Hosting a foreign exchange student can broaden the horizons of an entire family. For many who will never get to experience world travel for themselves, it can be a wonderful opportunity to bring a taste of the world into their everyday lives. While there are challenges in bringing someone far different from yourself into your home, the rewards can be well worth the efforts.
While it might be tempting to invite a student from a culture you know, it can be even more rewarding to choose a student from a country you know very little about. Consider it a way not only to help that student but to provide all the members of your family with lessons on world culture, cuisine, economy, travel and religion.
Few people are ever sorry they learned something new. It is easy to get involved with our day to day lives and ignore that the rest of the world exists. If you realize your world view is out of focus, hosting a foreign exchange student can open the doors to new learning and life long friendships. You will most certainly gain a new perspective on at least one different way of life.
Everyday experiences can be drastically different in other parts of the world. Even how people approach such things as walking down city streets or commuting to work and school can be different in other parts of the world. It can be fascinating to hear and see your exchange student’s reaction to your way of life. You will find yourself thinking much differently about what you have always assumed was the normal way to do things.