My senior year of high school, our school was graced with the presence of a student from Spain named Alicia. This student ended up becoming very dear to my heart, and I'm so glad that I'm able to call her my friend. Being friends with someone who lives halfway across the world can be kind of tough, but it's definitely worth it. I definitely recommend trying to get to know the next foreign exchange student you meet. It might blossom into one of the best friendships you ever had.
1. You have someone to talk to during your 3 AM mental breakdowns.
Spain is six hours ahead of the United States so a lot of times, if it's early in the morning here, chances are Alicia will be awake. This definitely is nice when I'm having an anxiety attack and don't want to wake my friends from school up. If I'm really needing someone to talk to, Alicia is only a text away.
2. You can tell people you have friends in other countries.
Okay, this might sound a little selfish and shallow, but c'mon, how cool is it that you can say "my friend from Spain?" Now maybe don't pop it into every sentence you say, but if the topic comes up, it's always an interesting conversation starter. Not to mention that it's useful if you ever happen to travel to the country where they're from… which leads me to my next point.
3. You may have a place to stay across the ocean.
Take note that this is not me saying "hey you should totally invite yourself to stay for a month with your friend who lives in a different country. They're totally cool with it." I'm just saying, that if you become really good friends with this person and mention to them that you'll be traveling in their area in the near future, you might get an invite to stay with them for a while during your trip. Of course, don't overstay your welcome and use discretion in deciding whether or not you should accept the offer in the first place.
4. You might have a new foreign language buddy.
In the case of Alicia, she obviously speaks Spanish seeing as how she's from Spain. While I didn't quite take advantage of this, though she assured me I could have, it would have been really helpful for me to practice my Spanish with Alicia. If the friend that you've made happens to be from a country whose native language you are trying to learn to speak, 9 times out of 10 they are more than happy to help you practice your skills. It's like having a tutor except they're free and also come with a lifetime supply of great friendship.
5. You've made a new friend.
Possibly the best thing about becoming friends with a foreign exchange student is simply the fact that you've become friends with someone new. It gives you another person to gain perspective from and hang out with. Friends are awesome, so who wouldn't want the most they can have? Each friend you make brings out a different part of your personality and helps you get to know both another person and yourself better. So don't become friends with them just because they're exotic or have an accent, do it simply to make a new friend in life.