Being on exchange for a year is exciting and fun-filled; however, you need to realize not only how courageous you are for going, but how courageous your parents are for letting you go. You are their child, and they love you dearly.
There are many decisions to be made as an exchange student, all of them running through your mind at once. Just deciding whether to go or not is quite a life changing decision. You don't know if everything will be the same when you return; most likely it won't. There are also a lot of changes you go through when away: a whole new way of living, a new family and a new school. It's like you're starting all over. Your parents however, have just as many challenges to overcome as you do.
You are the one actually going away, but it wouldn't be possible without your parents' contribution and support. With all the planning, paperwork and financial decisions to be made, it can be very stressful for them. It is also hard if they don't agree with what your host parents allow or don't allow you to do. They may feel like a second parent to you, rather than your primary guardian. Your parents are thousands of miles away and may feel "left out" in your life that they have been such an integral part of for the last 18 years or so. This is very difficult for your parents. It can hurt when a student raves about their host parents' house or cooking, but may have never complimented their real parents about these things. One of the toughest things for parents is to hear their child on the phone in pain because of homesickness, or other problems that come up and not being able to comfort them. Parents worry a lot about their kids, especially when they don't know exactly what they are doing. It is your duty as an exchange student to understand what your parents are going through as well, they are letting go of you for a year, their baby. A year which may change you into someone they will have to "get to know" all over again upon your return home.
A year abroad is your chance to show them that they have raised you well enough so that you can now take care of yourself. So, take into consideration the sacrifices and adjustments parents have made to allow you to have the time of your life and make them proud!