This summer, 16 students will be going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Germany.

German teacher, Lisa Richman, will be leading the trip–her eighth biannual trip with South students. The trip is from June 18 to June 27, 2018.

Richman said the trip will help the students improve on their German through the full immersion in the language.

“In German (class), we try to make real-life situations and how you can handle them,” Richman said. “But you can only make it so real.”

Anna Brieden ’20, who is going on the trip and has been studying German for three years, first heard about it in German one while in eighth grade. She planned to attend once in high school in order to experience and explore Germany.

“My whole family is from Germany and I’ve been taking this language for two-plus years now,” Brieden said. “So I think it will be a good experience to see what the culture is like for myself.”

The trip will include stops in Heidelberg, Rothenburg, Munich and Salzburg.

“You read about it in books, but you just can’t imagine it until you’re standing there, and then it feels real,” Richman said.

The students typically hold a pizza party in the spring to get to know each other better before they travel. Mary Jordan ’20, who is in her second year studying German, is traveling on the trip with some of her friends.

“I think it will be a lot of fun because we can all learn about the language together and learn about the culture,” Jordan said.

Richman said for her, the best part of going is seeing the growth in the students.

“(The best part of going is) seeing what they learn to become real and a part of their life, not just a school subject,” Richman said. “It’s part of them and part of what they’ve done and studied, the people that they’ve met and what they are going to do in the future.”

The total cost for the trip, not including spending money and lunch, is 3,884 dollars, according to Richman. Richman also said the trip is not school-sponsored.

“I hope they gain the courage to explore the world,” Richman said. “It might be a little different or scary and uncomfortable, but oh my gosh it’s so fun.”