5 Ways We Stay Connected to Our Foreign Exchange Student

Postcards – This is by far my favorite way we keep in contact with Zoe. There’s nothing quite like snail mail. The other day we received a postcard from Berlin! How fun is that? Zoe was on fall break and wrote to us during her travels. I felt so connected to her when I saw her handwriting. I love seeing all the fun places she’s going around Europe and sharing our travels with her as well. It’s sweet to think of her on our travels as we pick out the best postcard we think she’d like.

Marco Polo – My sisters and I started using Marco Polo as a way to keep in touch across states. It’s a video chat app where you can watch live or recorded clips from your loved ones. Marco Polo works great for keeping in touch across time zones. With a 6 hour time difference and full work/school days it can be difficult to find a time that we’re all available to talk. With Marco Polo we’re able to send Zoe videos when it’s convenient for us to share. We love being able to see her in her space and watch her cat’s antics in the background.

Whatsapp – Brandon and I share a private group message with Zoe on Whatsapp. With different phone brands and providers Whatsapp never seems to let us down when it comes to messaging. I also have a Whatsapp group for my sisters and cousins since we’re in FL, NC, TX, VA, and PR. It’s our most reliable option.

Google Photos – We created a shared Google Photos album to post all of the photos we took during Zoe’s year here. Again, with different phone brands Google Photos is able to share all of our media in high quality.

Dual Clocks – A few weeks after Zoe left we came up with the idea to put two clocks up in our dining room. One with our local time and one with Zoe’s. It’s a great way to keep us connected! Every morning when we sit down for breakfast is when Zoe is just getting out of school in Germany. When we sit for dinner she should be sound asleep. I often say a little prayer for her 6pm our time and Midnight her time. That she gets a restorative sleep and wakes to a lovely day in the morning.