Student Bloggers
Rent-A-Family
Date
April 2, 2018
During my Easter weekend, I decided to do a homestay which is where you live with a local family for a certain amount of time. In my case it was just the weekend. I honestly had no clue what I was going into and received little information about my host family. I found out two days ahead where I was going and what time she was picking us up. Us is referring to my friend/ flatmate Sarah and I who went together (safety in numbers). Basically, though we had no idea or expectation what it was going to be like so naturally we assumed the worse. I have learned that it is best to have your expectations low versus high when dealing with the unknown.
My host mother was a woman who is from England who went to the University of Stirling and fell in love with the area, so she stayed. She was very sweet and kind right off the bat. Along with Sarah and I, there was another girl from the University of Glasgow that joined us. First impression was that she was an amazing cook. I have never been a master chief and not even a chief so to have good food was the best. During the weekend we did mainly three things. The first thing we did was the art gallery and museum in Stirling which I was planning on going to at some point. There was an amazing gallery on tapestries that were beautiful. The second thing we did was Campbell’s Castle. I think this is my favorite castle that I have seen so far. It is hidden between mountains behind a forest. The walk is intense and kind of sketchy to reach the castle, but it was beautiful. The final thing we did was hiking the mountain right in her backyard. Once again challenging me and my asthmatic lungs, but when in Scotland.
Overall, my homestay was great, and I would recommend others if they get the opportunity to experience one as well. It was an awesome way to spend my Easter weekend.