There are many benefits to hosting an exchange student —cultural immersion, educational opportunities, the creation of lifelong connections, and so much more! It is also a chance to learn more about ourselves, and each other as individuals, and the lessons we learn know no bounds in the unique experience that is hosting.
By Faith Morse, Greenheart Regional Director & Host Mom
Firstly, you should know that while my students learn many things on their exchange year in my home—everything from American social norms to how to pronounce “squirrel”—I often find I’ve learned as much, and sometimes more, than they do. A couple of years ago I had this neat girl from Poland; we’ll call her Basia. Okay, her name really is Basia.
We loved Basia from the time we read her profile. She was from a big Catholic family, the middle of five children. Her family was into sailing and nautical stuff just like our family, and we thought she’d be a shoo-in with our busy, crazy, no-two-days-alike bunch.
Basia came and immediately was a hit; she loved my (then) 1-year-old granddaughter, who I watched 3 days a week. In fact, the moment Basia came through the door from school every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, she had her arms outstretched looking for “her baby,” and she had the cutest Polish lullabies she’d sing to Ella.
Basia liked her double-placement sister from Indonesia as well (up until Ellen put hot sauce on the perogies she made from scratch, but that’s another story). Basia was easygoing and fun and could pet our dog for hours, which was a big win for Skipper! It was so pleasant to have her around with her cheerful demeanor and her positive outlook.
Now to really understand this story, you have to know that our dog is a bit of a scaredy cat, and he doesn’t really like to go out to pee alone, especially in the dark. This means that someone has to let him out and stand with him while he does his thing every night before bed. Even though it’s cold in the winter (in Maine), Basia would go out with me to keep me and our pup company while he did his nightly business.
In the cold and dark I regularly—to this day—encourage Skipper to hurry up and go potty. One such snowy night in January (after months of attending this nightly ritual), Basia turned to me, eyes wide and mouth showing surprise, and said, “OH, go Potty Skipper??!?” Perplexed, I responded, “Y-e-s-s?” Basia laughed. “I thought you were saying, ‘Go, Party Skipper.’”
Lesson learned: You aren’t always communicating as well as you think you are. 😉
I highly recommend hosting; five out of five stars for sure. I had not laughed that hard for some time; in fact, we were both still chuckling about it when we came in after the dog did finally “go party.” They say laughter is good for the soul, and I can promise there will be something like this that happens to you if you host! Funny misunderstandings that make for amazing memories. Love ya, Basia! Thanks for this!
Are you interested in opening your heart and home to host an international high school student? Visit HostWithGreenheart.org to meet students like Basia and apply today to host!
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