Joe, an AYA host dad from Florida, shared the following about what it was like for his family to welcome Juli from Germany and face the challenge of a category 5 hurricane—quite a test of adaptability. Kudos to this family and the many communities coming together in support of one another to find positive outcomes in difficult circumstances like Hurricane Irma.
“We took our time while looking for a student to host for this year. Ultimately, my son and daughter chose Juli from Germany, based on common interests with her. Once we picked her and were approved, she contacted us almost immediately!
She was very excited to meet us and was very happy to know she was going to one of her first choices in the U.S. Juli arranged a day to FaceTime us, which was ultimately two hours of talking real time on a Sunday afternoon. It really let everyone get to talk, which was a great idea.
We stayed in touch via email prior to her arrival. We have hosted before, so we could really help her with what to expect when she arrived. This helped assure a smooth transition to life in America.
Juli’s adjustment was very smooth, which says a lot for her dedication. She has been a pleasure to have in our home and fits in very well with our family. She and my own children laugh and smile a lot when they’re together, and that’s a good thing, because one thing we couldn’t have planned for was soon to surprise us.
Her name was IRMA—category 5 hurricane! We decided to evacuate our home in Florida for safety’s sake. We assured AYA that Juli would be with us as we went on what we in Florida call “evacucation.”
Schools were closed for a week, and we had a safe place to stay in Atlanta, Georgia, as the storm passed. Juli helped my wife, Melanie, with our two dogs on the trip to Georgia, which was 12 hours in the car! Luckily Juli has found that she loves our two dogs and was glad to help. As Florida evacuees in Atlanta, we were even able to go to an Atlanta Braves game for free.”
Learn more about opportunities for cultural exchange with Academic Year in America.
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