When out of curiosity I had asked for information, I did not know that this would be the beginning of my greatest adventure. The months of preparation and training helped me feel more confident but when I passed through the airport check in saying goodbye to my parents I felt a thousand mixed emotions of happiness and fear. When I arrived at the airport, there were many smiling and festive people to welcome me and my host family and all fears disappeared. It took me a few weeks to acclimatise with my new school but I soon managed to make friends and sport also helped me a lot. A year abroad that I can sum up with one word 'Life'; because I really experienced something that is impossible to explain in words. It was difficult to say goodbye to my host family, but the other half of my heart couldn't wait to hug my parents and friends who were once again there at the airport waiting for me when I returned. Everyone told me that I looked changed, but the truth was that I was just myself, the best version of myself.

Our experience as host families lasted two consecutive years, as both our daughters chose to do a year of study abroad. The organisation was there for us at all stages and especially during the training/preparation sessions, they helped us overcome our initial fears in the first year. Hosting students who came from all over the world enriched us, sharing culture, cuisine and good times. We created a welcoming environment for these students and made them feel at home, we supported them with study and sport and we enjoyed cooking with them. We welcomed each and every one of them, always thinking that what we were doing had to be a small and simple good seed that would then generate welcome and beauty elsewhere in the Universe, a seed that becomes a gift for all.