Dear Host Family,
My name is Mafalda, I’m 16 years old and I am from Portugal. I live with my mom and dad in seperate homes and I have a sister that is working outside the country. Travelling and watching movies/tv shows are my favorite ways of spending time with them. My mom is an Executive coach therefore she gives me the best advice. My dad is a Physical Education Teacher and he never fails to make me laugh. My sister is a film and tv freelancer and she is my biggest inspiration, also my best friend.
I consider myself a very loving and kind person. I’m always free to help and give advice to people that need it. Friendships are a big part of my life, I love meeting new people and getting to know them better. Some of my strenghts are discipline, persistance, percision and some of my main weaknesses are patience and planning.
Sports and fitness are a big part of my life too, I have always done sports since I was little, started with gymnastics and now it’s volleyball. Playing volleyball makes me really happy, and it’s even better when I play it with my friends. Besides sports I like to play the guitar, I’ve never had classes so I can only play the easier songs but it’s a hobby that I really enjoy. When I’m at home with nothing to do I like to watch movies/tvshows, dance, read and listen to my favorite artists, music is my way of both relaxing and being energetic.
Christmas is my favorite holiday with no doubt, I love visiting Lisbon in this time, it’s magical for me. Getting time to spend this holiday with my family and receiving gifts makes me really happy. I usually spend the 24th of december with my mom and we open the presents below the christmas tree at midnight, we also have a big sock on our bedroom doors where we put one little gift for eachother. Next morning on the 25th of december I spend the day with my dad’s side of the family and we always eat a typical dish here in Portugal called “Bacalhau” it’s not my favorite but I eat it anyway because it’s tradition.
With this experience I’m hoping to gain more independence, more knowledge about american traditions/culture and learn more english. I also want to see what it’s like to be in an american highschool, how the school works and how different it is to my reality. Learning is definitely one of the main reasons as to why I’m doing this exchange year. It has been my dream to go to the US and I will do my very best for this experience to be the most memorable and unforgettable one.
