A host family is just like any other family. They can consist of married couples, domestic partners or single mothers. They can be young or middle aged. Most families have their own children of different ages. Host families can live in everything from a large house to a flat. What they all have in common is that they like living in an international environment, getting to know students from all over the world. Most of them have been host families with STS students for many years, and many students keep in contact with their host families even after the trip.