Participating in an exchange program is an opportunity to have many new experiences… like finding yourself with new siblings! Living with host siblings can really add another dimension to an exchange program for a participant.
From the point of view of the host family, this experience can help open their child’s eyes to a world beyond their own. These exchanges allow host siblings of any age to begin to understand that despite living thousands of miles apart and speaking different languages, we have far more in common than we realize.
In this episode we hear from Erika from Norway and her host sister Jessica. Erika is in the middle of her exchange year in Ohio. Our second interview is a conversation with former host sister Janne Debes, who is still close with her Japanese host sister after more than 50 years.
Guests:
Erika
Jessica
Janne Debes
Study Abroad with AFS-USA: www.afsusa.org/study-abroad
Volunteer with AFS-USA: www.afsusa.org/volunteer
Host with AFS-USA: www.afsusa.org/host
Educator Resources: www.afsusa.org/educators
Contact us: podcast@afsusa.org
Participating in an exchange program is an opportunity to have many new experiences… like finding yourself with new siblings! Living with host siblings can really add another dimension to an exchange program for a participant.
From the point of view of the host family, this experience can help open their child’s eyes to a world beyond their own. These exchanges allow host siblings of any age to begin to understand that despite living thousands of miles apart and speaking different languages, we have far more in common than we realize.
In this episode we hear from Erika from Norway and her host sister Jessica. Erika is in the middle of her exchange year in Ohio. Our second interview is a conversation with former host sister Janne Debes, who is still close with her Japanese host sister after more than 50 years.
Guests:
Erika
Jessica
Janne Debes
Study Abroad with AFS-USA: www.afsusa.org/study-abroad
Volunteer with AFS-USA: www.afsusa.org/volunteer
Host with AFS-USA: www.afsusa.org/host
Educator Resources: www.afsusa.org/educators
Contact us: podcast@afsusa.org
Kate M.
Hello and welcome to The AFS Exchange. I’m Kate Mulvihill. The AFS Exchange is a podcast by AFS-USA where we open the door to hear from members of our AFS family. This is a place to have conversations, or exchanges, with AFS host families, students, volunteers, and educators.
[Music]
Kate M.
In this episode we are going to talk about host siblings. An exchange year is an opportunity to have many new experiences, including living with- or without- siblings for the first time. This can really add another dimension to an exchange program- going from being an only child to having siblings, going from the youngest to the oldest, going from 3 brothers to 3 sisters…
I have one younger sister, but in my host families in both the Dominican Republic and in France, I had two older brothers. So not only was I adapting to living in a new country and speaking the language every day, but I was also learning what it was like to suddenly have older brothers… an experience I really don’t know how I would have had otherwise.
And from the point of view of the host family? This experience can help open their child’s eyes to a world beyond their own. These exchanges allow host siblings of any age to begin to understand that despite living thousands of miles apart and speaking different languages, we have far more in common than we realize.
In past episodes we’ve spoken to all sorts of host parents- those who hosted with young kids in the home or teenagers, those who are empty nesters…we now wanted to take the opportunity to focus on the impact an AFS student can have on their host siblings… by talking to the host siblings.
I am going to share two interviews. First, I speak to Erika from Norway and her host sister Jessica. Erika is in the middle of her exchange year in Ohio. I am fairly confident that this is the first time Tiktok or Post Malone have been mentioned on this podcast.
Next, I speak to Janne Debes who is still close with her Japanese host sister, Shima, more than 50 years after Shima came to stay with her family in Rochester, NY.
[Music]
Kate M.
Erika from Norway and her host sister Jessica are both seniors at a high school outside Cleveland. I talk to Erika and Jessica about their first impressions, what they like to do together, and how this experience has benefitted them. I also hear from Erika about the cultural differences she notices between the Norwegian and American people.
Erika
Hi, I'm Erika. I am from Norway. And I'm right now in the United States in Ohio on an exchange year.
Jessica
Hi, I'm Jessica. I'm one of the host siblings. And we're located right by Cleveland, Ohio. And we have the honor of hosting Erika this year.
Kate M.
Nice. Well, nice to meet you guys. Erika, Why did you decide to come to the United States?
Erika
Well, there isn't a direct answer for that I kind of when I first stumbled upon, like going on an exchange here, the only thing that popped up in my head was like America, because I've always had this underlying feeling of always just wanting to go to the United States. And then the more I researched it, the more I kind of fell in love with it, just in general. And it's very nice so far.
