German teenager Finnja Schweer will always call the Southern Highlands her second home.
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The Bowral High School exchange student has lived in Hill Top for the past seven-and-a-half months and she has loved every minute of it.
The Highlands not only holds a special place in her heart, but in her mother Anki's.
Members of the Schoonenberg family also hosted Finnja's mum while she studied at the high school from 1997 to 1998.
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But the similarities don't end there. The mother and daughter have had several of the same teachers, including maths teacher Michael Murton.
Anki also appeared in the Southern Highland News for a story about her student exchange.
As Finnja grew up, she was influenced by her mother's love of Australia.
"My mum had didgeridoo on the wall and a photo of the Sydney Opera House," she said.
"She went to Australia a few times and came back with fluffy kangaroo toys.
"When I was younger she tried to teach me the language, I had many English books."
When her parents asked her if she would like to travel to Australia for a student exchange, she was hesitant at first.
"I said 'I don't know if I can leave my friends'. I think my mum encouraged me to do it," she said.
Finnja decided to take the leap and hasn't regretted her decision.
She has experienced many things in Australia. She even got her driver's licence and qualified to represent Bowral High School at a regional swimming carnival.
Her travel itinerary has included Sydney, Canberra, Wollongong, Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Newcastle and the South Coast.
Travel restrictions due to COVID-19 prevented other trips, including a mother-daughter holiday and time at the snow.
Finnja was also unable to go ahead with a planned trip to Uluru on her birthday.
However she was just as happy when her host family took her to Lake Alexandra Reserve in Mittagong. "It's so pretty there," she said.
Finnja has made memories in Australia to last a lifetime.
"I've built up a life here, I've found friends and a second family," she said.
"To say I have friends in Australia and I'm so close to them, I would say that's really my highlight."
The German exchange student is expected to fly home this month.
Finnja's flight was due to depart Australia in August, however it was cancelled in July as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.
The delay has allowed the student to spend more time in the Southern Highlands, an opportunity which she has embraced.
