Saturday, June 30 – We stayed with our host families for only five days, but that short time in the home stays made me feel l like belonged somewhere. On the first day with my host sister, I felt like an intruder in her home. I was sleeping in her room, eating the food prepared by her grandmother and felt like I was imposing on their everyday lives. But on the last day of our home stay, I felt like I was being pulled away from the sister I never had.
I know my experience was a lot different than the other students’ home stays because my host sister was not like every other teenager in the community. She did not have the same social connection as the others because she does not have a cell phone and is not allowed to have a phone until she turns 18 years old. All of the other teenagers, including the ones from the Washington, DC, had access to WhatsApp and used group chats to talk to each other and communicate. WhatsApp was used to plan events, like parties, and to discuss anything that was happening at school or in their community.
After school, my host sister and I were disconnected from the outside teenage world. We did not find out about any of the goings on, the news, or events until the morning of school. On the up side, we had plenty of time and opportunity to talk about anything and everything which made me feel comfortable and less of an intruder in this unfamiliar setting. We talked about our families, our schools and even the number of months a cow is pregnant! My host sister was very shy and so am I, but we both managed to gossip and have great conversations like blood sisters.
It was hard to say goodbye to my host sister. Who knows when, or if, we will see each other again? We had developed a bond, and I hope we will stay in touch once I leave Paraguay and return to Washington, DC. I would like to stay connected to her, but it will be a challenge because she does not have a phone. Without a phone, she is limited to only the people in and near her Paraguayan community. With access to technology, connecting and communicating with people who live in far away lands is not impossible or unthinkable; it is what most of do every day. It expands our social networks, broadens our horizons and shows us parts of the world we may have never otherwise have known.
Alicia T., Washington Latin Public Charter School