Australian Homestay Network host, Indi, shares her trip to Japan with us. She details the benefits and rewards of hosting international students; that go far beyond the financial ones.

"The greatest gift of all.... friendships we have created. We had two magical evenings of meeting our past Homestay students & their beloved families. We were treated like royalty. They came from hours away just to see us & treated us to two very Japanese gastronomic experiences.

The highlight of this trip for me personally has been reconnecting with the people who have enriched my life, in some ways. Whether it's an insight into their way of life or how they behave when they were taken out of their comfort zones. I guess, this is why I do, what I do. These students are my children from the world.

These kids came into our lives as 15/17-year-olds. That was 8 or 9 years ago. Now they are great citizens of Japan. They contribute to their society & continue with their lives. Little Fukuno has always been my little Geiko. She's sweet, innocent, and gentle & loves her brother Taihei & her mother Akiko & has a beautiful giggle each time she laughs ❤️ She is a school nurse now for the same school as she studied - Tokyo Joshi. A job that fits her perfectly like a glow. We, naturally, adopted her sweet 18-year-old brother because he was eager, wanting to know about us & absorbed everything we spoke like a sponge 🩷 they came with gifts & so much love. Fukuno's mother Akiko & I have been wonderful friends since Fukuno lived with us & our friendship has grown & flourished. Although neither of us spoke the language properly, we understood each other perfectly.

Then we had the pleasure of meeting Masako... another beloved Tokyo Joshi homestay student. She couldn't leave her work on time as she has expected but still made it to see us afterwards. She's now working for a leading insurance company & a busy young lady. Overall they are all successful in their chosen careers. We couldn't have been happier.

Finally, we had the pleasure of meeting Massan & his family. Massan came to our family from Kyroin University in Tokyo. He came and picked us up from our apartment, and we felt very humble. He's another one of our favourite students. He was with us nearly 6 months & lived every day as his last day in Australia. He's a crazy, fun-loving, avid baseball lover & played for the Adelaide Uni team since he came here. He's a joyful young man. He, himself chose the restaurant & treated us to a beautiful dinner. We felt honoured and so greatful for their continuous presence in our lives. We will see each other again.

Thank you for the amazing opportunity 🙏 ❤️