Two-year-old Kid 1 with our student, “Min” (February 2008)
Hello from Korea!
Our Korean family
We’re here in Korea to visit family. But we’re not Korean, and the family we have here isn’t related by blood. Instead, they’re related by the bond we’ve built over nearly 12 years of knowing each other. We came to know our Korean family through a lovely student I’ll call “Min” (to protect her identity).
In June 2007, Min arrived in Vancouver to study English and experience life with a Canadian family. But unbeknownst to any of us at the time—Min was joining our family on the brink of a very difficult time in our lives.
The hard times begin
Soon after Min’s arrival, I became pregnant with our second little boy. Kid 1 was only two at the time, so we were still sleep-deprived and new to parenting. On top of all that, my mom (and very involved grandma to Kid 1) was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.
It was devastating news. We were inconsolably sad, exhausted, and probably not in the best mindset to host students. But it seemed as if Min was meant to be with us.
For one thing, she was older and more mature than our typical students. She was also very maternal—she’d grown up helping to raise her four younger siblings. Min also spoke excellent English, so it was possible (and so wonderful) to have deep, meaningful conversations with her.
During Min ‘s 14 months with us, she and our family went through several major life transitions together…
Duty calls
Min’s plan had been to stay with us for a full year while she studied English and took on some volunteer work. However, a family emergency cut her stay with us short.
Min’s mom, brother, and one of her sisters had been living in the US at the time, but their mom unexpectedly had to return to Korea. Min was the only who could take her mother’s place to help look after her siblings.
She was heartbroken because she loved her life in Canada—she had a routine and was doing well with her English studies. Min did not want to leave, but she knew there was no other way.
Dark times
When Min left, I was several months pregnant, and my mom was going through some heavy-duty chemo. We decided it was a good time to take a break from hosting students.
During this time, Kid 2 arrived, and the postpartum depression and anxiety I’d experienced with Kid 1 reared its ugly head again. And all the while, my mom’s health continued to deteriorate. It was for the best that Min was called away. It wasn’t a good time to be in our home.
Min returns
After about six months, Min was finally able to return to Vancouver and resume the life she’d started here. But we were still in the thick of the newborn phase and supporting my parents through my mom’s cancer battle. So we told her we didn’t feel fit to host.
Instead, we recommended a family we knew to host her. They seemed nice enough from what we knew of them—but behind closed doors, they were another story.
Sadly, Min felt unwelcome in their home. She had the use of her own private bathroom, but she’d come home each day to find all her things rearranged. When she wanted to have a cup of tea before bed, the host mother told her she’d need to charge her for the teabag. There were many other issues, and Min was miserable.
We had no idea what Min was going through until my husband M happened to drive past her (the homestay was close to our house). He pulled over to chat with Min, and all of the horrible stories about her homestay poured out.
We were aghast that anyone could treat our lovely Min this way, and told her to move back in with us. Within days, she gave her notice to the other family, and was back in our house.
A blessing in disguise
We weren’t sure how we’d handle hosting a student amidst all the chaos we were dealing with. But we felt so bad for Min and felt there was no other option.
We soon realized how special Min was to us, and how lucky we were to have brought her back into our home. Min intuitively knew when we needed support or space, and was always very respectful of what we were going through.
Unexpectedly, she also insisted (frequently) on helping out by cooking or folding laundry. We never, ever expected the help or asked, but Min wouldn’t have it any other way.
Most of Min’s life had been devoted to being a second mother to her many siblings. But instead of resenting it, she accepted the role and took pride in being good at it. Unlike any of our other students to that point, Min was an accomplished cook and knew how to run a house like a boss!
We never let her help us more than once or twice a week as we wanted her to focus on her English studies. But Min was persistent and treated us and our parents to many of her delicious home-cooked Korean meals. We were so spoiled!
Often, M would return home to find Min and me folding laundry together. She even taught us a clever new way to fold M’s boxer shorts. (Nothing says family like folding underwear together!)
Min also loved our boys like her own. Kid 1 loved her in return, and treated her like a big sister. He even granted her a nickname from his favourite movie, Cars. Everyone in the family had a Cars nickname: I was Sally, M was Mac, baby brother Kid 2 was Guido, and Min was (interestingly) Ramone!
Meeting BB
Near the end of Min’s stay with us, her boyfriend BB came from Korea for a visit. Despite an enormous language barrier (he spoke very little English), we adored BB from the start. He was warm, generous, and kind—and we could tell he loved Min more than anything.
During his stay with us, M and BB bonded over Korean soju and the many dinners we had together with our families. My memory’s a bit fuzzy at this point, but I believe Min finished her studies in Vancouver shortly before BB arrived, then returned to Korea with him.
