After traveling thousands of miles over sea and land, junior Ella-Marie Bischof, from Copenhagen, Denmark, knew she was beginning the exchange experience she’d always dreamed of.
What she didn’t expect was how quickly life in Manchester would start to feel like home.
“I haven’t felt homesick yet,” Bischof said. “Of course, I miss my family, but I don’t want to go back to Denmark. I miss my people, but not the country.”
(Photograph by Lori Kartman)
Bischof is spending her junior year at West Delaware, living with her host family, Dan and Lori Kartman, and their twin daughters, Brynn and Avery, who are also juniors. The family has played a significant role in helping her adjust to life in America.
“They have been very respectful when I want to call my parents,” Bischof said. “They give me time alone if I want to just stay in my room, and Lori even tries to make some traditional Danish foods. That makes me feel at home, too.”
Bischof wasn’t the only person excited for the exchange year. Her host family was extremely eager to meet Bischof before her arrival. Brynn, along with the other Kartmans, immediately contacted Bischof through social media.
“Ella clicked with our family from the start,” Brynn said. “We sent videos back and forth for the last half of summer, so really, it was like we weren’t strangers at all.”
Even with a supportive host family, adjusting to a new country hasn’t been easy. Bischof comes from a school that was smaller than West Delaware, and entering the building at first was intimidating.
“I couldn’t find my classrooms because this school is so big,” Bischof explained. “Everyone knows each other, and everyone is related to each other somehow. It’s different because here you have to go to each teacher’s classroom, whereas in Denmark, you stay in one classroom the whole day, and the teachers would come to our rooms.”
The differences between Copenhagen and Manchester extend far beyond the school hallways. Back in Denmark, Bischof could walk or bike anywhere she needed. Living in a small town in Iowa, she had to get used to the different conditions.
“Everything is far away here,” Bischof said. “If I want to go shopping, it’s around an hour away, and everyone drives everywhere. There’s no public transportation—no trains or subways.”
However, Bischof has found there’s a lot to love about small-town Iowa life, especially the food.
“I really like the food here,” Bischof said. “I like corn and all the pork. I got a burger that was fried, and it was so good.”
She’s also started to appreciate West Delaware’s friendly atmosphere and school spirit.
“I like that everyone is cheerful and supportive of every sport,” Bischof said. “Natalie Beilby is wearing a state cross country hoodie, and she doesn’t run cross. I like that everyone cheers for each other—even if you’re not on the team.”
So far, the school spirit and traditions that are most memorable to Bischof are football games and Homecoming, which are the two traditions she was most excited to experience long before her exchange year.
“I really enjoyed the football games,” Bischof explained. “I do a lot of filming on my phone so I can remember everything. I love the crowd cheering and all the merch everyone wears and how the student section all dress to a theme.”
Homecoming week was another huge highlight for the Norwegian. She especially enjoyed getting ready for the dance with her host sisters.
“I have always wondered what an American dance was like,” Bischof said. “We have something similar in Denmark, but it’s just one dance with a DJ.
(Photograph by Lori Kartman)
“There are pictures all the time. Not just on homecoming, but also on the first day of school, Halloween, and after football games. It is different compared to Denmark.”
Despite the fun, her schedule quickly filled up. Bischof debated between running cross country or playing volleyball. But after settling on running, daily practice became a change compared to the two practices a week for soccer in Denmark.
“In the last weeks of the cross season, I had no free time,” Bischof said. “My weekdays consisted of going to school, cross practice, home, eating dinner, doing homework, sleeping, then repeat, repeat, repeat.”
However, joining the team helped Bischof make friends, especially with the help of her host sisters.
“Brynn and Avery played a huge part in my decision to join cross country,” Bischof said. “I didn’t want to miss out, and it was exciting to do the same sport as them and meet new people.”
The first practice Brynn and Avery took Bischof to was the water workout day.
“She didn’t have anything to wear,” Brynn said. “So I lent her shorts, and Avery lent her a shirt. She came out of the room in our clothes and said, ‘I feel so American,’ and Avery and I thought it was the most endearing thing ever. It was so cute.”
Now that the season is over, Bischof is excited for new activities.
“I’m in student council, and I’m gonna do speech, soccer, and basketball,” she said. “I want to see what else I can involve myself in before the school year is over.”
Besides sports, academics have brought their own challenges. Bischof has spoken English since she was young, but since English is not her first language, certain classes are harder than others.
“I had a lot of trouble in Foods I,” Bischof said. “We have different measurements in Denmark, so I didn’t know how to measure flour or anything. The tests would also take me a long time because I had to memorize all the new words. U.S. History is also a class that was difficult. A lot of words were new to me that everyone else already knew. Like ‘troops,’ I’ve never heard that before.”
Luckily, teachers at West Delaware have been supportive, like teacher Becky Bardgett.
“My English teacher gives me more time on assignments,” Bischof said. “She’s really understanding.”
Another change in cultures Bischof has noticed is in social interactions.
“In Denmark, when you walk past strangers, you just walk by them and don’t say a thing,” Bischof said. “Here, people say, ‘Hi, how are you doing?’ which was the first thing I noticed. People here are just really nice and welcoming. I love it.”
Besides her new friends, Bischof also tries to stay in touch with the people she left behind.
“I call my friends every Sunday,” Bischof said. “I also try to talk to my family every other day. It’s harder with the time difference, but a lot of my friends are also on exchange years, so it’s fun to hear how they’re doing.”
Overall, Bischof is surprised by how similar other countries’ stereotypes of the average American high school experience are.
“Being in America is just like the movies,” Bischof said. “I keep saying, ‘Oh, this is so American,’ and that’s not a negative thing. It’s positive. It’s fun because it feels like a dream. I’ve always dreamt of this when I was younger—going to high school, football games, cheerleaders, all of it.”
Her childhood dream is now her everyday life, and with the holidays approaching, Bischof is excited to experience even more traditions she’s only ever seen on screen.
“I’m excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she said. “We celebrate Christmas on the 24th, so the 25th is nothing in Denmark. I’m excited to see how it’s different and how you get both days to celebrate.”
Time is passing by quickly, and Bischof’s host family is already dreading her return to Denmark.
“We are going to be really sad when Ella leaves,” Brynn said. “We want her to stay forever. She’s awesome. I love her like a sister.”
As her year continues, Bischof hopes to make even more memories and build even more friendships that last forever.
“This experience has been so fun,” Bischof said. “I am just so excited to be here, experiencing America, and it’s crazy that my own dream has come true. I get to do everything I’ve seen in those famous American movies.”