Kate M.
Glad to hear it. How did you hear about AFS?
Erika
Well, the thing is, I got recommended by my grandmother, I think first she hasn't gone on an exchange year. But she knows some of the local team for AFS because we're, you know, a small town. I also have a friend who went on an exchange year with this program too. And she really enjoyed working with this organization. So it was mostly positive feedback. So I was very happy to go with this one.
Kate M.
Okay. And let's see. What, what's the general? I mean, this is a big question. But what is the general opinion of the United States? In Norway? More or less?
Erika
To summarize it, I would say people think it's scary. I would tell people before I left that I was going to America they're like, really, but that's so scary. Like, there's guns everywhere. Which it sounds so strange, because people only know America from the news and, you know, movies from decades ago. And it's just so strange to think about now. Because they would kind of scare me with all of these thoughts. But then when I come here, I realize as long as you're not scary, then it's not scary at all. It's very peaceful. Very enjoyable.
Kate M.
Jessica, what did you know about Norway before Erika got here?
Jessica
I hardly knew anything. Actually, I knew of the Northern Lights. That's what they're mostly known for, and lots of snow. And I knew about like, like, the winter, like how it gets dark in the winter. And then they have you know, in the summer, it's kind of like, all day, I knew about that type of stuff. But I didn't really know a lot about the culture or kind of, like, the lifestyle in Norway. So it was really cool. When Erika got here I was able to learn a lot more about it.
Kate M.
Erika, what did you know about Ohio?
Erika
Oh, funny part is right before I got my placement, Ohio started to become like a big joke on social media. Is it because so much strange stuff happens there?
Jessica
I believe so. I don't know. There was that song.
Erika
A song about Ohio that went viral. And then and then it just became a big joke. Like, everybody's posting, if there's a weird thing they see. They will say only in Ohio. You'll say, oh, Ohio doesn't exist, will be like, mythical pictures saying that they went on vacation to Ohio.
Kate M.
This is like in Norwegian circles or in English too?
Jessica
It's everywhere. You'll see a strange video on TikTok. Yeah, it'll be just the strangest thing. It has nothing to do with Ohio. And if you go in the comments, it'd be like, hashtag only in Ohio. It's confusing.
Kate M.
So in addition to only in Ohio…
Erika
Great. It was both that and also the friend that I mentioned who had gone to America. I later found out that she also went to Ohio for her exchange year. Okay, so she was telling me about that. And she was living on a farm. So that was my impression too.
Kate M.
I asked Erika about her experience meeting her host family for the first time, after her long series of flights from Norway to Cleveland.
Erika
Well, the thing is, we had long hours, I think, like, oh, wow, maybe 15, 16 hours of travel. And I couldn't sleep on any of those flights. So me and my friend who had come with me all the way from Norway. We were walking down. It was late. It was 11pm. We had landed in Cleveland. And we walked. It's so long. We're both just talking to each other, so nervous to meet our host parents. And we go down the escalator. I'm like looking around, I don't even notice them and then I suddenly see them. And it's exciting but also calming, because it's a feeling of “you've made it.” You actually officially came to America. You sat on that plane for so long, and you're on the other side of the world. But also it's the start of a whole new chapter of your life. So it was a mixture of sleep deprivation and excitement.
Kate M.
A healthy mix.
Jessica
I made the sign. And the funny thing was I, we just got in contact with Erika earlier that summer. And I didn't know a lot about her. But I did know she really liked Post Malone. So I decorated this poster. And I put a big ol picture of Post Malone on there. And then I'm looking at all the other host family signs, and they're like, got like American flags. And like, you know, Ohio flags or whatever, and our has just got a big ol picture of Post Malone.
Kate M.
Jessica, what were your first impressions?
Jessica
Well, like my first impression, I was so surprised she has no accent or anything. And we just like, immediately, I just felt so comfortable around her and might be our age, or we just have a lot of things like a lot of similar hobbies and interests. So it was really cool to have somebody almost like appear around that I felt comfortable with. And just immediately, I felt super comfortable around her. And I was super impressed. Because she's super smart. And how easily she could speak English.
Kate M.
Erika and Jessica like to sing, do Tiktok dances, and explore parks together.