The intervening years
As the years passed, we kept in touch with Min. She mourned along with us when we told her of my mom’s passing, and we rejoiced when she told us she and BB were getting married.
Several years later, they returned to Vancouver for a visit, and we insisted that they stay with us again. We treated them to a romantic getaway to the Okanagan (a belated wedding gift) and enjoyed many fun evenings eating dinner together and chatting.
After this visit, we lost touch with Min for a few years. Life just got in the way. But at some point, M stumbled across Min’s Instagram account and we discovered she’d had a little boy! We made contact with her again, and told her we hoped to meet her son one day.
A second reunion
In March of 2018, we went on a trip to Japan which included a house swap with one of our other students. We contacted Min to see if we could meet up in Korea (we figured it was close enough to Japan for us to hop over for a short visit).
She was thrilled, and eagerly anticipated our arrival. Sadly, we realized that we’d jumped the gun and that we should’ve done some research before we told Min we’d visit. It turned out to be too costly and time-consuming to get ourselves from Tokyo to Seoul. So we told Min we wouldn’t be visiting after all.
Min was heartbroken and we felt terrible. We promised we’d come back for another visit to Korea in the future. But Min had other plans… to our happy surprise, just weeks before we left for Japan, we received a message from Min: she and her family would fly out to Tokyo to see us!
Just like old times
We made plans to meet up in front of the McDonald’s in Akihabara—the busy electronics shopping district in Tokyo. It was hard to find each other in the crowds, but when we did, Min burst into tears. We gave each other big hugs, and we finally met her little son, “Jee”. (I’ve also changed his name, for privacy.)
Min told us she was incredibly sad when we said we wouldn’t be able to see them in Korea. We were her Canadian family, and there was no way she would let this opportunity slip away. Despite BB’s hectic work schedule, they made the time to spend four days with us roaming around Tokyo.
Our boys adored Jee, and loved playing with him and making him laugh. On the second morning after meeting us, Jee woke up and asked Min where his big brothers were. We couldn’t have said it better—we were family, whether we were related by blood or not.
Korea, here we come
During our Tokyo visit, Min and BB told us they had an opportunity to grow his business, but it meant they’d be moving from Korea to Singapore in December 2019. If we wanted to visit them in Korea, we’d have to go before they left.
We were torn—we’d just spent a small fortune on this trip to Japan. Could we really afford another trip to Asia so soon? Well, as I’ve written about before, we choose to live like we’re FI now.
I crunched the numbers, and it was clear we’d be able to afford it and still meet our savings goals. So we took the plunge and booked our flights.
Coming full circle
I find it hard to believe that we’re actually here in Korea with Min. When we first met in 2007, I couldn’t have imagined we’d one day be on this amazing adventure with her. Yet here we are, thanks in large part to our decision to start hosting students over a decade ago.
Min saw us through some of the darkest times in our lives. And now we’re together again, but in some of the most wonderful times in our lives. (Both for her and for us.)
And the most amazing thing? Our bond with Min isn’t the only one we have with our students. Many of them are like family to us. Several, like Min, are family (and not just to us, but to our large extended family as well.)
Launching The Homestay Series
In my roundabout way, I hope I’ve explained why it was so meaningful for me to launch The Homestay Series while we’re here in Korea.
Hosting students has been life-altering for us. Yes, it’s hard work sometimes—but the net gain from hosting students is immeasurable and exceedingly positive. That’s why I feel so compelled to share our experience with others. I hope you give it a try—it might just change your life too!
Check out the rest of the articles in the series to learn everything you need to know about hosting. And as always, feel free to comment below with questions or feedback. I’d love to hear from you!
The Homestay Series
The Homestay Series is a continuing series where I’ll share everything you need to know about hosting. Click the link or the image below to access all the articles.
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14 Comments
The Twin
March 11, 2019 at 10:07 amThis post brings back such sad and fond memories, all at the same time. We were so lucky to have Min in our lives during that tough time. ♥️
Chrissy
March 12, 2019 at 3:42 amYes, it was a hard time for all of us, wasn’t it? We were lucky to have each other too.
PhiaFreedom101
March 12, 2019 at 8:46 amI really enjoyed this post Chrissy! When Mike and I first moved into our house we applied for a homestay program, but then we totally chickened out at the last minute. We were concerned about the time commitment, and the unpredictability of our schedules at that time, but to be honest, we were also just worried about how it would go and that it would feel like there was a stranger in our home.
Since then, our neighbours have been doing homestay for several years, and it has been truly amazing to see how the kids who have come to live with them have become such a strong part of their family. Their kids, one of whom is our oldest sons best friend, LOVE it. As you mentioned, it’s like having a new big brother/sister.
