Gustav Borup, an exchange student at Vallivue High School who is originally from Skæring, Denmark, has only lived in the United States for a short period of time, but has already adapted exceptionally well to living in an entirely new country.
When imagining what it would be like to do an exchange year in the United States, Borup mentioned that this is almost exactly what he had envisioned. One notable difference between his school in Denmark versus Vallivue High School is the individual class periods and teachers. He voiced that at his old school, they would sit in one classroom all day, but that he enjoys the way our school is run. He also mentioned that it surprised him how early American students begin driving. In Denmark, you are required to be at least 17 years old before obtaining a license, while in Idaho, you are able to get your license at just 14 and a half years.
Americans have a variety of stereotypes spread about them outside of the United States. Borup noted that he believed many of these before spending time in the US, one of them being that “every American is fat”. He laughed this off and mentioned that he does not believe this anymore. One stereotype that he has discovered is true is the fact that many Americans have not traveled outside of the United States. European countries are significantly smaller in terms of land area (about 4 million square miles), while the United States, as a single country, is 3.81 million square miles. This makes it exceptionally easier to travel between countries.
Borup closed the interview by remarking that he misses his friends and family, and while he is enjoying his time in the United States and is developing an appreciation for the new environment, he is excited for when he will be able to visit them again.