Day 10 - Sunday 30th September

Up bright and early to make most of the last day of a buffet breakfast in New York. Picked up by the coach from the hotel to be taken to the airport. Another group check-in and security check. Students are kind of tired by the constant strict regulation of movement via. planes by now. The flight was to depart at 10:50pm, roughly a 3-hour flight by thankfully an hour was gained as Minnesota is an hour behind New York. Once the group arrived in Minnesota a 1-hour coach was taken to Cambridge-Isanti High School which is where the group were to meet their host families and for the first time in the trip go their separate ways. What was done for the rest of this day was up to the student and their host family's choices.

Day 11 - Monday 1st October

Students got their first taste of an all-American High School. But this was short lived as within 30 minutes of arrival at the school the school bus escorted the group to the Mall of America, the largest retail shopping centre in the USA! With over 520 stores, a theme park, an aquarium and many more! There was a vast array of stores to choose from footlocker, payless shoes, Burberry to Abercrombie and Fitch. Students were also spoiled to over 50 restaurants to choose from. After the 3 exhilarating hours at the Mall of America students went back onto the bus back to Cambridge-Isanti High School to be collected again by their host families.

Day 12 - Tuesday 2nd October, 2018

Students made their way to the high school with their host families. Today was spent experiencing a day in the life of a Cambridge-Isanti High School student. However, during the 2nd hour of the day what we normally refer to as period 2 there was a welcoming ceremony for Mitchell High School in the school hall. All the students and staff got the opportunity to share with the school their name, host family and something they had experienced in the USA. The schools exchanged gifts between each other and continued with the rest of the day.

The students visited a variety of classes from Mathematics, to American History and Spanish just to list a few. Lunch in the cafeteria including but not limited to cheeseburgers, chicken bites and vegetables.

Day 13 Wednesday 3rd October, 2018

Another intensive yet educational day at Minnesota. First of students may the journey to Como Zoo. A Zoo which soles depends on donations from visitors and locals to operate. The Zoo does not charge an admission fee! How amazing is that! Containing several exhibits including but not limited to the primate house and Polar Bear Odyssey. After close to an hour at the zoo students ate an early lunch at the zoo café which produced some fantastic juicy burgers, which is quite unusual for a tourist attraction.

After this the journey continued to the Minnesota State Capitol. The group attended a 1 hour guided tour of the Capitol learning about American and Minnesotan history, law and politics. Also, a good lecture was given on the construction on the almost flawless building! On the bus trip back to school a stop was made at the fast food chain which we sadly do not have in Australia Culvers for some frozen custard and for some students another meal was had!

Students again returned to the school to be then be picked up by their host families.