Nadia Kahan – Baylor School Exchange 2015 Hi everyone! This year I had the amazing opportunity to go on exchange for 10 weeks to Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Baylor is a private, co-ed school with about 1000 students that contrasts the typical American high school you see in the movies. It has a huge campus which includes the Baylor lake, a football stadium, six boarding dorms, and is located beside the gorgeous Tennessee River. One of the many things that is special about Baylor is the vibe on campus. The students and staff are all so friendly and welcoming and there's such a sense of community. Also, boarding life in Lowrance dorm with nearly 40 girls has been a great opportunity to meet new people who come from all over the world - during my time here I have met people from Finland, South Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean. Everyone at Baylor does an after school activity, such as ultimate frisbee, yoga and community service - just to name a few. I, however am involved in an outdoors program called Walkabout which has been a definite highlight of my exchange. Chattanooga is known for it's wonderful nature and each day at Walkabout we drive to beautiful new places. The activities we have done so far includes paddle boarding, trail runs in the mountains, hiking to waterfalls, swimming in creeks, bouldering, climbing, and abseiling. The best thing about Walkabout is the fun people you met, and I have made many long-lasting friendships during my time with them. Another highlight of my time at Baylor was spirit week, which was a celebration for an upcoming football game against Baylor's rival school, McCallie. This includes a whole school pep rally, 5am wake ups for boarders, 10 am school starts, bonfire night and dress up days. The game itself was so much fun, and a typical American experience. There are so many thing I have loved about the culture here. People are the friendliest and are always keen to come up to you, introduce themselves and are curious about my life in NZ. The whole experience broadens your horizons and makes you view your normal lifestyle in NZ very differently. Americans live very busy lives and Baylor is great at planning plenty activities such as movie nights, trips to the haunted caverns at Halloween, trips to the aquarium, and dinners. There are also lots of different clubs - such as French club and spirit club, and weekend Walkabout trips. I was lucky to go caving for a day in Alabama and will soon be going on a weekend backpacking trip. Other things I have really enjoyed so far would include a day at an American theme park in Georgia, homecoming football game and dance, Halloween, going to a huge American wedding in Houston, TX, and getting to know and love my amazing host family, and my incredible host sister especially. Immersing yourself in a totally different culture, facing challenges and trying new things has really made my time here a rewarding, life changing experience that I would fully recommend to anyone interested. I have no regrets and I would do it again a

million times if given the chance. Nadia Kahan (November 2015)