It’s easy to fall into routine. There’s comfort in routine. There’s less risk in routine.
But, the moment we step out of our routine – out of our comfort zone – anything is possible.
During a time when it’s difficult to go abroad and experience the world, there is a unique opportunity to bring the world directly into our homes.
Hosting an exchange student not only creates the space for a young, curious individual to experience something out of their scope of understanding of the world– but for you to do the same.
If you’ve caught yourself in a routine and are looking to change things up by introducing a new perspective into your everyday life, consider hosting an exchange student.
Here are our top 5 reasons to host an exchange student:
1. Travel without going anywhere
By hosting an exchange student, you can soak up all the benefits of travel without having to go anywhere! Just as you would try out the cuisine, chat with the locals, and explore new traditions when you go to a new country, inviting an exchange student into your home creates similar opportunities. The key is an attitude of curiosity. Ask questions with an open mind to your exchange student and dive into a new culture and way of thinking.
2. Level up your communication skills
Hosting an exchange student doesn’t come without any challenge. It is common to experience miscommunication with your exchange student due to language or cultural barriers. Though this may be uncomfortable in the moment, it presents a chance to sharpen your communication skills across cultures. Learn how to simplify your language and speak with fewer idioms to make your insight more accessible to friends speaking English as a second language
3. Build a life-long friendship
Many host families cultivate close and loving relationships with their exchange students. With the understanding that we possess unlimited love to share with the world and its inhabitants, sharing everyday joys and pains with an exchange student cultivates a special relationship. Host families often maintain this relationship to their students before they arrive and long after they depart. You may even have a chance to visit your student in their home country!
4. Give back to your community and the world
It is a natural and human tendency to serve yourself before asking what you can do for others. If you are in a place in life where you feel fulfilled in yourself to begin to give back to others, this may be the perfect opportunity to do so. Hosting an exchange student not only makes an impact in your life and the student’s life, but serves your community and the world by demystifying stereotypes and increasing cultural understanding.
5. Re-discover your home through the lens of a visitor
When everyday life consists of visits to the same grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops, the novelty of where you live may wear off. Hosting a visitor allows you to explore your home town with a fresh lens of discovery. What new spots can you uncover where you live? How can you regain love for where you live through the lens of an explorer?
Have we convinced you yet? Check out the testimonial below by a former host family.
"Hosting is life-changing. We have learned so much about other cultures and how they live. We have learned patience and understanding along with our students. Our girls are a part of our family. We love them as we do our own children." -Lucy from Mississippi
There are unlimited possibilities to grow ourselves and others when we step out of our comfort zones. Fortunately, hosting an exchange student is an adventure that you can take with a new international friend by your side the entire time.
