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“We did not get any time to rest once we arrived as we went right to orientation,” she said. Orientation for the exchange students was held in the German city of Wiesebaden.
Three days later, Alice met her host family, a mother with two daughters, and traveled to her new home in Giessen, West Germany.
The city boasts one of the largest American military bases in Europe so English is a common language and the German lessons the young Reeve were given during orientation were used rarely.
“We learned to use the post office and things like that,” she said of her German language classes earlier in the week. ‘We did . . . well, we did OK,” she snickered, remembering the problems of learning a new language.
As life in Giessen settled down, the adventure for Alice Reeve began.
It took some getting used to.
“I was shocked not to see the mountains,” the teen said, being unfamiliar with suburban life and accustomed to living in rural Rappahannock County. “Living in a suburban area was another shock,” she said with emphasis, adding most homes were apartments, and while spacious, were unlike her American home.
Living with all women was another change for the young Reeve.
“I’ve always been
interested in the exchange
students at school and I
wanted to go to Germany. "
— Alice Reeve
4-H exchange student
“I’m not used to having sisters,” she said, adding though she comes from a large family, she has only brothers and life with all women was different. “My new sisters were very patient with me,” she said with a mischevious smile, adding their intent was that Alice “always have a good time.”
Since the German school year varies from the United States system, Alice attended school with her sister.
“It’s different,” she said, adding the school hours - usually from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. - differ, as well as the class schedules and school atmospheres. “When a teacher is absent, there is no substitute,” she said with a gleem in her eye. “Class is just cancelled for the day.”
While with her host family, Alice visited the most talked about location of the late 1980s and the early 1990s - Alice Reeve visited “the wall.”
“It’s a big tourist attraction now,” she said of
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