In the U.S., we often hear of “Southern Hospitality,” the idea based on the generalization that people from southern states are often warm, welcoming and especially willing to host guests. Having spent time with host families in both Texas and West Virginia, I was able to experience it firsthand. However, I was not expecting to find the exact same warm welcome waiting for me wherever I ended up in Germany. 

Whether I am catching up with an old exchange student or meeting someone through a campus organization, I constantly find myself being offered a place to stay or to enjoy a home cooked meal. I’ve even been invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with a family that had never celebrated the holiday before, simply because they knew it was something I might be missing.

As I prepared for the Christmas season, I was surprised to have to choose between various invitations from families and friends I have met during my stay. My experience seems to be one shared by many of the thousands of exchange students that Universität Tübingen hosts every semester. 

While it can be easy to feel homesick at times, and is only normal, it’s hard not to feel welcome and that I’m in the right place when everyone around me works so hard to offer the same sense of ‘home’ I’ve always felt. 

— Shannon Rabotski is a 2016 graduate of Monroe High School and is a junior at Drake University. She is spending the year studying abroad in Tubingen, Germany.