Throwback Thursday: exchange students? #TBT

[#1]

It's Thursday!

It was in the glorious year of 1987 that I went to Arizona as an exchange student. It surely changed my live dramatically. I can't even imagine how my life would have turned out had I not gone. It was a great experience. Also a hard experience. I got the opportunity to play a new sport called, by me, American Football. Look how mean I appeard in that uniform, hahaha.

Soooo, did you go as an exchange student or did you have one in your home or school?
Let’s make it a great Thursday!

KGM

[Anahit Sukiasyan]

Oh wow, what a great throwback and a fantastic photo! 🏈😊

I also went on an exchange program when I was 18, to Germany! It was such an amazing experience: practicing the language, learning so many new things, meeting incredible people, and of course, my very first trip to Europe. Thanks for bringing back those great memories with this post! ✨

[Andy Gladstone]

I lived across the street from a host family. Growing up they had exchange students living in their house almost every school year. They had students from Japan, Italy, France, Greece, Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland living with them through my formative years. There was often a language barrier between us kids from the block and the students, but as we got older and were able to hang out with them more we enjoyed playing roller hockey, basketball and American football with them and getting to learn a bit about their lives in their home countries. It was a great experience and I should thank the Brewer family next time I visit my parents for enriching all of our lives by being such an active host family.

[John Funk]

Man, I am glad they made you shave before they took the picture back then! I have not been an exchange student or interacted with many at younger ages. However, my father taught at the local university, and we served as a host family for some students from Pakistan. There were usually a couple, maybe even 3, from the same extended family there at the same time. This was back in the late 70s. 

They would come over on Sunday afternoons sometimes and what football with us and have a meal together. They really became like family to us. My best memory was of them coming over one day to cook dinner for us. It was very tasty, and that began my love for Pakistani and Indian food. While in Dubai the last year, me and a brother from church would often meet and eat together at a Pakistani restaurant there. Good times!

[Barbara Szczesniak]

I did not participate as an exchange student—I took 3 years of Latin (because there was no need to speak it aloud) and was afraid to go to a country where they spoke another language. There were no exchange programs to ancient Rome.

My sister, however, took French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin (rather than math and science), and she did an exchange program in France. She was made very welcome and even went to visit the family when she and her husband went to France over 40 years later.

The family she stayed with had a daughter who came to our area at the same time, so she and my sister didn't get to interact much. She stayed with a different family, but she came for dinners and some outings with my family. 

[Matt Doar]

Great post this one. We were the host family for a great teen from Spain a few years ago. We both travelled a lot and were hosted by many people around the world when we were younger, so it feels like a fair payback

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

Takk for your comments and...