With a lot of excitement and high expectations, we boarded the bus to England on May 26th. Everything was new: taking the ferry, being outside the EU, and living with foreign families. When I arrived in the evening with my three friends at our host mother Mrs. Cavie’s house, we were surprised. The car was covered in tape, and the steering wheel was on the right side (as is typical in England). The house was very small, and in the bathroom, we fumbled to find the light switch—we didn’t realize we had to pull a string.
On the first morning, we gathered at the meeting point where our bus awaited us. Our journey took us to the cliffs of Eastbourne. The rest of the day allowed us to explore the city. We particularly enjoyed the pier, second-hand shops, and the beach.
In the evening, we returned to our host families. The next morning, we embarked on our trip to London. Despite a long traffic jam, we finally arrived after a three-hour drive. Taking the subway and seeing some of the city’s sights felt like an adventure. A funny moment occurred when we stood in front of the Banqueting House, and some kids mistook it for Buckingham Palace. Even though we had only an hour, being there was worth it.
After a day filled with 16,000 steps, we relaxed a bit in Eastbourne the following day. On our last day, we visited the city of Hastings and explored a fisherman museum. Despite the rainy weather, we celebrated our host mother’s birthday by giving her roses and sharing muffins. Then, the next day, we headed back home.
It was a great experience and you could learn well to understand English better.
Louisa Delißen