Erika
Well, we both have choir classes in school. So um, we do have a mutual singing interest. When it was nice and warm outside before winter came I would often beg Jessica to go outside for parks. I loved going to the parks just to see because I really liked nature and nature back at home is so nice. And I wanted to compare it so badly.
Jessica
Yeah, we went through a phase where we did puzzles consecutively. And we would just put the new puzzle on top of the old one. And we eventually stacked up like four or five puzzles, you know, big ones. They're like, 1000, 500 pieces. Yeah, we went through that phase. We dance a lot. That was one of the first things we did when you got here. We went to a park and we made dancing TikToks.
Erika
She would find some dancing TikToks. All I get was Ohio. And she would show me them and say, “we gotta do this, we gotta do this right now!” Yeah, we were sweating.
Jessica
We were dancing so hard. We're in show choir together as well. So we get to go do competitions together and dance together and perform together which is super cool.
Erika
I do theater club, when they're when that's kind of like, in season right now. It's kind of like stopped because of the musical that we're doing, which I'm also in. So that's rehearsals every day after school. And basically, I just try to keep my schedule open. So I kind of limit myself to those. If there's anything else, it's like, smaller. Sometimes I go to German club if I have time, because I'm in German class too.
Kate M.
Okay. What musical are you guys doing?
Erika
We're doing Bye. Bye, Birdie.
Kate M.
Wow, a classic. Did you do musicals at all back in Norway?
Erika
No, I wish. Our town is really small.
Kate M.
I asked Erika about the differences she’s noticed between Norway and the U.S. An increased presence of fast food, but also a different work ethic.
Erika
So there are some kinds of food that they've shown me. Yeah. Especially here in our town. There's a lot of fast food. In my town there's not a single fast food restaurant. Wow. So that's a big change. And it's very practical. I feel like that's American.
And I, something I've noticed, like about the different cultures is that everybody works so much more here. And I admire that so much. I thought that I was doing a lot back at home. But after I came here, I'm realizing that's, nothing compared to what these guys are doing. There's my host mom and dad, they always go to church every day to work and they stay there for hours at a time. And I just admire it so much. And they get to do basically, they spend so much time and they still accomplish like everything else they need to do. Like they still socialize, they take care of the pets, they can take care of us. It's just amazing.
Kate M.
In terms of adults working more or also…Do you also think students?
Erika
Yes. College requirements, we don't even have that. We only have grade requirements. You have to have at least a B or something in a class. While here you need good applications you need extracurriculars. You got to do service work, and it's so impressive.
Kate M.
What skills have you gained or improved upon this year?
Erika
Definitely, I would say a big one is patience. Because this is kind of I don't know if this is very like out there. But I've noticed that Norwegians are very, we read the room, we adjust to every person that we meet. It's kind of like, if they're comfortable, you're comfortable. But it's mostly in a quiet way. And everybody's themselves here. There's like no limit to who you can be in America. And it's new. That's definitely new to me. Like there are some small habits that I have noticed. And back at home, it would totally irritate me over time. But I'm noticing that I've kept myself calm. And I'm so much more patient with that. And I think before I talk or act, and it's definitely patience is a big one.
There's a certain vibe all the time. And in Norway, we're all very similar when it comes to behavior. Of course, people are different. But the thing is, if you can feel that a person is different, you're most likely to just not really want to hang out with them. Either that or you're commenting on the habits that you don't like, and they will definitely take that in. It's very unique here.
Kate M.
Erika said that in talking to other Norwegian students in the U.S., they expressed similar feelings. After our interview I did some research on Norwegian social norms, and came across something called the Law of Jante . Jante is spelled J-A-N-T-E.
The Law of Jante (yan-teh) is a set of social codes in Norway that explains why Norwegians act the way they do. This also applies to the rest of Scandinavia, including Denmark and Sweden.
And what do these social codes say? Well, that it is imperative to put society ahead of the individual. The law discourages drawing attention to individual success and instead encourages striving for collective accomplishments and the well-being of the community.
I can see how this could be a real difference for a student coming to the U.S. When thinking about common values in the U.S… I think about independence, individualism, and personal achievement. It is normal to hear someone talk about their individual successes here- or to openly congratulate others. Many Americans pride themselves on being independent, self-starters, and forging new paths… which is pretty different from what is valued by many Norwegians.
Kate M.
Do you have any advice for students who are considering coming to the US?
