My host mom in Spain often provided my roommate and I with great words of wisdom. Tu madre Española is what she referred to herself as, and that’s exactly what your host family will be – your family away from home. You never know what other people can teach you until you let them. Here are five reasons why living with a host family will take your volunteer experience from good to utterly amazing.
1. Communication
Living with a host family is ideal for working on your language skills and learning how to have a simple conversation in the native tongue of that region. The best way to learn a new language is to be constantly surrounded by it, and push the limits of your spoken comfort zone. You may need to work on your charades skills in order to get your meaning across, like we often did in my home stay, but it’s all part of the fun!
2. Food
Two words: chocolate caliente. Never before had I really experienced this chocolaty delight until I tried my host mom’s own personal recipe. Living with a local family, you get the opportunity to eat homemade local cuisine. We all love our own family’s home cooked meals, so why not enjoy someone else’s? Living with a host family is the best way to try all the traditional plates you’ve been curious about. It is not only easier on your wallet than constantly dining out, but living with a host family allows for a more authentic experience.
3. Immersion
Living with a host family allows you to live like a local. This is the perfect opportunity to leave the life of a tourist behind and learn to do it the local way. Touristy areas are easily double the price compared to the places where the locals shop. With a host family you can quickly learn the best places to go, where to get good prices, and the best ways to get around. That moment when you accidentally get mistaken for a local – let me tell you, it feels great. Living with a host family is the best way to get the inside scoop on the area you’re immersing yourself in.
4. Relationships
Host families provide comfort during a time when your real family may be continents away. You have the chance to make meaningful relationships and lifelong connections. Your host mom can enlighten you like mi madre española constantly did, as she widened my perspective. You never know, you may even make plans to go back and stay with them again in the future.
5. Perspective
Living with locals broadens your view of the world around you and forces you to step outside of your comfort zone. When traveling, my philosophy is ‘go big or go home’. Living with a host family is the best way to see what a place is really like. The truest image of a place is through a local’s eyes.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” -Neal Donald Walsch
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
