Reason number 1 for having an exchange student

Short and simple:

Because international exchange is the smartest thing I ever did!

Growing up I was the odd duck - the nerd, the brain, not interested in sports at all. I was a quiet little mouse who preferred to blend in with wallpaper. I was very good at languages and in the 8th grade I came up with the idea to travel on exchange.

My dad thought is was a great idea. We were advised to wait until I was sure to placed in 12th grade in the States. So I left Denmark when I was 17. I was placed in a family with no kids and spent a year in a catholic private school in Michigan. Didn't make a whole lot of friends but that year changed me forever and I returned home a confident and strong 18 year old.

At home I quickly became a volunteer for the exchange organisation I traveled with; Youth for Understanding and soon all my friends was from YFU. I was very involved in the organisation for many years and tried out so many different things and had loads of responsibility at a very young age.

I met my husband through YFU and most of our fundamental values stem from our international experiences.

Having an exchange student living with us has been just as rewarding as our original exchange experiences.

Reason number 2 for having an exchangestudent

It has been over two years since she arrived. The experience changed both her and us. But even though it has been so long now it is still a conversation starter or something that interests people a great deal.

Being an "international" family is so normal to us that we sometimes forget how the other half lives. We feel so priviledged that we have have had the opportunity to invite the world inside our own home. And my reason number two for having an exchange student may sound a bit thick but I feel proud that I made the world a little bit smaller and helped further international cultural exchange and opened communication between people. And through casual dinner conversations or lunch with collegues I continue to do so. I wonder if everyone had to have an exchange student if there would be so much conflict in the world ... or just in Denmark?