventure they all have been waiting for since their partners from Lotus Valley International School left Straubing several months ago.
But this feeling slowly changed when the students from Johannes-Turmair-Gymnasium entered their airplane and took their seats. There they could listen to the voices and accents of the many people who also were on the way to India. Additionally the students were severed their first Indian style airplane lunch and at last they realised: We are actually going to India! We are going to see our friends! We are going to explore a new culture! All these thoughts in mind they became more and more nervous and when the plane landed at Delhi International airport one could feel the excitement among them.
Luckily the now following procedure at the immigration control went well and the German group could head towards the exit. At this time it was already 11 pm but nobody felt tired yet. It was quite the opposite; when the exchange participants entered the arrival hall of the airport the suddenly felt alive and full of energy. The host families were waiting their waving posters and cheering wildly. What a welcome. The partners rushed towards each other and hugged.
The next two days the German exchange students will stay with their families to get comfortable with the weather, food and habits. After that out tough project schedule will start. I am looking forward to all the adventures to come.