To anyone that studied abroad and stayed with a host family?

I have not actually studied abroad, but I do know several people who have. My mom went to Australia when she was in high school, and she absolutely loved it. The host family she stayed with was wonderful, and she had no problem adjusting to life in a new country. However, that's not always the case with foreign exchange students. I've also heard stories about people not getting along with their host families. But, if you are going through a reliable program, such as AFS, there should be no problem with finding a new host family. Overall, eveyone I've talked to who has studied abroad has loved the experience, and I definitely think that if you can afford it, you should do it. I am actually planning to study abroad in Italy next year, and while I'm really nervous about a lot of things, like what my host family will be like, I know that it will be an amazing year and I can't wait to go. If you want more info on what it will be like, there are many blogs available online at afsblog.org written by people who have been foreign exchange students.