Exchange students aren’t just the butt of jokes in American teen comedies. They’re young people going through one of the most transformative experiences life has to offer. Expanding it to more children – dare we say, to all children? – could change not just them, but the world.Katherine Alexander-Dobrovolskaia was dropped in Iowa from the newly broken-up Soviet Union in 1993. Borderline host Isabelle Roughol landed in New Jersey two weeks before 9/11. They reminisce and reflect on the impact of those formative years and share guidance for young people leaving home now – or returning, changed. 00:00 Intro01:23 Pandemic and cancer04:01 Vulnerability and what it means to be there for one another07:13 From Moscow to Africa to Iowa12:10 Being a young stranger in a foreign land15:14 How technology ruined it18:39 Dreaming of a borderless world 22:37 Imagining an universal youth exchange24:32 How to become a Borderline member25:36 Learning empathy through lots of cringe32:19 The returnee’s blues & fitting in nowhere and everywhere38:33 Outro? Help out: Kate’s daughter, Masha Shishkina, is raising funds to help rare cancer patients like herself fund their treatment. Donate here. ? Read, listen, subscribe & support on Substack | ? Listen on Apple Podcasts | ? Listen on Spotify | ? Watch on YouTube | ? borderlinepod.com

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