Happy exchange: Senior Sunny Greenwood compares Spain to the U.S.
Social distancing has not been a problem for exchange student senior Sunny Greenwood. In fact, the closer, the better. Coming from Spain, where get-togethers were rare and people kept to themselves, Greenwood embraced the culture of Plainfield.
“The biggest difference is the difference in people and the sense of community in towns like Plainfield,” said Greenwood. “In Spain, people usually keep to themselves. I have noticed in the United States there are so many get-togethers. People get together for games or just family friends getting to spend time with each other. This wouldn’t usually happen in Spain, unless it is a very special occasion. I think it’s nice that people are closer to each other here.”
Even though she has found a comfortable spot in Plainfield, there are things that Greenwood misses about her home country. “I miss the town I used to live in. I was really close to the beach,” she said. “Even though I didn’t go much, just having it as an option was really nice. I also miss my family. I would just go with my parents and walk with them and walk our dogs on the beach. I also miss my friends from my old school.”
As far as school goes, Greenwood has adapted well. However, the first few days were a little rough. Her first day at PHS was “confusing.”
“I didn’t have a map, and at my old school, seniors and juniors were combined into one hallway with two classrooms. Here the whole school is together,” she explained. “I was terrified and very confused. On the first day, my laptop wasn’t charged and I didn’t know what to do for lunch. I ended up quitting vegetarianism because I panicked and chose chicken nuggets for lunch. A lot of stuff happened and it was very chaotic, but overall it went really well.”
Of all of the places Greenwood could have chosen to go, she ended up in Plainfield -- but that was fine with her.
“I chose the United States because it’s quite a common thing to do in Spain,” she explained. “The U.S. is seen like this place from all the movies and everyone wants to come here to experience high school life. I also thought it would be easy here because I am a native English speaker. I liked the idea of going to an American high school.”
Coming to the United States was not without its challenges, though. Her accent has given her problems from time to time. For example, Greenwood noted, “Every time I go to Chipotle … when I have to order, it’s really loud. The people can never understand me because of how loud it is and my accent. My first time at Chipotle, I had no idea what to do. They were asking what I wanted, and I couldn’t hear them, so I just yelled, ‘Cheese!’ They still couldn’t hear me and I feel like I really embarrassed myself.”
Despite the occasional embarrassing moment, Greenwood has been happy with her experience and would recommend it to others. “The pros [of being an exchange student] are that I get to experience many new things, eat new food, see new people, see new things and go to different places,” she said. “I think the novelty of everything is a big pro because it has made me view everything a different way.”
She added, “I have met a lot of new people and some of them are really good friends now. Everyone has been very welcoming so far and I’m thankful for that.”
Story by Chrislynn Todd