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Bringing a Piece of the Wider World into Your Home: Hosting an International Student
by Kristin Hall

An active foreign-exchange program was one of the many opportunities that I was excited about as my daughter Sylva transitioned into the Hartsbrook High School and I immediately resolved that, should she show any inclination, I would not let this wonderful opportunity slip by.

My own experiences in Germany as a college student and a month studying Spanish in Mexico as a high school student still live in my own viscera. The different smells, different light quality, the musical aspects of another language, and the different customs helped me to realize that what we consider to be Reality is largely a conditioned and subjective experience, and, therefore, infinitely expandable. In our world, a building of 150-200 years is considered old and respectably decrepit. In Germany I was asked, in response to a picture book of the elegant Victorian-era homes lining the main street of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., why anyone would build such an elaborate structure out of wood when it would rot away in a mere 100 years? This in an area where 2000-year-old stonework and 600-year-old castles grace the hillsides, the forests are depleted and preserved as parks, and contemporary structures are brick or concrete or stone. Or the puzzling question, Is it true, that American woman choose to marry Brawn over Brains? We had hosted a grown woman from Kazakhstan several years ago, and my eyes had been opened to a degree that completely overwhelmed any trepidations or insecurities I had harbored beforehand.

So, after the initial angst – Is our house too small? Do we have enough to offer? What does our daily routine really look like? – we plunged in. Initial groundwork, pictures, introductory e-mails were initiated by the girls themselves, often in need of computer translations. I mused on what an "American " experience would encompass, and trusted that with a bit of structure, the girls would fill in the blanks and occasions would present. One point of consolation was that the exchanges are made between Waldorf Schools, which presumes certain sensibilities and points of reference, however varied the details.

The young woman who arrived in Boston three hours late and beyond exhaustion was absolutely wonderful, poised, confident, adventurous. Surfing the language barrier, she entered the school community, joined the soccer team, captured the world on her camera, and brought fresh air, fun, warmth and trust to us all. We discovered that sugar, not salt, belongs on popcorn!

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One wouldn't dream of putting whipped cream on hot cocoa! And crême fraîche always accompanies pasta with red sauce! We pondered the differences and similarities of word forms and the fact that in order to do anything around here one has to drive a lot. We visited Hancock Shaker Village, the Skinner House, Boston and (stretching my own bounderies enormously) had two fabulous, fun days in Manhattan, taking in all "the requisite sights." We celebrated the occasions of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and two birthdays. The girls went to UMASS hockey and basketball games and shopped. I took them to a breathtaking dance performance by Momix at the FAC.

The internet has lent a new character to the experience. Familiarities are exchanged and expanded, music shared, and almost daily contact with "home" available. Pictures sent back and forth, friends introduced, isolation becoming almost a non-issue.

Sylva is impatient for her own upcoming adventure into new places and reference points. Her upcoming stay in Avignon, France, will include a class trip to Florence, Italy, for several days as part of an art history block.

I revel in the sparkle and scope that this flow of exchange students from Slovenia, Sweden, Germany, and France brings to our community. The kids who choose to do this have courage and a spirited curiosity about the world outside their own. It's great to share this.