We just invited a Swedish Grad student to live with us for 6 months. We met her last night and she is very nice. She is here at our local university doing research work until February. She moves in on Saturday. I think this will be a great experience for us and for our girls. Just thought I would share.

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, September 7, 2004 - 09:01 am:

That's so cool! We have a HOST program in our community that does that. Jeff got to be good friends with a girl from Germany. It was so neat having her over to the house. He has one of her paintings on his wall. This will definitely be a wonderful experience for all of you.

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, September 7, 2004 - 01:13 pm:

That's wonderful! It's so nice of you guys to open your doors for her. What will she be studying?

By Bea on Tuesday, September 7, 2004 - 02:09 pm:

We had a German exchange student with us a few years back. It was a great experience.

By My2girlygirls on Tuesday, September 7, 2004 - 07:07 pm:

Bea, this is our first experience with this. I'm not sure what to expect. She won't be here an awful lot. She will work in the lab alot so it will mean some late nights for her. I think we have decided on a reasonable rent. It will include utilities (except any long distance phone calls) We haven't worked out the whole food detail yet. I told her that she is welcome to eat meals with us but she did not have to if she chose. Should I clear off a shelf in the pantry for her to keep some of her own food if she wants? I had honestly planned on the rent including food. She would only be eating breakfast and dinner here if at all. She has traveled and studied abroad before so I hope to get some clues from her. We are taking out a full size bed and putting in a twin bed and a dresser for her to give her some more space. Other than that, what can I expect?

By Cheekymama on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - 03:49 am:

That's great! When I was a kid we had Japanese visitors stay at our house on several different occasions. They were here for only a matter of weeks, on a Rotary-sponsored tour (my dad was and still is a Rotary member). In highschool, I became VERY close friends with the two Rotary exchange students who were here during my Junior and Senior years. First Tina from Sweden, then Frauke from Germany. They both somehow immediately meshed with my close-knit little group of friends. Maybe because we were that one group who got along with everyone, you know? We were a close-knit little group, but we weren't snobs. We liked everyone, or at least got along with them fine. Anyway, Tina and Frauke both drifted right into our group and we just loved them to death! Man, did we cry when they each had to go home! Because of my experiences with the both of them, I decided to apply to be an exchange student myself and experience their side of it, and I ended up spending a year in Argentina and making friends as close as they had been to me. Now that I think about it, my Argentine group of friends were also the ones who got along with everyone really well. Wow, they were really like our Argentine counterparts. I never thought about it until just now. I lived with two different families in Cordoba, then spent a month in Buenos Aires with some good friends of the second family I stayed with. That was a bonus -- I wasn't scheduled to stay in Buenos Aires but they were kind enough to invite me to stay with them after I became good friends with their daughter Carolina while they were spending the summer in Cordoba. Carolina ended up being THE best friend I made down there, and she and her parents were so awesome to me. They took me everywhere and showed me everything, and refused to let me pay for a single thing. They were very rich, though, so they could afford to pay for everything for me -- my other host families couldn't afford that but that was just fine, too. They opened their hearts and homes to me and that's just as valuable. It was such a great experience.

By Cheekymama on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - 04:46 am:

Jeez, I really wrote a book, there, didn't I?

*blushes with embarrassment*

By Tink on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - 11:30 am:

I grew up in a home that had exchange students every few years. It is a great experience. We have *family* in Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Slovakia, and Japan. Since rent and food are just included in the program we were with, I don't have any suggestions from experience, but I would clear off a shelf so that she knows it is there if she wants it. Take most of your clues from her. We had students that were family members before they left (one of our Brazilian guys was in my wedding) and some that we haven't had much contact with after they went home because we didn't have much of a connection when they were here. This could be so much fun. Good luck!

By Palmbchprincess on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - 01:07 pm:

Very cool! My grandparents took in exchange students a few times, I remember one from France. It can be a really neat experience!!!

By Insaneusmcwife on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - 05:49 pm:

Thats great! I always thought it would be cool to have an exchange student when I was in highschool but my parents wouldn't go for it. I hope everything works out.