My greatest achievement

My greatest achievement, or maybe more like the biggest task I had to handle in my life so far, was coming to the United States as an exchange student in high school and spending a year in a to me foreign country. Having to live far from everything and everybody that I was used to without even knowing the language spoken over here, was very challenging; however, by far the best experience in my life. Even though it wasn't always easy, especially at first when I didn't know anybody, I did not give up, and instead learned a new language, won many friends, and experienced a year living like an American.

Culture Change

The biggest difference between living in Germany and here in Mansfield that was difficult for me to adjust to, is the size of the town and the history. I am used to living in a town with about 45,000 inhabitants, several stores located right downtown in ancient looking pedestrian zones. Old buildings, a midieval wall surrounding the town center, little cafes on the marketplace, old churches, and just the more relaxed attitude of people is what I miss most. Over here, people always seem to be in a rush, driving everywhere instead of walking, and there aren't many stores right in town, at least not in this area.