Janice Mulhern, a host mother in California, offers her insights on the rewarding experience of hosting.

How did you get involved with hosting students?

While reading the Sunday newspaper, my husband and I came across an editorial lamenting Americans' unwillingness to open their homes to exchange students. We decided to call the number mentioned in the article, and our first exchange student, Olivier from France, came to stay with us 2 days later! It was a wonderful experience; we have been in touch with him and his family ever since, and my husband Jim is now his daughter's God-Father.

Do you have high school aged kids?

We do not have children, but all of our host children have become our family. We have found that a lot of our students come from larger families back home, and enjoy being in the spotlight when they come to live with us. We treat them as true members of our family, and we have learned so much about ourselves and other cultures in the process.

Are there any stories about language and/or cultural differences that stand out to you?

Our current student, Lisa from Germany, has truly adopted the English language. The other day we overheard her talking on the phone in English. When she told us she had been speaking to her family, we were shocked that she hadn't been conversing in German as usual. We then asked her why she was speaking English and she exclaimed, "Because I can't speak German anymore!"

What have you learned from your experiences?

Seeing the US from the perspective of our exchange students has opened our eyes to the beauty and glory of our country. For instance, I remember taking one of our exchange students, Denis from Moldova, to the grocery store. He couldn't believe that we had a whole aisle devoted to cereal! It's always refreshing to see kids' reactions to our country – and the minute things that amaze them that we normally overlook. Hosting is also a great opportunity to understand another culture and country without actually going to that country.