Lucas, Texas. A town without trams, without buses. There are very few bike riders, very few apartment complexes. A reality foreign to German native, Lisa Meusel, a foreign exchange student attending Lovejoy for her senior year.

Meusel is hosted by junior Julie Kelley and her parents, Paul and Sarah Kelley, who value the experience of international travel.

“Our family members have had our lives enriched by having friendships through a tradition long of international living ourselves,” Sarah said. “I grew up living in Brussels, Belgium, learning to speak French, and later returned to Europe as a foreign exchange student living with a family in France. My husband Paul has lived in Tokyo and Milan, Italy, for his work. And now our daughter Julie is catching the bug as well. Julie was one of the lucky students to travel with Señor Sartain on the trip to Sevilla, Spain, in July.”

The Kelley’s inclination to travel led them to welcome a foreign traveller into their own home.

“[We decided to do a foreign exchange program] mostly because my brother just left for college so it might have been an empty house,” Julie said. “Also because I thought it would be interesting to learn about Germany.”

Sarah noted that though the process of registration was not necessarily difficult, it was definitely thorough.

“Lisa’s particular program, International Experience, has a very helpful local coordinator who works with you on the process all along the way,” Sarah said. “You aren’t doing it alone.

“First, our family had to submit a written application. Next there was an interview and tour of our home.  A criminal background check was conducted, of course.  The coordinator then contacted Lovejoy High School to ask if there would be a spot for Lisa.  After that, it was lots of paperwork.”

Once the Kelleys were accepted into the program, they were able to decide which foreign exchange student would fit best with their family and lifestyle.

“After having passed all of the vetting, we were permitted to look at brief profiles of students,” Sarah said. “The profiles included their first names only. Later we received more detailed information including pictures of the students and their families.”

Meusel’s decision to spend her year in the United States sprung out of her interest in the American lifestyle. Brunswick, Germany, Meusel’s hometown, isn’t an ideal location for learning about American culture.

“America is a different culture and I wanted to see that,” Meusel said. “I heard so much about [American] high school.”

For Julie, this is an opportunity for her to learn about German culture in a very interactive way, even though she is thousands of miles away from Brunswick.

“I have learned about her family and what she does, not even from her telling us, just from her around the house and different things that she does,” Julie said. “From us she has probably learned English and everything American. She has caught on quickly.”

Despite Meusel’s progress, there are still aspects of German life that can’t be replicated in Lucas.

“[I miss] my friends and my family,” Meusel said. “I miss the food sometimes because we eat a lot of meat and bread and stuff like that.”

Meusel has taken advantage of the sports teams that the school has to offer. The emphasis on sports at American schools is something Meusel hasn’t seen before.

“[Being on the cross country team] is cool because I really like running,” Meusel said. “It’s a really cool team and it’s a good team sport.”

The Kelleys have tried to create a lifetime of American experiences within the year that Meusel is staying with them. That includes assimilating her to Texas football and taking her to school activities such as theater productions and choir concerts.

“Football [was fun to watch Lisa experience], and all the fanfare that goes along with it,” Sarah said.  “Lisa was surprised and impressed that a high school has its own unique song at special events.”

Meusel’s time in America, thus far, has been enhanced by her home environment and the comfort of the Kelley’s support.

“[Living with the Kelleys] is really cool,” Meusel said. “The Kelleys are very nice and I love their two dogs.  Also Julie is so nice.”

Julie and Meusel have grown to be like family in the few months she has been in Texas; a relationship to last a lifetime to accompany a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“[Our relationship is] really good,” Julie said. “Everyone expects us to be best friends, but really it’s just like normal sisters living together like you expect it to be.”