Isn’t it wonderful to reconnect with old friends? Today we had the pleasure of welcoming back our 2016-17 foreign exchange student, Julika Behrens, to do just that. This past May, Julika graduated from her Burgdorf, Germany, high school with around 85 other classmates, and is taking a traditional gap year between high school and university.

Since Julika left us back in 2017, she has been doing what most Europeans do when they aren’t working or in schooltraveling. She visited Wales with two girlfriends; she took a two-week train trip to Milano, Barcelona, and Paris; her class took a trip to Krakow, Poland, the location of the World War II concentration camp, Auschwitz; and she even hosted Nick and Callie Dumbauld in Germany and Amsterdam last summer.

When asked what her future holds, it seems our jet-setting Julika won’t be slowing down any. After she departs from Canadian, she will meet her family in Australia, where she lived when she was 3 years old. She doesn’t remember it well, understandably, so she will be staying with some family friends for a month and a half to get reacquainted. She will then head back to Germany for Christmas and participate in a three-month internship starting in February, before applying for medical school.

Unlike the USA, Julika said that Germans can go straight into medical school without having an undergraduate degree. However, their medical school is a six-year stint, unlike the USA’s four years. Julika has come by her interest in the medical field honestly. Her father is an immunologist and travels worldwide to give speeches with an emphasis on AIDS; and her mother is a neurologist, currently going through extensive training for osteopathic therapy. Julika will likely choose a school that focuses on athletic medicine, which isn’t too surprising considering her deep involvement and interest in basketball.

One amusing thing that Julika noticed after her time in the USA was that Germans are always “dressed.” They rarely go out in t-shirts and shorts like we do here in America. She also said that she hasn’t been able to watch a movie dubbed over in German since she’s been home. She always watches the original English version, so the mouth movements line up.

We’re looking forward to more Tuesday lunches with Julika while she is here, and can’t wait to see where she lands on her upcoming adventures.

In club business:

Sheri Hensley and Pat Popham led the song, pledge, and prayer. The male Rotarians must have smelled Uncle Timmy’s prime rib and thought they’d suck up to the women in their life with a gourmet meal, as we had a completely full room and even had to bring out an extra table for the “kids.” Charles Kessie hosted his wife, Janie, and his “girl Friday,” Delynne Dunn. Steve Rader hosted potential new Rotarian, Ben Needham, who has us now thinking he just comes for the free food and will never join. John Haley hosted his wife, and the Club’s newest member, Kelsey. Andy Holloway hosted his wife, Tanya, and Brandy Kines. Jon Dumbauld hosted his wife, Kathy, and Kelly Cameron. George Briant hosted Alan Bristol. And believe it or not, we had exactly enough pieces of meat to go around.