Exchange USA

We left in October last year, spent approximately 12 days with our exchange partners at their houses in Upper Dublin, and then the last 3 days we spent them in Ney York. While we were in Upper Dublin, we went to the high school, visited Philadelphia, since it was really near the town we were in, and several other places. We also did some really fun activities which I keep beautiful memories and anecdotes from.

I feel really grateful for having been given the opportunity to make my dream come true, especially in such a fun and amazing way, and moreover for having met so many nice people who I will always remember.

Clara Piñeiro. 2º Bach.

The best school trip that I had in my life was the USA exchange.
We flew by plane and then we went by bus to Upper Dublin High School. We visited the school and all the classrooms, the pool, the gyms and the big theatre that they have.

We met fantastic people. I love my partner Clara Kim. Nowadays I talk to her so much and I miss her and her dog Kyle.
We visited Philly too, and we ate a lot of typical food, like pretzels or cheesesteaks (sandwiches with meat and cheese) … In my case, I ate a lot of Korean food, because Clara´s mom was Korean.

We lived with them for many days, and then we went to NY. I really liked it, the views from the skyscrapers were beautiful, but I don´t love the smells in the streets. We had a great time at the hotel during the nights, in Central Park, in the ferry…

I loved that trip and I wish to go back to America soon. I´m not sure if it will be possible, but I know that I will see Clara Kim again.

Pablo Portela. 2º Bach.
The best trip I have ever had was the exchange to the USA.

We went to Philadelphia, around 20 students with two English teachers. Apart from spending almost two weeks with an exchange family in the surroundings of Philadelphia, we visited Washington D. C. and New York. A trip I will never forget.

However, it didn´t begin on the best way possible.

I had to fly the next day, as a result of a misunderstending with the travel agency. Moreover, I had to make the journey alone. I had flown a couple of times but it was the first time I flew out of Europe. Luckily the two passengers traveling next to me were a nice old couple that helped me when we arrived in America.

The two weeks in Philadelphia were awesome. We could also go see a NBA match, Sixers against a Chinese team, and one of my favourite players, Ben Simmons, scored his first three-pointer in an official match on this game.
Despite having a really good time, I regret not going in January because the basketball season starts in December. Nevertheless, it means I have to go back!

Lara Graña. 2º Bach.

Everything from the moment I got selected to be one of the students taking part in the exchange to meeting the American girls was incredible. I remember starting to prepare everything and packing for the trip, and meanwhile thinking what amazing two weeks were waiting for us.

Taking part in this exchange allowed me to create amazing relationships not only with my partner, but also with the other Spanish students who were my colleagues during the trip. We got to know a lot of their culture and we visited some of the most important places nearby. Realising how different their education system was made me think about all the things they were learning that we weren’t, like photography or cooking classes. This may seem like something stupid for some, but not having to memorise a lot of knowledge for an exam and just learn about normal things made me want to take these classes.

I created friendships with American girls that I know will be forever. My partner became one of my best friends; we got a chance to get to know each other and I know we will get reunited again. Being one of the students who took part in this experience gave me the opportunity to improve my English and to travel. I’ve always wanted to go to New York and thanks to the exchange I got to go with my friends. This experience has meant a lot for me and I’m beyond grateful.

Mariña Fernández. 2º Bach.

Last year I and twenty other students from IES Frei Martin Sarmiento went on an exchange to the United States, specifically to Philadelphia, for two weeks.

During the exchange we lived with our American partners and their families.
We did many activities, such as: going to high school, going to soccer games, basketball, football …, having bbqs, going to a candy museum, making Smores (marshmallow with chocolate and snacks)…

We went to many places too: Washington DC, where we visited the Capitol, the Washington Monument (obelisk), Lincoln… Philadelphia, where we visited the Liberty Bell, the Independence Hall…

After being with our American partners almost two weeks, we had to say goodbye to one another.

