My Winter 2023 study abroad experience on the Humanities and Social Sciences in Berlin, Germany program gave students the opportunity to choose their housing arrangement. Students could choose to live in an apartment with other study abroad students or to live in a homestay, which is an apartment that the student shares with a local family. After making the decision to study abroad and choosing my specific study abroad program, this was yet another important decision for me to make before boarding my flight to Berlin.
When deciding whether or not to live with a host family, I considered what I wanted to get out of my time abroad. Even though I did not speak any German before studying abroad, I knew that, above all else, I wanted to be immersed in Berlin’s culture and wanted to live as much like a real Berliner as possible. I know that while the unknown can be stressful and scary, it often provides us with many opportunities for growth. It was this mentality, along with my desire for cultural immersion, that led me to choose to live with a host family in Berlin. What a fantastic choice it was!
I was paired with a 61 year old host mom, her 21 year old daughter, and their cat, who ended up being a wonderful companion during my time in Berlin! In their apartment, I had my own room with a bed, desk, wardrobe, and couch. I shared living spaces, including a bathroom and kitchen, with my host family. I was free to come and go from the apartment as I pleased. Contrary to what I feared about living in a homestay, I had just as much independence as I would have had if I had lived with students from my program.
In my program, host families are not expected to provide meals for their students, so I often cooked for myself. But sometimes my host family would share meals with me, including some delicious baked goods made by my host mom and German foods that she would cook so that I could try them. We would get coffee and go to art exhibitions and concerts together, and it was great to have locals show me around the area where I lived. I even became friends with some of my host sister’s friends.
Living with a host family did not limit me in any way. If anything, it prompted me to become more independent as I was not sharing a building with students from my program. This meant getting to know my unique neighborhood in the city, figuring out how to get around the city alone, and, ultimately, loving my own company. That being said, living in a homestay connected me with the other students in my program who also opted to live with locals. These fellow homestay students became my best friends in my program!
My time spent living in a homestay was a defining aspect of my experience abroad. I improved my German speaking abilities, formed close relationships with locals, learned about German holidays, visited hidden gem restaurants and galleries, learned more about German culture and politics, gained more independence and confidence, and created a community for myself in Berlin that will still be there when I return to the city in the future!
