Chiara Nasti came to the U.S. for the American experience. She was quite  surprised her first time seeing the school, in comparison to the size of her school in Germany Topeka High is quite different.

“It’s huge because my school in Germany has about 400 students and here there are 2,000,” Nasti said.

This exchange year is Nasti’s first trip to the U.S. her anticipations for what the U.S. would be like have changed a bit since coming to Topeka.

“Topeka is pretty silent and not that exciting but I still really like it,” Nasti said. “it’s quite different but it’s cool.”

Although Nasti’s friends and family supported her decision to come to the U.S. they were sad to see her go.

“[My friends were]really,really sad that I’m leaving them for so long,” Nasti said. “life is going on, I don’t get to know what they’re doing for a whole year and they don’t know what i’m doing here.”

Back in Germany Nasti danced ballet for many years before having to quit recently.

“I started [dancing] when I was three years old,” Nasti said. “[but I had to stop] to come here,”

The most challenging thing about being in the U.S. so far for Nasti has been friends.

“It sounds so silly but it’s really hard to find real friends and to make something with them,” Nasti said.

It can be hard to say goodbye for some students which can delay the process of packing.

“It was awful, to be honest I packed the night before I left it was the most ridiculous decision I ever made” Nasti said. “I was afraid to pack because it was like saying goodbye and my room was so empty,”