After that we went to New York, where we visited a lot of places that all of us had seen on movies, like: Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square… On this way, our trip ends.

It was an incredible experience where we made a lot of friends and we learnt about another culture, and all of this while we improved our English. I really enjoyed it, and I would do it again without any doubt.

Lucía Navaza. 2º Bach.

My favourite school trip was the USA exchange. I enjoyed everything about it. Everything was the same as in the films. I liked all the places we visited, but for me the best part was the high school since it was huge with a lot of incredible facilities and with quite entertaining subjects; and of course New York. I had always wanted to go there, so I think because of that I loved the city. My favourite things about New York were the views from Brooklyn and from a skyscraper and Times Square with all its lights.
When we were there, we also visited the Natural History Museum, Central Park, Rockefeller, The Statue of Liberty by ferry, the Brooklyn Bridge…

The last day the teachers let us visit the city on our own. The truth is that it was very easy to find the locations because the whole city is divided into squares. That day we took the opportunity to revisit our favorite places and buy souvenirs.
It was an incredible experience not only because of the incredible cities we visited, but also because of the friends we made there and the memories we created.

Santiago Boiero. 2º Bach

Ever since I was a kid I had the dream of visiting New York, discovering if American high school was really as fun as it seemed in movies… And when I was told last year that I had been given the opportunity to take part in the American Exchange, I knew it was going to be an unforgettable experinece.

During the 15 days our trip to the US lasted, I got to practise my English, attended some amazing and very entertaining classes at Upper Dublin (probably the most amazing high school I have ever seen), but most importantly I met a lot of amazing people who made me feel at home very quickly, even if they were not taking part in the Exchange. They took me around town, showed me what their life was like and we shared a lot of amazing experiences.

Furthermore, after staying for 12 days with our American families and visiting cities like Washington DC and Philadelphia, we spent the last three days in New York. We got to walk along Times Square, see the Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty…

It was a truly amazing experience that none of the Spaniards who took part in it will ever forget.

Carmen Caeiro. 2º Bach.
Last year, a few Frei Martin Sarmiento students travelled to the United States for fifteen days . On October 1st we left Pontevedra by bus for O Porto airport, from where we flew with our English teachers. After eight hours, the plane landed in Newark airport, where we took another bus to go to Upper Dublin High School.

When we arrived, each Spanish student went with their partner to their house. The next days we met a lot of new people and we made some friends. We also ate new food like the Cheesesteak, which is a typical food of Philadelphia, and visited new places. Some of them were Philadelphia, where we saw the Rocky steps, and Washington D.C, where we visited the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial …

On October 12th we had to say goodbye to our American families and we spent our last days in New York. It’s an incredible city, where we did different activities like walking around the city, seeing the Statue of Liberty …

Finally, we returned to Spain on the fifteenth day. And I can say that this was the most amazing experience of my life and that I would do it again a thousand times.

PHOTO GALLERY

2017 TRIP

Teresa Amoedo. English Department
This course 26 high school students from our center participated in a school exchange with a US institute, Upper Dublin High School, located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. In the month of October they crossed the pond and for two weeks they lived with American families and attended class. They also had the opportunity to visit three emblematic cities of the USA: Philadelphia, Washington DC and New York.

Among February 11 and 21 we received the American group in Pontevedra. During their stay they met our city in full celebration of the carnival and other places of interest such as Santiago, Baiona, Santa Tecla, the Illas Cíes, Costa da Morte, … They enjoyed our gastronomy and shared family and school life with our students.

Iria Aboal Díaz. 2º Bach.
In October I got on a plane for the first time and, like the Vikings in the 10th century, I arrived on a new continent: America. There I found the cinnamon rolls; the bagels with blueberrys; the cheesesteaks of Philadelphia (in vegan version); Van Gogh, Manet and Rocky (at the Philadelphia Museum of Art); the squirrels and rats of New York; the stinking streets of China Town; the lasertag; The rollerderby really and a lot of wonderful people. If Trump does not press the red button and detonates an atomic bomb before, he would be delighted.

