Former Exchange Students?

We then hosted another AFS student, from Yokahama-shi, Japan, from 1987-1988.

I can't wait to host students! DH and I were talking about this recently.     

I was an exchange student in Salamanca, Spain.
 

I did my masters there! (well, almost done! Writing the thesis now!) Most amazingly beautiful city!!

I always wanted to travel abroad. Had penpals all over the world from the age of 8! I even met one, one time! When a girl in my 10th grade French class said her church had a bunch of French exchange students coming who needed host families, I begged my mom and dad to let one come stay with us! It changed my life! I started a job at McDonald's and continued babysitting the whole following year to save up to go to France myself the following summer! I stayed with a family who spoke no English (fortunately ) and after 17 years, I went and visited with the daughter last summer! That experience definitely made me want to travel as much as possible! I still regret that I didn't go to France for uni (just a semester abroad). I think there are so many opportunities that I missed simply because I didn't know about them and had no idea how to find out. I can't imagine my life without travelling!

I can't wait to host students! DH and I were talking about this recently.     

It's definately something I'd like to do but will have to wait until our family is a bit older.

Yup, I did a year exchange at Kingston University 2004-05.  And as they say, the rest is history .

My aunt & uncle host an exchange student every year and they love it.  I'd definitely do something like when my kids are the right age.

I can't wait to host students! DH and I were talking about this recently.    

My folks did it for yonks, until my dad retired from work.  They also had short-term students who were at a fee-paying language school.  Some of these were the spice of life and we all still share laughs about it.

As we also had my mom's nephew, our cousin Jeff, living with us most of the time, the house was always full!

We had this one language school student, Nacho (Ignacio) from Argentina.  And it was obvious he'd was used to having staff.  Well, Jeff, who is now a Marine officer, was at him night and day about tidying, especially as they shared a bathroom.

Nacho would take a shower and loll on the couch and Jeff would order him to wipe down everything, saying, 'Nacho!  What the hell did you do, sit on the toilet and point the showerhead at yourself?  This floor's like an ocean, come mop it up!'

We had another, Boder from the UAE, who tried to refuse to sit at a dinner table with women.

Then he was failing his course and so, when his male UAE friends came to pick him up, my mother said he couldn't go because he wasn't doing his homework.

His friends were flabbergasted, but powerless.

My BIL, a BIG guy, came to the door and said, 'You heard the lady, Boder!  Martha, what next for Boder?  Just say the word, he'll do it!'

We girls and Jeff had fun making him fold and put away his own clothes and join the chore rota.

He only dared to balk once, to Jeff, who, although only 14, barked, 'Buck up and grow a pair, man!  You do your share like everyone else or get out!'

I don't think the poor guy ever recovered!

Edited to add:  my mom was a liason officer for AFS so we took in students whose host family situation had fallen apart.  Some only stayed a short while till another family was found, but a couple finished out their year at our house.  Needless to say, my folks have travelled to several countries now with a nice place to stay with former students! 

I was an exchange student here in London and HATED IT, as a student on a scholarship I went to an American London College for a term through my own school in the States. I absolutely hated it lol, mainly because everyone was doctor and lawyers kids and I was working at a photo shop trying to scratch together spending money... so while I didnt travel at all they were having weekend breaks in Italy...but.... after a month of being on campus I met some Londoners and started flat sharing with them, got to know so much about the area, the culture and stayed on a bunac, then a uni student and then a work visa... I think I would have never experienced London or lived here if I wasnt such a rebel 

I spent my junior year of uni at Sussex University in Brighton in 1999/2000 and I LOVED it. Brighton still feels like home when we go down for a day trip. It made me realise how much I hated Penn State and what a crappy school it was in comparison, and it cemented for me that England was where I was meant to be. The year I spent finishing my degree in PA after Sussex was the lowest I've ever been in my life. Luckily I was able to move right back to the UK after graduation through a series of lucky events. 

[Salamanca ...] Most amazingly beautiful city!!

I can't imagine my life without travelling!

Yes, and Yes!

I haven't been back to Salamanca in years, and haven't been able to travel much lately, either. 

But mark my words! When my boys are old enough, we're going to have some outrageous, crazy, fun, family volunteer and exchange adventures around the globe! I have done lots of volunteer work (actually met my DH on a workcamp), and we want to expose our boys to that lifestyle - ie. traveling to a new place to stay and work with the locals.

Yes, and Yes!

I haven't been back to Salamanca in years, and haven't been able to travel much lately, either. 

But mark my words! When my boys are old enough, we're going to have some outrageous, crazy, fun, family volunteer and exchange adventures around the globe! I have done lots of volunteer work (actually met my DH on a workcamp), and we want to expose our boys to that lifestyle - ie. traveling to a new place to stay and work with the locals.

You should check out the Embassy of Spain website. They have loads of programs for Americans to foster "good will" etc between the two countries. The program I did was for N American teachers and we went over 2 summers for the courses (intense, but amazing!) at the University. I loved it and want to go back for some of their non-master's courses where it's just classes in the morning (fun!) and travel in the afternoon. Pretty reasonable! They have programs all over Spain, too.

*I'm looking for the link on google and I can't find it right now. I've got the address at home and will edit this later to let you know! Many of the programs are for adults who just want to learn/study Spanish in Spain! You can be a college kid all over again!

My parents had a Swedish and a Mexican exchange student when I was young and they often hosted foreign students over holidays and school breaks too.  At the time I thought nothing of it, but now with my own family I'm amazed that my parents (with six children of their own) volunteered to take on other teens at Christmas, summer vacation, and for a whole school year.  I'm glad they did it though because it was a wonderful experience for all of us.  Like WHW's family, we have remained close friends with some of those students.

We're planning to do it ourselves as soon as we get the spare room tarted up!

We really enjoyed it.

My mom always wanted more kids, but couldn't have them due to medical problems, and Jeff lived with us from when he was about 8 because his mom was a lone parent and a flight attendant (she lived with us, too, on her days off), so combined with usually having a student around, too, she had her full house.

Rieko must have thought we were crazy!  One winter night, we heard a big car crash on the busy road on the other side of our house, and, it being Houston, we all piled in the car to go see it.

She was like, 'We're going to see a car crash?!'

Janique from Quebec and I used to plot practical jokes on the family in French.

Fernando from Argentina married a cousin of mine (they have two sons now!).

If you're thinking of it, go for it!