From them I also noticed one really interesting aspect of the homestay effect, and I’m curious if you’ve experienced it too? They are WAY more motivated to do “tourist in your own city” type of stuff on a consistent basis. I’m always so impressed with how much fun stuff they find to do right in our own city/region!
It’s so lovely to hear your story, and it’s definitely something Mike and I will have to revisit 🙂 Looking forward to the rest of your homestay series!!
Chrissy
March 14, 2019 at 5:14 pmWe don’t actually know many families who host, so it’s wonderful to hear of another who’s enjoyed it as much as we have! Hopefully by sharing our experiences, we can help more people to discover hosting and try it out.
It’s true—like your neighbours—we’re much more motivated to get out and experience our local attractions when we have students around.
It’s fun to see our city through their eyes, and helps to remind us of what an amazing place Vancouver is. (When it’s been endless days of rain and darkness, it can be easy to forget!)
Thanks for your comment Phia!
Joyce @ Financial Impulse
March 19, 2019 at 4:02 pmThis is such a sweet and touching story—what a meaningful side hustle! Of course, I also think it’s what you make it… The other family you mentioned that Min stayed with briefly sounds like a real terror, and I’m sure they’re not the only ones out there. International students are very fortunate to have hosts such as you and your family!
Chrissy
March 20, 2019 at 7:17 amThanks for your nice comment Joyce. You’re absolutely right that it’s what you make of it. With hosting, you really do get what you put in. If you give love and care, that’s what you’ll get back. 🙂
GYM
March 19, 2019 at 9:21 pmAwe what a lovely story! Min sounds like a really nice home stay student, that sounds terrible that she was treated so poorly at the other home stay’s house 🙁
Glad you were able to meet up!
Chrissy
March 20, 2019 at 7:12 amIt’s actually pretty shocking some of the stories we’ve heard about bad host families.
Some of the worst: the host family serving themselves a nice meal first, then feeding the students a cheaper meal afterwards; one host father who would watch adult movies during the day, IN THE LIVING ROOM; another whose student bedroom could only be accessed by exiting the house and walking around to it via the veranda.
We’re always horrified by these stories, and can’t imagine how anyone could do these things.
We always aim to treat our students the way we’d want our own kids to be treated if they ever stayed in a homestay—like a part of the family.
Abigail @ipickuppennies
March 22, 2019 at 7:41 amWow, it’s wonderful that you formed such a close bond with Min and that it’s lasted over the years! Maybe now you have an excuse to visit Singapore? (Once your finances recover from Korea and Tokyo.) Enjoy Korea!
Chrissy
March 24, 2019 at 5:08 amThanks for stopping by to comment Abigail. 🙂 We’ve been having a great time here in Korea, and you’re right—we now have a good excuse to visit Singapore!
Mindy Jollie
August 20, 2019 at 1:25 pmThat’s so cool that you’ve been able to find such great benefits from hosting a homestay student, like being able to bond with someone from another culture. My friend has been considering being a host family, but she’s not sure how to get started. She’ll have to find a way to connect with potential guests and see if it’s the right experience for her and her family.
Chrissy
August 21, 2019 at 12:10 amHi Mindy, thanks for coming by to comment! I checked out your site—it looks like you’d be a great resource to help your friend get comfortable with hosting.
She can also contact me anytime if she’d like more info from a host’s perspective. I’m happy to help!
Dury
January 1, 2022 at 2:46 pmFirst of all, my condolences to you and your family for the loss of your mom, Chrissy!
and thank you for sharing the touching story with your student Min and her family. It’s such a beautiful story that it brought tears to my eyes – seriously! Still teary.
I recognized that exact Seoul Tower spot so I flipped through my photo album to find out that I and my husband were there on April 15, 2019 meeting a friend as well! We had burgers at that “N Burger” pub overlooking the Seoul city, haha! That was the last time we visited my family in Seoul, and we’re hoping to visit them again in the New Year… fingers crossed.
Happy New Year, and wishing you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Chrissy
January 1, 2022 at 10:07 pmHi Dury—you are so sweet. Thank you for the kind words and for reading my story about Min. She will always be part of our family. I hope we will be able to see her again in the near future. For now, we just try to keep in touch using Kakao Talk!
I can’t believe you were in the same spot we were at and only about a month apart. That’s just crazy! Too bad we didn’t eat at the pub! Instead, Min’s husband wanted to take us to a pork cutlet restaurant that was at the base of the mountain. It was really good, so I can’t complain!
I hope you’ll be able to visit your family again in 2022. That’s too long to be apart! I wish you and your family all the best for 2022 as well. Happy New Year!