Last summer, close friends of our family had asked us if we wanted to become host parents for this foreign exchange program. Having nothing to do during those couple of weeks before school started, my parents agreed and after completing the steps to become a host family, we chose two boys. Through this exchange program, around 50 students from France, Italy, Spain, and Taiwan were hosted by American families to experience an authentic American way of life. Students were treated as an extension and sibling of the families while also participating in many activities planned for these students, along with taking classes of English, such as trips to the local spring, movie theaters, bowling alley, and nearby beaches.

Our family had the pleasure of hosting two boys, one from France and one from Taiwan. Even though our family is Dominican, and we speak fluent Spanish, making it much easier on everyone to choose someone from Spain, my mother decided to go for a challenge and picked a Taiwanese boy because no one in our family could speak one word of any Eastern language. Additionally, my three siblings and I had taken French in school so she wanted us to practice our limited French skills, and choose a French boy.

With little notice, and to my little brother's surprise, both would be living in his room because of his extra bunk bed space. Initially, my brother was completely opposed to have these two random boys, as he would call them, who spoke little to nothing of English, live in his room, having to be the one experiencing the most interaction with the two of them.

But, little did he know, it came to be a blessing in disguise, cherishing every moment the three had together. Furthermore, one requirement of hosting foreign exchange kids was having to create a welcome poster for your student when they first arrived to be able know to which family they now belonged to. Instead of throwing these away after our two foreign exchange boys were welcomed, my mother decided to put them on the door of my brother's room. To everyone's surprise, to this day, they are still there, a little less than a year later.

Through this exchange program, my entire family and I were able to experience two completely different worlds right in our own home. We were exposed to different languages, different types of music, and, of course, different foods. The foreign exchange students each had to cook their host family one meal during their stay which our family greatly appreciated and have come to incorporate in our gastronomical regimen.

Furthermore, even those we did not host students from Italy or Spain, through planned activities and inviting groups of students to our house to go out on the lake, we were also able to experience Italian culture and Spanish culture and, of course, make lifelong friendships that have already started to change my life. Through the use of FaceTime and WhatsApp, my brother and I continue to keep in contact with all of our new friends from literally across the globe.

As I sit here writing this article, I have a profound appreciation for this experience of hosting exchange students and having the opportunity to meet all of those incredible students. Without that program, I would not be here spending part of my summer in Milan, truly experiencing Italian culture with one of my best friends.