My first meeting with my hostfamily was in the Muskegon airport where I noticed a short lady taking pictures of me as I was stepping of the plane. I remember saying to the other danish exchange student next to me; who is that little lady who is taking pictures of us? The short lady turned out to be my hostmom. My hostparents were not a typical american family - it was only my hostparents, the dog and me. I on the other hand have a "real" family: mom, dad, 6 year old twins and a dog.
We spent most of the summer preparing for our student to arrive. We work best under a deadline and even though we ended up have lots more work than anticipated her room and bathroom was almost done when she arrived.
Like most hostfamilies we were so excited about her arrival so imagine my dissapointment when I realized that the week we were going to pick her up I would be in the States for my 20 year high school reunion. So my first meeting with her was when they picked me up at the airport. I was tired after spending most of the past 24 hours in a car, plane or sitting in an airport. At the same time my twins had missed me soooooo much that they were permanently attached to me from the time I came out with my bags.
And what is the correct way to greet a person who has been living in your house for the past week and already has established a bond with the rest of the family? Hug? Handshake? Or maybe just a small wave or a nod with the head? I honestly don't remember how I greeted her that first time.
Lessons learned
- as with most things in life nothing is as expected - deal with it
- don't travel when your student is arriving
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