"I always enjoy cooking Swabian dishes, for example spaetzle (a type of pasta), for international students, says Gabriele Straub. She has been taking young people who participate in the winter or summer university at the University of Stuttgart into her home on a regular basis since 2016.
Her children no longer live at home, so she has two empty rooms that she offers to international students. "It’s lovely to live under the same roof as young people. For me, it offers variety and through it I gain authentic insights into other countries."
Tips for hosts
Gabriele Straub would give the following advice to all hosts: "Be open and just allow yourself to share your home with young people." It is useful to establish house rules and to communicate these clearly. Then both sides benefit from the intercultural exchange. At weekends, the students usually have their own plans. During the week, you can converse around the table or cook together from time to time. "Depending on whether the guest would like to do so", Straub emphasizes.
Straub has remained in contact with one of her guests and their family from Australia to this day. "I visited her in Melbourne and her mother also came to visit me in Stuttgart." These are some of the most wonderful experiences that come with hosting. Straub also wants to welcome international students into her home in the future: "I’m already looking forward to my next guests."
| Contact | International Office, Sabine Michel, telephone 0711/685 685 61 |
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