About this episode
The episode shares the story of Matt Lewis and his lifelong friendship with an AFS student from Belgium, Geert, which began in the 1970s.
This month, we’re sharing a story from a host family in California whose introduction to AFS began back in the 1970s. Matt Lewis met a young AFSer from Belgium named Geert back in 1973, sparking a lifelong friendship and a major ripple effect. From road trips in high school to Matt acting as a casual crew member on tour with Geert’s band in the South of France years later, this one connection changed everything. Decades after that initial meeting, it inspired Matt and his wife, Wendy, to ope...
People in this episode
Host: Matt Lewis
Topics covered
- host family
- cultural exchange
- friendship
- AFS
- travel
- music
Keywords
- AFS
- host family
- friendship
- Belgium
- California
- travel
- music
Mentioned in this episode
Places: California, Belgium, South of France
More episodes of The AFS Exchange
- Cheerleader, Coach, and Confidant: The Role of a Liaison · May 4, 2026 · 32 min
- Decades of Boats, Buses, and Boarding Passes · April 8, 2026 · 34 min
- The Universal Language of AFS · March 2, 2026 · 30 min
- Inside the AFS Engine Room · February 3, 2026 · 38 min
- Coming Soon: The AFS Exchange Season 6! · January 28, 2026 · 2 min
- Your Exchange Toolkit: Overcoming Challenges · November 18, 2025 · 55 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The AFS Exchange podcast page.