Jens Engelmann

2003-04 Inbound from Germany

Date of Birth: May 26, 1987
Hometown: Gronau, Germany
Sponsor: Gronau-Euregio Rotary Club, District 1870, Germany

Host: Gainesville Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Gainesville High School

Jens' Bio

 My name is Jens Engelmann and I am from Germany. I am living in Gronau, near the border of the Netherlands. This year I am going to live in Gainesville. I live with my parents and my 18-year-old sister in Gronau. But in my new family in Gainesville I have 4 sisters and brothers and my host parents; we also have a dog and cat.

I would love to have a lot of fun and I hope that I am going to enjoy some special experiences this year. My special hobby is soccer, and I am also going to play it in the USA.

Arrival in Jacksonville

October 1 Journal

Hi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am Jens from Germany and I will spend my year in America, in Gainesville. Today I write about my way to Gainesville and in which way America is a new experience for me. I started to think about going to be an exchange student for one year while my sister was for a year in America. I saw how interesting and exciting it is and the more I thought about the more I wanted to leave my home for one year. Next I asked my Rotary Club in Groan if I would be able for me to be their person, who is going to be an exchange student. After a lot of phone calls they accepted me. After this I finally decided to go America and not to South Africa or New Zealand. Now I only had to fill out a lot of papers and form, going to meetings for exchange students, writing a lot of e-mail, getting my Visa and a lot more. In March I was told that I will spend the year in Gainesville. Then at the 3rd of August I flew to America. But before this I had to say bye to my friends, my parents and my whole family.

Then I reached America at Jacksonville Airport and I was picked up. Really everything was different than in Germany. The climate was much more humid and warmer, the language was different and very hard to understand for me, I had a new bigger family, the cars in America are much bigger, I am getting lunch at another time, the TV programs are different, the clothes of the people are different, American people are smaller than German people, you are eating for breakfast cereals not bread, the food is here much faster and easier than in Germany, shopping in America is different going to big shops and in malls instead of small shops. So really everything changed and some different things you recognized immediately, some after weeks. Even now after 4 weeks I recognize every day something that is very interesting. But these different things are really interesting, and sometimes funny and exciting.

A major change for me is my school. It is much bigger than in Germany and the school day is also longer. The school starts in Germany at 7.45 and ends at 12.45 and then we just need to do some homework. But in America the school starts later but ends really late for me and it sometimes really late when you finish your homework. In school in Germany you stay for around 8 years together with the same people and you have the same classes. We are not going in special lunch areas or we do not have sport and clubs at our school - because of that you are going to identify in America more with your school.

There are so much differences and also some things are the same in both countries Germany and America. The two countries have a really different culture. But I like the two cultures very much and it is exciting to see and experience them every day. The people in both countries are also different but they are both friendly in their ways. Even when you see the differences you also see that the both cultures have a lot in common. I like Germany but also America and I am glad that I decide to go to America.

November 30 Journal

Hello !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My last report was a long time ago because I am busy, but now I try to write about my life here. I am still living with my first host family and it is awesome. They are so nice people and I love being here. It is sad but I will change family in January but I will be together with them at Christmas.

My exchange year is really awesome. I have a wonderful (host) family, a wonderful Rotary Club, good friends, a lot to do and people that are inviting me. I was often invited to Gator Football games, Gator Volleyball games, Gator Soccer games, tailgate parties, to the theater plays, and to some nice boat trips. There are so many wonderful people that are helping me and I just want to thank them. My host family, John Gregory, family Rella, my host grandparents ( Bumpa and Joanna ), my friends, Bene and all the people I know. One thing I realized that without support and help during this year it would be so hard and boring for me. Every day someone is helping me and that is so wonderful. I am so thankful for that.

The good thing is that I could get friends really fast and that there are now people I can hang out with and that it is not getting boring. The things you are doing with your friends are often different than things you would do at home. But that is good because you see that life is different in another part of the world. There is one thing that is the same - friends are fun and you have fun being together with them in every part of the world.

Invitations from other Rotary members are special and they are highlights. It was so cool to go to Gator games especially Gator Football. Those days were so special for me and highlights. I will remember those days. Going into "the Swamp" and winning was really more than cool. I love football. The only bad thing is that the season is over soon. But every invitation is special and cool and I am really thankful for those invitations.

I have really awesome 4 months up to now but that does not mean that you are always running around happily and it always fun. There are hard times for me when I would like to go home and I am homesick then you are just depressed and unhappy. But those time periods are really short just 3 or 4 hours and after that everything is fine again. You are sometimes unhappy but more than most of the time it is awesome.

January 16 Journal

The biggest change in this year is my character and my view. I learned so much over America and I can understand the culture of this country now. America is a wonderful country with wonderful opportunities for everyone. A dream land. But even though America and especially Florida are so beautiful and special, it could never replace Germany fully. That does not mean that America is not a wonderful country, Germany is just a bit more my home. There are two countries in my heart now, America and Germany, and I love them both. I was taught a lot in my time in America, there is more in the world than I ever thought there would be. I am so glad that I recognized it with the help of my host family. Thanks family. Your host family is going to become your new family and it is hard to describe really how big the bond between your host family and yourself is. I can remember the first morning in my host family and the oddness of the new environment. Now it became a real home, and I think about how it would feel being separated from your family and being taken out of the environment you are used to be living in. Probably in my first day in Germany, it will feel like the first day in America. In front of the exchange many people told me that there are three phases of exchange: preparation, going into the exchange and coming back from the exchange. It is really true that there are three parts, as I now realized. The exchange changed, changes and will change my life.

Christmas was a wonderful experience in my exchange and something that I will never forget. A real American Christmas is different than in Germany. Good that I was remembered what Christmas is all about.

The most important thing for exchange is that you have a good host family. The family is the base of success in your exchange. They will help and support you whenever they can and you need so much in help your exchange.

Up to now I did not remember that I dreamt in English, but I talked in German in my dream while visiting family in Tampa. I was lying on the couch and my aunt heard voices in the living room and they heard me talking in German.

March 24 Journal

HI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is time for another journal. Today (Wednesday) is my free day, I do not have any practice and so I thought it would be good to write another journal.

The sad thing at first, I am going to leave Florida so soon. It is only two more months and I am having so much fun here. I do not want to leave in the moment.

Since I wrote my last journal a lot of things happened to me. The most important thing was that I have a new host family. My two host families live so far away from each other. My first host family lived seven miles outside from town and my second family lives in the North West corner of town. What I noticed is that up to now I never lived in Gainesville, at first I was in Micanopy and now I am again living outside the city borders. I have the suspicion that John Gregory does not want me to live anywhere in Gainesville. My first host family is quite different than my other host family, and it is interesting to see those different styles of family life. I am feeling very comfortable with my current host family, but still I need to adopt their way of living. I am very glad to have the opportunity to see at least two host families. I will go with my current host family on trip to New Mexico at the end of the year, and in one week I will go to New York. So that I can see a little bit more in America.

The other thing that happened to me is that my soccer season stopped. After that I did not have anything to do for three weeks and I hated it. So I looked around what I could do. Now I am an assistant Soccer coach, and I am practicing for the first time in life. The kids are between 11 and 15 years. The other new adventure I started is playing Baseball. I am actually on a team, not on the school team. However; it is a really hard sport I realized, and I really suck, but that is ok. My catching is ok, my throwing is terrible, and my batting is horrible. I am proud to be a Baseball player. My team name is the Cougars.

That’s it for now, I told you a little bit about my big changes: Having a new host family, being a soccer coach, and playing Baseball. I will report soon about my first game and maybe send a picture with my nice uniform.