Welcome to America!

A few months back, our family of five decided to open our home to a foreign exchange student. Truly, we knew very little about the hows and whens but we knew that this could be one of life's most rewarding and exciting events. Our three children, ages 20, 18 and 13, were immediately excited at the thought of welcoming a teenager from another country into our home.

A friend of ours who works as a representative for an exchange student agency paved the way and in days we were faced with the difficult task of choosing a student from literally hundreds of applicants. As we filed through the biographies and pictures, we were drawn to a beautiful girl from Italy named Laura. My mother is Italian and I had grown up with all the wonderful traditions of Italy so the decision was easy. In no time at all, the paperwork was complete and all that was left was to count the days until her arrival!

On August 3, we waited with anticipation at the airport for Laura's arrival. A bit tired and unsure of her English, Laura hugged us warmly and we were off to begin our next year of learning languages and exchanging customs!

My hope, through this blog, is to share our experiences and document Laura's year in America! It's going to be fun and exciting! Ciao!!!