Erika
Yes If they're not totally sure if they should go, then go. Definitely, if you're considering it, then you are totally going to make it worth your while. America in general, is very hard working, depending on the country you're from, it's going to be different, no matter the experience. And I noticed that even though I didn't verbally tell myself that I didn't have any expectations. I could feel that I had some expectations in the back of my mind, like, America's big. It's all parties, friends, socializing, fireworks, it's just huge. Lots of fun. But in general, it's not all fun, if that makes sense. It's a lot of work. It's very school focused. And that's the kind of that's something I really like, too. So I was shocked about over how much I like, easily got incorporated with the culture.
Kate M.
I asked Jessica what she appreciated about having a host sister.
Jessica
Yeah, one thing I particularly enjoy about having Erika here is that because we share so many interests, we get to share a lot of things together. So we could just share like show choir and our choir classes. And we'll get to share some of my life events, I'll get to share them with her, which I would prefer, I'm the type of person who prefers to have somebody with me. My parents had four kids in four years. So the house got really empty really quick. And me being the youngest, I really saw this as a really good opportunity to, you know, keep somebody close. Even just like at show choir competitions, sometimes I feel like a loner dog, but I still got Erika. So like, it's super cool. And so that's been probably the thing I enjoy the most, I never really feel like alone. I always have somebody there that I know I can always go to and I feel comfortable with.
And then I would definitely, definitely encourage host families that have high school aged students to host foreign exchange students because it really gives an opportunity at a young age as myself to get exposed to new cultures, new behaviors, new ways of life, and it could maybe even encourage host families and students like myself to explore the world maybe and maybe get out there explore new cultures, which I definitely will be and I know I have to take a trip don't Norway from everything I've heard I have to take a trip. So I would definitely encourage host families with teenagers to host.
Kate M.
Thank you guys. Erika, have you introduced Jessica and your family to any Norwegian foods? Music, dances, sports?
Erika
Well, the thing is, when it comes to food, we don't really have a lot of stuff. It's mostly meat and potatoes, protein and starch. Especially fish and potatoes. That’s our favorite.
Jessica
I liked making sweet rolls. We made sweet rolls. Those were good.
Erika
Yeah, for December 13. Yeah, those are St. Lucia day.
Jessica
Tell them about the chocolate.
Erika
The chocolate? Oh, just in general. I didn't hear a lot about it but before I came here, I heard that American chocolate was not that good. So when I came here, I brought chocolate because I was like, We're known for our chocolate. We have really good chocolate. And so I brought it and apparently they really liked it.
Jessica
I don’t want to ever have American chocolate. After having that Norwegian chocolate. I like oh my goodness. It is so good. I don't even know how to explain it.
Kate M.
So, Norway shares a border with Sweden. Sweden, as you may know, is the home of IKEA. In addition to selling all sorts of furniture and home decor, IKEA has a grocery section that provides Scandinavian food. I asked Erika if she had had the opportunity to visit an IKEA and maybe pick up some snacks that remind her of home.
Erika
It was really fun. We were all walking around. And we're looking at all the houses and are imagining things. And then I look at all the notes because Swedish is pretty similar to Norwegian. And I start looking at them and I'm like translating it to them. They're like that's, that's what it's called. They call it that. And then we just walk around and up in the food section. And I find like these cinnamon rolls in a pack that I always get, I always get them when I go on trips. We found chocolate.
Kate M.
Oh, wow.
Jessica
If you're listening and you have an Ikea nearby, go get some Norwegian chocolate.
Erika
Yeah, they're in these rolls yellow. Made in Norway. They're really good.
Kate M.
Good to know. Do you get people confusing Norway and Sweden and Finland?
Erika
Yeah.
Kate M.
Yeah, I bet. I’m sorry.
Erika
I don't know how it happened. This person that I see in class every day. I talked to this person every time suddenly it's like so have you talked to people back in Sweden? Sweden to me. Oh, so that was really strange, but I can see why they're also comparing them. But it's so strange for Norwegians because it's kind of like a known little rival... rivalry.
Jessica
You said it better than I could.
Kate M.
You know, maybe 10 years down the line, a student who's in the class with you now will remember the difference between Norway and Sweden. Because they'll remember Oh, yes, we had an exchange student. And she taught me this thing about Norway. And now I remember that and all because of Erika. Your presence in the school, and the family, and the community is teaching people who have no idea about Norway, about Scandinavia, about life outside of the United States. You're opening those doors for them.
