Bindoon was on show to an international audience this September, as former American Field Service (AFS) exchange students gathered for their biennial reunion. Hosted by Priyanthi and Prasad Kumarasinghe on their picturesque 16-acre property, the event gave guests the chance to enjoy wildflowers in bloom, sample local fare at the Bakehaus, and soak up the relaxed beauty of the Northern Valleys – with the added delight of spotting a kangaroo or two.
The reunion is part of a tradition that began nearly four decades ago, when 16 exchange students from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Mexico, El Salvador, Italy, Panama, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Chile, Iran, Turkey, Germany, Sri Lanka, and Thailand first met in Ohio, USA, as part of the AFS program.
“It all started in the beautiful summer of 1977,” recalled Prasad. “Some of us didn’t meet anyone from our own countries for a full year. International calls were difficult, expensive, and often impossible. Our friendship with this cohort of international exchange students helped us to be happy — most of the time — without feeling homesick.”
Despite the years and the distance between them, those bonds have endured. Bjørg Tingstad, visiting from Norway said, “I organised the first reunion with fellow student Päivi Fonsen, from Finland, in Italy in 1987, with six of us meeting,” With the advent of the internet, the circle widened again, and today the AFS Trails group meets in each other’s home countries every two years.
“Although all 16 students often cannot make it, there is a good bunch, and they all bring family and friends – the group is growing,” said Bjørg.
Though pandemics and political uncertainties have at times disrupted their plans, the AFS Trails group has remained committed to coming together. Along with Bjørg and Päivi, those who travelled to Bindoon this September were Robert and Christina Cooper (Aust/US), Renata Peckelman (Brazil), Elin and Dan Zaccaro (US), Barbara Ruppert (Germany), and Sonja Michelitsch (Austria). The gathering was another chance to reconnect, and to share in the experience of a new country along the way. “The beauty of these reunions is that we get to experience the culture of the host country first-hand, unlike travelling as a tourist,” said Prasad.”
The AFS exchange is not only life-changing for the students — it leaves a profound mark on host families too. Elin Zaccaro, who came from America to join the reunion, vividly remembers welcoming her Finnish “sister,” Päivi.
“My grandfather had died just months earlier, and my sister had gone off to college. When I heard they were looking for host families, we applied. I won the lottery in exchange student sisters!” said Elin. “She was like a ray of sunshine. Hosting an exchange student gives you the chance to see the world through a whole different set of eyes.”
Elin clearly cherishes the opportunity to reunite —“The day they all left on the bus, it was awful. I thought I’d never see any of these people again.” — as does Bjørg: “It’s 48 years since we first met. And to me, they are like my closest family. I so look forward to meeting up every second year.”
The enduring reunions are a celebration of lasting connections that bridge countries and cultures. Prasad said, “We hope our AFS Trails example will encourage others to interact with people of various countries, which helps us understand and respect different cultures.
“A lot of misunderstandings we have about countries is simply because we don’t know the people.”
