It has to be hard – It cannot be easy

It has to be hard – It cannot be easy   It always amazes me how teenagers from foreign countries can go to a totally different culture, live with total strangers, go to school and learn in a different language and do so well! It has to be hard, but I have to tell you the young man we are … Read More

“I’m really thankful to everybody”

“I’m really thankful to everybody”   When I decided to choose to be an exchange student I was worried about really different culture and food etc … and when I arrived Vermont I was still scared … but not now. Because I have a really nice local coordinator, friends and host family. I’m really surprised now that my English is … Read More

Our Life Through Fresh Eyes

Our Life Through Fresh Eyes   Our family decided in Spring 2015 to host an exchange student for the 2015-2016 school year. When we started telling friends and family, we kept getting asked things like, “Aren’t you worried about the effect on your family of having someone else living with you that you don’t know?” And, “Don’t you think you’ll … Read More

When I received my host family placement confirmation …

When I received my host family placement confirmation …   I was shocked!   I was going to live for 10 months in a little town of 1,243 inhabitants, in central Vermont, a state of which I had never heard before. It was kind of weird to go live in a farm after living in a city for 16 years. … Read More

Everything is better than I thought

Everything is better than I thought   On the 30th of January, I received an E-mail. The title was: Welcome to Texas Heidi This is the beginning of my U.S. journey … In my host family, there are 5 kids and two adults. In the past 85 days, I enjoyed every single moment with them. It’s been a lot of … Read More

They come to you as a stranger…

They come to you as a stranger, but leave as a loved one. Each of us learning from the other. We take note of all the qualities. We note that all are positive. We wonder if she is happy. We hear her singing in the bathroom. She calls us Mom and Dad. Far from being a stranger, she is now … Read More