Erika
Oh, yeah. And I'm definitely encouraging people I know to like, host, this is one girl, I'm like, please, please, there's this one girl, I'm like talking about this one exchange student, they would be a perfect fit. And I'm just, I'm really trying to at least get people interested in hosting,
Kate M.
I asked Erika how she thought this exchange experience would impact her future.
Erika
Well, my future definitely, I've gained a lot of context. And just based on, like my interest, it's super practical. Because if I do end up doing something with music in the future, it will be very practical for me to have gone through this and experienced it, the so-called American way, because the standards are so high, which also makes the product better. And I would say that's overall pretty good. And I, I love discussing, like, not exactly world problems, but like relevant problems in the world with people. And I tend to keep a neutral view until I make my decision. So I've had conversations with my friends about Norway's political system, what they think about all of this stuff, and I am a little bit active on the political side in Norway. So I will definitely take all the stuff that I've learned here and bring that with me, because it's different tactics, but also like the same problem. That's very fascinating.
Kate M.
Okay, I think that is it for me. Is there anything else that you guys want to share about? Your year, Ohio, each other?
Jessica
Ohio, Ohio. One thing that's super cool is Erika's just super talented. And she actually accompanies our choir on the piano, for talented pianist. And every single time our choir director introduces her immediately she goes, she's from Norway. I always find that so funny. Because that happened today. But it's been super cool. And then I got to watch her perform in the fall play. And she got a lead role as one of the narrators. And she was on stage the whole time. And I was receiving text messages from people all throughout the school saying that Erika did such a great job. And it's just super cool to just have somebody new around and have some new interests.
Kate M.
When I talked to Erika and Jessica, Erika still had about 3 months left on program. I had such a great time chatting with them and I have no doubt that they are going to make the most out of the rest of their year,.
Jessica
It was wonderful to meet you.
Kate M.
Nice to meet you guys. Bye bye.
[Music]
Kate M.
We are going to hear from Janne Debes, a former AFS host sister to a Japanese girl named Shima. A few months ago, Janne got in touch with AFS for the first time in many years when she submitted a story for AFS-USA’s 75th Anniversary…
Janne D.
It’s so weird because I don't know what made me think about it. I guess because I had just been communicating with my sister Shima. And I suddenly thought, “Gosh, I wonder if AFS is still going on?” So I you know, I typed it in and oh, my gosh, I was so pleased that you're still there.
Kate M.
Yes. Yep. Going strong. 75 years, pandemic later.
Janne D.
That’s incredible! Incredible! Wow. Yeah,
Kate M.
Yeah. We use this podcast to kind of highlight some of these stories, including those of host siblings and students who've gone abroad and host families. Yeah, AFS is still going strong.
Kate M.
Now, to introduce Janne…
Janne D.
Okay, I am Janne Debes, and I'm located in Auburn, Alabama. Although I was born and raised in New York State, I ended up marrying a Southerner. So that's what happened.
Kate M.
I'm from Syracuse, actually.
Janne D.
So I was born in Syracuse.
Kate M.
Oh, wow. Okay.
Kate M.
Janne was born in Syracuse then moved to Rochester, NY.
Kate M.
How did you first hear about AFS?
Janne D.
Well, because my parents somehow heard about it, and decided that it needed to happen in Rochester. And so my parents got together with some really good friends who were like minded and, and they, they started a chapter of it in Rochester, and they called it Teen Age Diplomats. So I sort of always knew about it.
Kate M.
Why was this so important to them?
Janne D.
Well, that's a really good question. I think it's really crazy. My dad in the 30s became a member of the Communist Party. And he was very interested in equality of people. My mother was raised by some very religious parents. And by the time my mother finished high school and went on, she had come to the conclusion that her parents had this very sad problem of being anti semitic.
And my mother felt very strongly, you know, that people were all people and the best thing to do is get to know people from all over the world. So that's why they really wanted to make this happen in Rochester. Where I was in school at that time, my elementary school, two thirds of the school was Jewish kids. And there was anti semitism there. And so we were raised from tiny tots to know that it was bad to have any kind of prejudice against other people. So that's how it happened.
Kate M.
Janne’s family hosted a girl from Japan named Shima.
Kate M.
Where in Japan was she from?
Janne D.
She was from Tokyo. Fascinatingly, her father actually died during the war. He was a journalist. He was a newspaper writer. And he was on a boat that was sunk, sunk that we bombed the boat. We killed her dad, even though he wasn't a soldier or something.
