Archived Articles: Travel

INTERNATIONAL HOSTING FLORIDA STYLE by DEBRA LEAHY

I want to share with WSO readers my experience hosting Laurence Avakian from Paris, France.(Be sure to read her article, "Once Upon A Time in America") This was my first experience with EF hosting and I am so glad I did it! Not having young people living at home anymore, hosting an adult tour escort was perfect for me. I need not have been concerned about a language barrier as I soon discovered that she speaks fluent English. In fact, her resume stated that she is an English teacher at a private school in Paris for students who speak English as a second language.

The eagerly awaited arrival of the buses of students and tour escorts from Spain, France, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Russia pulled up in front of the North Naples Middle School (NNMS) to the cheers and waving of host families. Soon the sidewalk was awash with young people as they poured off the buses to find and be greeted and hugged by their new U.S. families. Miraculously everyone found each other. The French bus was color coded yellow so those of us with French guests waved yellow balloons making the hook up process relitively easy. From there began the long line of cars taking our special cargos back to our homes to begin our own unique experiences making new friends and learning about the cultures of another country first hand in our own homes.

The next three weeks went by quickly. Laurence (She said for me to call her Laurie) Had to meet her bus at 8:00 am that would take her and her students to NNMS, where we had met them when they first arrived, for their daily morning classes. Lunch was box or bag lunches brought from their host home. Daily afternoon activies were planned such as bowling, a bike tour on Santibel Island, shopping at the new Coconut Mall in Estero, an airboat ride in the Everglades, ice skating at Germain Arena, swimming, water and beach activies at Bonita Beach. Optional weekend excursions were to Orlando for a visit to the Magic Kingdom, and Bush Garden in Tampa. They arrived back to their families around 6:00, in time for supper, an evening with their new families or maybe even early to bed having been worn out from their activtities...Well, maybe not the students, but there were days when Laurie arrived back home hot & tired, ready for a shower, supper, and early to bed. There were many evenings however, of just leisurely sitting around the table and talking into the wee hours. These were some of the best times!

Two events were designed especially for host families,students and adult participants The first was a welcome party at Lakes Park in Ft. Myers. Each family brought a picnic lunch, with watermellon & deserts for everyone to enjoy. This was the first time we had all gotten together and to meet each other as a group. A festive time was had by all in spite of a torrential rain and a mad dash for the covered picnic tables to wait it out; all part of a day in SW Florida during the rainy season!

The last event was a Farewell Party and International Faire. This was a creative and energetic opportunity for the young people to share special foods from their own countries and to share some of their culture with skits, dance, art, and music. These special presentations and sharing of food was a great opportunity for them to thank their new American families. There were lots of smiles, laughter, hugs, picture taking, and the finale of French students (and Laurie) singing a rousing song and dancing around the hall among the families clapping their shoes over their heads. They bought the house down with cheering and applause!

All too soon, the time came to say "adieu". Laurie and I formed a special friendship that I hope will endure. Somehow I feel we will see each other again. I know that many of the young people formed special bonds with their American families. The morning arrived when we had to drive our new friends to their departing buses taking them to Miami for flights home. There were sorrowful faces, some tears, long goodby hugs. None of us wanted to say good-by and I know that many of us felt that our lives had been changed somehow by having this unique sharing experience. In our own small way, in addition to making new friends from an other country, we were helping to promote understanding and goodwill and realizing that regardless of some differences, we are after all, more alike than we are different.