Story from Lori

As an exchange student in 1977, I was en route to Caracas for a summer with a lovely family I had exchanged letters with before departure. The family was among the fortunate ones who enjoyed significant advantages over most Venezuelans. While on a layover in Panama City, I was told that my host family had decided at the very last minute to spend the summer in Europe. The scramble was on to find a new family to host me for three months. By the time I landed in Caraca, a family agreed to host me, I believe with some arm-twisting, and I was redirected to their home when I arrived. My new host family was welcoming home their daughter, who had spent the previous school year as an exchange student in Washington state. I believe that they were "guilted" into taking me in, as an American family had just hosted their daughter. There was no plan in place for my time there, and much of it was spent in the family's apartment while everyone but the mother was out for the day. While I was safe and comfortable, many expectations for the home went unmet. The family that hosted me had no telephone. In 1977, this was not at all uncommon in Caracas. My parents, siblings, and friends had my original host family's mailing address and had sent many letters to it before being notified of my new address. It was a nightmare for a seventeen-year-old female from rural Wisconsin traveling alone. I had no way to call, and I wasn't receiving any correspondence. One summer evening, we visited a friend of my host family, who had a phone, for a party. Unfortunately, phone service to the US was not available that day. On another occasion, the family I was with was heading to a large, extended-family celebration and dance. At the time, I wore glasses for very significant vision correction. However, my host mother felt that glasses were unattractive. While I was showering before the party, she hid my glasses, and I went to the party without them. For the most part, this meant I could see no further than a foot or two in front of me. It was a most interesting experience for this and many, many, many more reasons! I have traveled a lot since then and love to continue exploring the world. I am grateful this experience did not spoil my desire to continue this adventure we call travel!