In my first article I gave you guys some understanding of the process of planning an exchange program and also some tips. In this piece I want to talk more in depth about how your first days away would roll!

Let’s start talking about your host family. Students usually get the information about their families 1-2 months before going away because they don’t want you to get too attached, just in case something happens and they can’t have you anymore. Agencies really try to find the best family for you, but if that doesn’t happen you have the possibility of switching families so you can be happy and make the most of your experience!

When I received information about my host family and started getting in touch with them, I was really excited. I had a mom, a sister, a brother and a puppy! My host sister was about 2 years younger and my host brother was a couple months older. I never had a pet so I was thrilled about having a puppy. When I arrived at their house I was extremely nervous and happy at the same time. I was really happy because I knew they were great people and I wanted to be with them. And I was nervous because it was the beginning of an adventure.

The following few days were a period of getting used to my family’s different habits and learning more about them, and that was honestly a lot of fun. My English was definitely not as good as it is right now, so our conversations were always fun because I would say something incorrect or pronounce it differently or they would say something and I would have no idea what it meant. One thing that was particularly curious to me was that they had dinner really early, and lunch for them was just a snack. And later I learned that basically all Canadians ate supper early... I eventually got used to it, but never understood it.

As the months go by, you learn more and more about your host family, and when you realize you are already attached to them. However, problems will always arise. It happens in the best families! You just need to work them out and, if needed, ask for help to your counselor (usually a representative of your agency and who you will talk to in case of any major issues). Hopefully you won’t need your counselor that much!

Remember I said you will attend school no matter what? Yes it’s true. Students usually arrive a couple of days before the beginning of the school year. My classes started 3 days after I arrived in Stratford and my first day of school was the most confusing ever. My host mom came with me so she could get the paperwork done and also help me figure things out. We went to the counseling office so I could get my schedule and meet my school counselor. I was really confused because I didn’t know my way around the school, I didn’t know anyone and the system was totally different from what I was used to. I remember that the national anthem started playing and everyone became quiet, but of course I didn’t know that and started talking. Great first impression to give! The next day I knew I should be quiet by 8:50am because the national anthem would be played. Still, I thought the school was amazing and I knew I would have a great time there.

In my last article I talked a lot about getting out of your comfort zone. One way I found of making my experience the richest possible, and somewhat challenging, was choosing a really small town, instead of a big city like the one I lived in. My first few days there were quite perplexing, in a good way. I was amazed by the lack of traffic, big buildings and pollution, which are common things seen in big cities. But I was also concerned about what fun activities I could do in my free time, since the town was extremely small and there didn’t seem to be a large range of possibilities. However, that all changed when I started making friends and discovering the little town of Stratford.