I went to a high school that was on the outskirts of a town that was on the outskirts of a city. In other words, we were in the middle of nowhere. I think the term today is exurbs, though in truth, we were even one step beyond that.

It’s since changed (rows of major retailers flank either side of the main artery that runs through a now incorporated municipality), but that’s another story.

Quiet and quaint, my town certainly wasn't anyplace you’d expect someone to visit; certainly not for an extended period of time. But every year, a handful of exchange students would come, and suddenly our world would be different.

There was Pierre from the south of France and Stephan from Sweden. Even the fellow from Greece and the contingency from Mexico, neither of whom I never really talked to, made an impression on me and my classmates. Different countries, different languages, different circumstances, yet they were all instant celebrities at my school, bringing a glimpse of what lay behind our limited views.

I wanted to be one of them. Alas, it was not to be, but I hope one day to host an exchange student, since the experience is surely as enriching for the native as it is for the visitor. Unfortunately, today’s tough economy is making it harder for families to do just that.

From Texas to the Twin Cities, agencies that pair exchange students and host families have seen as much as a 50 percent drop in the number of open homes.

“Some families from the past have told us they can’t afford it anymore,” Marie Claude-Dijoud, director of the Garland, Texas-based-Educational Merit Foundation told the Dallas Morning News.

It’s the latest fallout in the economic downturn. And arguably, it’s among the most unfortunate because exchange programs provide Americans and visiting students with an experience that is simply invaluable.

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor