My homeshare is in the US. I had a guest arrive from Germany for 9 days yesterday with no car. We are on a bus line and Uber serves the area so I didn’t think much of it. He is working on his second master’s degree and teaching German at a local university so I assume that he is reasonably smart. I wanted him to feel welcome on his first full day so I invited him for lunch on our patio. After dinner he told us that he hit his head Tuesday (today is Sunday), flew to New York for a couple days, then came here. He then adds that he has had a headache, dizziness and nausea ever since. Jezz! Having a healthcare management background I whisk him off to the local hospital where he gets a CT Scan and is told that is probably slowly getting over a concussion but not in danger. Whew! The long ER wait gives us lots of time to talk. Many students need a couple days with us before they can move into campus housing or an apartment. So I ask him where he is moving to after our stay. He says I don’t know, I’m looking. Then he mentions that he hadn’t thought about how he would get food (Our listing is clearly not walking distance to grocery stores although there are a couple restaurants.) So on the way home I take him to a grocery store. His selective intelligence in pursuing his education while ignoring serious health signals and planning a move to another country so poorly amazes me. After ten years I should be immune to surprises from guests.
Wow – you are quite the hospitable host! What a kind thing to do, bringing him to the hospital [I hope he has insurance so this does not cost him a fortune, though it was necessary to do. Just seems like someone who might not thought of insurance but perhaps it is provided him as a teacher or student.]
I think this is what is called ‘book smart.’
Well done! You are likely the samaritan of the year on this forum.
“Educated” does not translate into being “smart”.
No plans after he stays with you? Red flag…
There is “school” intelligence and practical intelligence. Some people possess both, some only one or the other, some none.
It’s also fairly common for men to blow off, or procrastinate going for medical care.
I worked in the PHD scientific research publishing industry for 15 years. I worked with a lot of book-smart people and found that they had tunnel vision in their knowledge but very little street smarts or common senses.
Thanks for taking care of the student. I got my first concussion this winter (skiing) and as you were describing the symptoms, I knew exactly what the diagnosis was most likely a concussion.
I was pleased to see that he had travel insurance although he had no idea how it worked. We had gone about a mile from my house when I asked if he had ID. Of course not, so we had to go back and get his passport at the house. I’m wondering if the concussion actually made him foggier than usual.
I suspect that he had no idea how tight the housing market was here. Plus he needs a place where he can function without a car!
These decisions were all made before his fall (going to a new place without plans for transportation, no plans beyond his stay with you). Beware…
I haven’t had this with Air guests but I have with dog clients, including the family of dogs here now. The woman works in education, has a MA, and is working on a program for suicide awareness and prevention in schools.
She recently bought an expensive puppy, two weeks before a vacation, I told her it shouldn’t have been removed from the litter yet and it was too young for me to board it. It’s here now anyway because the situation she found to substitute for me wasn’t working. The punch line is she said “I usually have better judgment and do my research first.” I’ve been watching her dogs for 3 years and my assessment of her good judgment doesn’t match hers at all. 
Love your comment about your assessment of her. I had bad dog experiences until I took a “dog quiz” online that said I needed a toy poodle. I laughed but ended up with a toy poodle mix that was perfect for almost 18 years. It doesn’t a lot of research or decent judgement to know that getting a dog two weeks before vacation is a bad idea, lol.
She used to work in my school district but I didn’t know her then. I asked someone who did know her at that level, assistant principal, if he knew her. I asked if my assessment was off, i.e., is it just a dog thing with her. He confirmed that she’s not “usually smarter than this.” But she’s very nice and open to redirection so that’s good.
You say he is not smart but he is clearly very good at getting (kind) people to fulfill his needs.
I have a regular guest who brings her dog. The dog is small and cute and likes mounting things, including my dog, who just gets out of the way. The owner is a bundle of anxiety she puts onto her dog. I tell her to let her dog play with my small, friendly dog and get out of the way. I don’t usually tell people how to manage their dogs but they clearly like each other when on a lead nearby. She, the owner, runs into the house crying: “It’s too much! I can’t watch!”. The dogs play together and have a good time. At least now when she comes I can refer to previous visit and how her fears for her dog, and mine, are unfounded. She did give me some nice incense which I have since bought myself.
So many dogs have to carry this burden!
When some female owners tell me their dog doesn’t like men I suspect it is the owner who has been mistreated by a man, not the dog.