Living in a foreign country over 6,000 miles away from home may be a daunting task for anyone.Factor in a global pandemic, being too young to vote in
Living in a foreign country over 6,000 miles away from home may be a daunting task for anyone.
Factor in a global pandemic, being too young to vote in an election and landing in a small town on Michigan’s northwest coast and you have the real-life situation for two Manistee high school foreign exchange students.
Frederik Thorson and Emil Bauangaard have spent this school year at Manistee high school and are finishing their time in the United States playing our nation’s pastime: baseball.
Both entered the foreign exchange student program based on their family history. Thorson’s parents were both exchange students, and Bauangaard’s sister also spent time away from home as an exchange student.
While the duo have spent a brief amount of time in America, both dealt with their share of culture shock.
“The first time I went out grocery shopping, it was so big,” Thorson said. “There was so much food. I wasn’t used to that.”
Bauangaard was quick to notice the size difference between America and his native Denmark.
“Everything is bigger,” he said. “Everything here is so spread out. You have to drive to everything.”
Baseball isn’t the only sport they have been exposed to during their time here.
Both were part of the Chippewas boy’s soccer team that lost 1-0 to Big Rapids in the district title game. Bauangaard was part of the co-op ski team.
Thorson was the first of the duo to be exposed to the game of baseball from soccer teammates Ethan Edmondson and Mason Robinson.
“I played a little bit of baseball with them on the weekends in the fall because I thought it’d be fun to try,” Thorson said. “After that I’ve been waiting for the spring to play again.”
“I’ve also heard about it before, but I’ve never played,” Bauangaard said. “It’s a very tactical game.”
Both have been embraced with open arms throughout the duration of their stay in Manistee.
“People are really welcoming here,” Thorson said. “It didn’t take long to (make) friends. It was really nice.”
“People are very open,” Bauangaard said. “It’s really easy to get in contact with people and make friends.”
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