Eduardo Lores Baamonde 1º Bach.
Participating in an exchange was always one of my dreams for all that it means: traveling, getting to know another culture from within, making friends, … The United States was never a country worthy of my devotion but when traveling you realize that to understand to another town it is not enough to study them or look at them in a visit; you have to live among them to understand them and that you learn in an exchange. In short, it was one of the best experiences of my life, because I knew the world, I made friends and I discovered a different way of seeing the world and living life.

Inés Otero Gómez 2º Bach.
The luck we had is incredible. I can assure that the trip to the USA was the greatest experience of our lives. We can still remember the nerves we had when we got off the plane and arrived at the airport. That’s where we took the first group photo, next to a small statue of freedom. We met wonderful people with whom we share very funny moments that we always hope to remember. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I would not change this trip for the world. If I had to choose a favorite moment to remain engraved on my retina forever, it would be when we left the subway directly in Times Square. I hope comes back one day!

Alba García Lorenzo 1º Bach.
In October of 2017 we went to Pennsylvania for exchange. The days before the trip I was very nervous. I even thought that it was not a good idea to sign up, I did not know many people who participated in the activity, and I had a hard time understanding English. But I was totally wrong. Today I am totally sure that this exchange was and will be one of the best experiences of my life.

The first two days I had a hard time understanding Molly, the girl I was paired with, but from the third day on I understood the whole family perfectly. We spent a lot of time at the house of other Americans, of whom I ended up making a very good friend. We made excursions to the most emblematic places like Washington, Philadelphia or to the part of Manhattan in New York.

When the Americans came to Spain it was a great experience too. I began to talk more with other Americans, because on the trips to the United States I got more together with people who knew Spanish. All the excursions that we did here were incredible, we visited Portugal, Santiago de Compostela, the Cillas, the Costa da Morte … The best thing that I take from this exchange is an American friend for the whole life with whom I keep talking and perfecting English. And a group of Spanish friends with whom I have spent many good times in Pontevedra.

Yago Carballo Barroso 2º Bach.
The exchange began with many expectations and all of them were fulfilled one after another; In my personal experience the trip to the United States was unbeatable; the family, the experiences … All that was very novel and at the same time fun and unforgettable. One of the best experiences of my life. All this is discarding what we learned in English, since the Americans did not know much Spanish, and it was us who had to speak in English all the time. In summary, it was a very enriching experience at all levels.

Miguel Anxo Garrido 2º Bach.
A small step crossing the great puddle that separates us from that civilization that even have such an important language that dominates the world! It was a step that we made the people who participated in the exchange carried out in the Center. Once there, each one tried to adapt as best as possible to the families that were assigned and their habits, way of thinking or acting, among other things.

For me in particular it was a very enriching activity where I could observe that putting a bit of my part could understand them and make me understand without problem. Enriched especially in vocabulary day by day apart from other things. I could also as a small child enjoy all the characteristic things that they have and that I liked and here we do not have. All this was at the same time that the famous “morriña” showed up. Give thanks to all those people that I hope are given by alluded that made this so beautiful possible. I will remain eternally grateful for this experience.

Lucía Martínez Schiavo 1º Bach.
To be able to live this experience was a privilege and, above all, to be able to share it with my friends, and with people I do not know, but with whom I now have a great relationship. Making the exchange was an effort at school level, but all that sacrifice was worth it. I would repeat this experience year after year.

The amount of things that you take from each of the classmates is impressive, not only do you learn a different culture, but you learn to live in different environments, far from your family … Personally I wish I could have gone to an exchange all the time course, because as I said before, I thought it was the best experience that a person around my age can do. I would like this to continue because the guys who come behind should live this experience. Thank you, Teresa, for making our dream come true.

PHOTO GALLERY