Till Lange remembers fondly prairie sunsets, learning how to waterski and the good time he had going to high school.

Though it has been 10 years since he last visited Weyburn, the year he spent as an exchange student so long ago has not been forgotten.

"I wanted to see my host families again and see how they're doing," Lange said about his eagerness to return and reaquaint himself with the friends he made in 1992-93.

He stayed with four different host families during his time as an exchange student from Germany, changing families every four months.

"If you come back, you appreciate even more what they did for you," he said.

Only 16 at the time he arrived in Canada, Lange said, "I must have given them a hard time."

Lange said he did get homesick, but he was never lonely.

"The people were pretty nice to me in Weyburn," he said, noting some were a little more interested in him being from a different country.

He had taken five years of English before he was asked by the Rotary Club in Germany if he would like to participate in an exchange.

He experienced a lot of things while in Saskatchewan, Lange said, like working on a farm, learning how to downhill ski and travelling to various places.

His travels included ski trips to Fernie, B.C., The Pas, Manitoba to visit a First Nations reserve and a 10-day excursion to North Dakota. On the trip to The Pas, they learned about and were shown "how the people were living there. They showed us the (First Nations) culture and dancing in the old-fashioned outfits," he recalled.

"You can't see the whole country in that one year, but they showed you around a little bit," he remarked.

Taking his Grade 11 at Weyburn Comp, Lange developed feelings for school quite contrary to those some students have.

"I liked going to high school because for me, it wasn't a serious thing," he laughed.

Upon returning to Germany, Lange finished his last two years of high school (in Germany they attend high school for 13 years).

After graduating, "every man has to go to the army for one year," Lange said, but there is another option. Lange chose to become an ambulance driver and help out the doctors rather than participate in military service.

Lange is currently working towards becoming a doctor. He has one year of schooling left and after he writes his final exam, he will be able to practice medicine.

He will decide after that if he wants to specialize. He thinks he would like to practice either pediatric or internal medicine.

Lange comes from a long line of doctors, as his father is a pediatrician and his mother is a general practitioner. His two older brothers are also studying to become doctors.

After his time in Weyburn, however, Lange found a passion for another career.

"I would've liked to become a farmer," he said, noting it was too hard to pursue in Germany because his parents did not have a farm and it was too expensive to start from scratch.

One of the things he remembers the most about his life in Weyburn is "being here and working on the farm," he said.

He would consider coming to practice medicine in Canada after he has been working at it a while.

Since his first visit, he's kept in touch with friends via letters, e-mail and the occasional phone call.

After a trip to San Francisco, Lange and his girlfriend, Alexia Wilmes, came to Weyburn April 13 and left April 18.

They spent a lot of time visiting with his host families and friends and purchasing things not available in Germany, like Cheez Whiz and beef jerky.

Lange gave a presentation to the Rotary Club last Thursday evening about his various trips around Europe and his exchange experience, which he will likely never forget. "It's a big experience not many people have the chance to do," he said.