Our Throwback Thursday series continues with a fascinating look at how thousands of exchange students used to travel across the United States to reach their host communities.
In this article, written for the Pacific Bus Museum by Rip Watson and David Boyce Danby (former AFS Staff), we learn how charter buses from companies like Greyhound and Trailways played a crucial role in the AFS journey. For decades, these buses transported AFS students from arrival orientations in New York to their host communities across the country – and back again at the end of their exchange year.
The story traces back to the early days of AFS Intercultural Programs, when founder Stephen Galatti and fellow former ambulance drivers envisioned international exchanges as a path toward greater global understanding. As participation grew, buses became the backbone of AFS transportation logistics, moving hundreds of students each year on journeys that were often their first glimpse of the vast American landscape.
These long bus rides were more than transportation; they were the start of friendships, cultural discovery, and the unforgettable adventure of an AFS exchange year.
Do you have an AFS memory, photo, or artifact from years past? Share it with us at marketing@afsusa.org – we’d love to feature it in a future #ThrowbackThursday post!