And my parents wanted a Japanese girl, because there was a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment in the country, you know, for a long time after that. You know? So, um, you know, my parents wanted to make friends with the Japanese people.
Kate M.
And that's very interesting as a decision that she made- that the United States was responsible for the death of her father, and she wanted to go to the States.
Janne D.
And she came anyway. Yeah, exactly.
Kate M.
Very brave. I would think that there were probably some people who didn't agree with her decision to come to the States.
Janne D.
Oh, I'm sure that's true.
Kate M.
Wow. Very brave.
Kate M.
Shima adjusted well to her host family.
Janne D.
She's a consummate diplomat. I mean she is so smart. And so, so good at reading people that we never, ever had any issues in our family. And she and I walked to school together or rode our bikes to high school together. And she blended in so perfectly. People still remember her and, you know.
Kate M.
That’s great to hear. And so this was your junior year in high school?
Janne D.
That was.
Kate M.
Janne and Shima would do their homework together. As the year went on, Janne watched as Shima became more confident in English.
Janne D.
We had a big desk in our bedroom. And we, we had, we sat on opposite sides of the desk, and did our homework together. And we happened to have the same teacher for one of the classes, I guess it was an American History class. But anyway, was so interesting sitting there studying with her, because at first, when she was studying from her notes, her notes were all in Japanese. But within a couple of months, her notes were in English. So I could read a lot. I could see a lot of what was going on with her because we were just so close all the time. You know,
Kate M.
So you could kind of witness her growth in English. From feet away, from very close.
Janne D.
Yeah, exactly. I know. It was so fun.
Kate M.
After all of these years, Janne and Shima are still in touch.
Janne D.
She lives in Richmond, Virginia.
Kate M.
Oh, she lives in Virginia.
Janne D.
Yep, I see her every few months. Oh, wow. We talk on the phone and we email. We're still sisters.
Kate M.
Wow. That's so great to hear. What brought her back to the States?
Janne D.
Well, we said goodbye to her at the end of the year. It was terrible. I mean, we were all bawling and weeping. We had formed this huge bond. So off, she went back to Japan. And she gets back there. And she found out about a scholarship. And she won a scholarship to come to the US to college. And she met her husband while she was in college. And he was from Michigan and so she stayed here forever.
Kate M.
Wow.
Janne D.
Yeah. I know.
Kate M.
I asked Janne what she learned from having Shima stay with her family.
Janne D.
People are people, no matter where they're from, you know, they all feel sad sometimes or get angry, whatever. So that was just a confirmation. Doesn't matter where you're from, you know, we all have feelings.
Kate M.
We’re all human beings and most of us experience the whole gamut of life’s emotions. Regardless of where on this planet you were born.
Janne D.
Exactly, exactly.
Kate M.
I know. But it's so easy to forget.
Janne D.
Oh, it is, because we get caught up in our own little lives. Right?
Kate M.
Right. Yeah.
Kate M.
I think that was it for our questions, unless there was anything else that you wanted to share at all?
Janne D.
No, I just am forever grateful to my parents for doing this. So that we had this experience with her. And then I guess the idea is that she would go back to Japan and make a good, you know, case for the wonderful U.S. and all that. But she has been a wonderful person who has done incredible things in this country with her life. And I'm just incredibly grateful to have been able to get her as a sister. Yeah. So great.
Kate M.
Yeah. And it has been over 40 years. And you're still in touch.
Janne D.
Yes. We confide in each other.
Kate M.
Yes, that's beautiful. And Virginia is a lot closer to Alabama than Japan is. So that's great that you can make that work!
Kate M.
Well, thank you so much. Thank you. Have a nice afternoon.
Janne D.
It was a pleasure. Carry on. Bye bye.
Kate M.
That was Janne Debes from Alabama, sharing her story of her 50 year friendship with her AFS host sister. Thank you to Erika, Jessica, and Janne for all chatting with me about their AFS host siblings and the impact this experience has had on their lives.
[Music]
Kate M.
Well, thank you for listening to The AFS Exchange! I’m Kate Mulvihill. Let us know what you thought of this episode by sending a message to podcast@afsusa.org. You can also rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe there as well so you don’t miss any episodes in this 3rd season.
This podcast was created by Kate Mulvihill. Social media by Julie Ball and Nina Gaulin. Special thanks to Christina Kowalski.