Yes I was, my parents wanted me to practice my english. I lived with a family in Indiana for a bit and then lived with another familly in North Dakota. Both families were different but I liked the one in Bismarck better, the girls from the Muncie family were mean to me the whole time. My parents booked the experience through a private agency, not really sure how that worked (it was the nineties). ETA: I was 12 years old when I started the exchange and went back to my home country at 15