Ludwik was in New York with EF and talks about his best experiences there.
Hey, my name is Ludwik, I'm 17 years old and I live in Berlin. Last year I decided to go on a language trip to the USA in the summer. To be precise, I was in Tarrytown (New York). This is a smaller town very close to New York, about 45 minutes by train from Grand Central Terminal.
My goals were to improve my language skills, become more confident in speaking English, meet lots of new people and have a great time in America – in short: my expectations were exceeded. I became aware of EF through the recommendation of one of my father's friends. He told me that his children had already gone on a language trip with EF and what they experienced there. Ultimately he convinced my father and I to try it out too. I then started preparing straight away.
First I had to come to terms with the idea that I was actually going to be traveling to another country, or even to another continent, for several weeks – without my family and friends. It was a strange feeling, but also a really exciting one and I have to be honest, the anticipation outweighed most of the time. Of course, before my trip I googled what exciting things there were to discover and experience in New York. I then created a kind of “bucket list” in my notes app with everything I would like to see.
The departure from Germany
Shortly before departure I was really put to the test again. Doubts arose in me: “What if I don’t find any friends at the course location?” or “What if I suddenly get homesick?”, “Why should I even go to school during the holidays? This is going to be boring.” Luckily, all those worries went away when I landed in New York and I didn't give it a second thought. To be honest, I didn't remember those original doubts until I got home.
Getting used to New York
Since I had already been abroad and in the USA several times before, it was very easy for me to get used to New York. Speaking English worked pretty well right from the start. When I arrived on campus, I was very surprised at how huge it actually is. There is a canteen, sports fields, theaters and everything else you can imagine. The lessons were much better and more interesting than expected. The classrooms are modern and equipped with technology such as projectors and laptops. We were able to choose our own topics and often worked on a variety of projects in groups (e.g. creating our own website, creating videos, etc.).
Find friends
I was in a room with three other guys who were my age but all from different countries. This is how I quickly met my first friends. I met many more people through my room partners than I expected. The majority came from Mexico, many also from France or Spain. But there were also some who came from Canada or Poland, which is why I was able to make many new friends with young people from all over the world. Personally, that pleased me the most because I was able to speak so much English with them. My English level at the start of the trip was C1. I improved a whole level to C2 in 4 weeks! I particularly enjoyed gaining language experience abroad, talking to native speakers and getting to know another culture.
Sightseeing in New York
During my language trip, my friends and I traveled a lot in and around New York. We visited all the main sights, took pictures in front of them and also did lots of cool activities. To be honest, my favorite memory has nothing to do with a tourist attraction.
One day we just got on the train, rode a few stops and then got off at the “Riverdale” station more or less by chance – by the way, that had nothing to do with the Netflix series. Just then it started to rain. We set off and walked through the streets and then stumbled upon a nice, typical American restaurant. There was sport on the TV, a few people were sitting at the bar and we were eating our delicious, juicy burgers. It may not sound particularly exciting, but for me it was one of those moments that I always wanted to experience – like in a movie. This moment was so normal and everyday and shows that you can also experience a lot outside of the big city.
Conclusion
A tip at this point: You shouldn't have too high expectations, just enjoy life. Make a plan or a list of the most important and cool places, but don't let that list dictate your entire trip. You don't visit this place just to see it.
I am now back home and look back very fondly on my time in New York. The experiences I was able to gain there were truly unique. My friends will forever be remembered and have a special place in my heart. By the way, I completely forgot that I actually always spoke English because all my friends were from other countries. I will never forget this summer!
