Day 2 Sunday, September 13th (L.F.)

 

On our first full day, I woke up pretty early because of the jet lag, and my host mom boiled me a nice cup of tea and bought us these amazing cinnamon cider donuts that were freshly baked and still warm. They were simply delicious!

At 9 AM, my host sister and I watched the Formula 1 race, and after lunch, we picked up our friends and headed to Target for our first Target run.

Everybody here loves Target. It’s a really big store where you can find literally anything. My host mom said that if you want something and Target doesn’t have it, you probably don’t need it. And that is definitely true. You could spend hours in this store without getting bored.

But we didn’t have much time because, in the afternoon, nearly all of us exchange students headed to Boda Borg with our host siblings. Boda Borg is an indoor entertainment center where we had two hours to solve as many little escape rooms as possible. It was a lot of fun, but it also made us hungry, so we grabbed some food at Chipotle afterwards. It was my first time trying Chipotle, and it’s like the “healthiest” fast food you can get here.

And surprise, surprise, there was a Target right next to Chipotle, so naturally, we made our second Target run of the day because you can never have enough of Target!

In the evening, we had a movie night with popcorn and watched Legally Blonde.

I went to bed really tired but happy and excited for our first day of school!

Day 1 Saturday, September 12th (L.B.)

 

Our First Day in Boston

On September 12th, our group of 18 students gathered at Basel Bahnhof, carrying heavy luggage and a mix of many emotions. Accompanied by our teachers, Mrs. Mac Farland and Mrs. Scherrer, we boarded the train to Zurich Airport, where the remaining members of our group joined us.

After checking in and passing through security, we waited at Gate 67 for our delayed flight. To pass the time, we even rehearsed our seating arrangements in the hope of sitting together. Eventually, we boarded the plane and began our eight-and-a-half-hour journey across the Atlantic. Movies, video games, and attempts to sleep helped the hours pass.

When we finally landed, our excitement was so overwhelming that we burst into applause. After immigration and baggage claim, we made our way to the arrivals hall, growing increasingly eager to meet our exchange partners for the first time.

As the doors opened, we saw them waiting with smiles, cheers, and signs bearing our names. Recognizing the faces we had previously seen only in photographs made the moment truly unforgettable. It was then that I realized these two weeks were going to be extraordinary. We were all greeted with genuine warmth and kindness.

Our journey continued to Reading, a welcoming suburban town about 25 kilometers north of Boston, where we are staying for the next two weeks. Along the way, I admired the charming houses and trees beginning to turn into autumn colors, capturing the beauty of early New England fall.

I was welcomed into the family’s home and met the rest of the family, who immediately made me feel at home. Their friendliness and openness made the transition feel effortless, even though we are far away from Basel.

Despite the six-hour time difference and my growing fatigue, curiosity kept me going. Some of us stayed in for the evening, while others already ventured out to explore food places and stores. I was amazed by the variety of options, activities, and places to visit, as well as the late closing hours here.

Exhausted but thrilled, I ended our first day with an early good night, already looking forward to the next day.

Boston exchange 2026

 

We are excited about our visit to Boston and are very much looking forward to meeting our host families!