Kerrie has long had an interest in German culture, thanks to her family. Her parents met in their high school German class and incorporated German food and culture into their family traditions, her brother studied German, and they have German heritage. “Growing up, I would hear so many stories about Germany from my parents, I wanted to experience it for myself,” and now, through the CBYX exchange program, Kerrie has been able to do just that. Her parents are excited for her to have this opportunity to explore Germany firsthand, and they want her to bring back “all the food!” Almost six months into her time in Germany, Kerrie has wholeheartedly embraced herself in the language, culture, cuisine, and people-to-people exchange. Some of Kerrie’s most cherished experiences thus far include regularly cooking meals with her German host family. Every meal she and her host family make together, Kerrie sees as an opportunity to learn something new and exciting about German cuisine. In fact, Kerrie and her host mother have started putting together a photo collage of the recipes they have made together. Some of Kerrie’s favorite German recipes include schnitzel, Schwarzwälder kirschtorte (black forest cake), and linzertorte. Furthermore, Kerrie has introduced her host family to some of her favorite Tex-Mex meals including breakfast burritos, guacamole, and quesadillas. The joy and comfort that comes from spending time making meals together makes Germany feel more like home!
Looking to make connections and stay active, Kerrie joined an all-girls basketball team a few minutes away from her host community. Schallbach is set at the crossroads of Germany, France, and Switzerland, which gives Kerrie the opportunity to expand her role as citizen diplomat! Kerrie has also levelled up her ability to connect with locals by studying Alemannic, the dialect of German spoken widely in her host community. “Learning the language helps you connect with people” and understand the culture, Kerrie mused. Her passion for learning Alemannic certainly has helped her better connect with her host dad and has even resulted in a newfound friendship with the Bürgermeister, or town mayor, who joined Kerrie and her host family for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
For the CBYX vocational program, the internship component closely aligns with the participants’ area of study. For Kerrie, an internship at Kleiderei, a small sustainable fashion business in nearby Freiburg, is a perfect fit. Like Freiburg, Kerrie’s hometown of Boulder, Colorado is an environmentally conscious city and Kerrie carries this outlook into her passion for fashion. After learning about the negative impacts of fast fashion, Kerrie has become interested in sustainability and green production practices. “Everyone wears clothes, and everyone is buying from big fast fashion companies, but they have no idea how much waste it produces and how much water it uses.” Kerrie was able to find an internship that combines her interests, while also fostering a cross-cultural environment of likeminded individuals. She is looking forward to learning more about the environmental and ethical issues pertaining to sustainable business practices, knowledge she believes she will be able to take back to the United States.
Congratulations, Kerrie!
