Dear host family,

I live with my mom and my dad, but frequently I am alone with my mom. My dad travels very often, and he is not always around. But when he is at home, he loves playing with me. We enjoy doing sports together, going to the swimming pool, or planning our next adventure. Occasionally, I travel with him. He is a nature photographer, so we go to remote places in mountains or forests looking for animals. With my mom, we do more daily activities, but it’s also fun. I like helping her in the kitchen when she makes special dishes. We also like playing board games and watching movies or series together. Occasionally, I also appreciate a nice walk with her. I have an older brother, Unai, who is 20 years old. Currently he is working in Germany, so I see him very rarely. When he comes home, I can’t wait to spend time with him. We go to the gym, take walks, play games, or even do simple things like going to the supermarket. What is important to me is that we do those things together. I have two cats, Marley and Belly. They are very cuddly and affectionate. I love it when they are with me on the bed or the sofa and they fall asleep.

I’m a person who loves sports. I do Kayak polo four days a week and two days tennis. When I have the chance, I do some exercises at home. I also ride my bike to school every day. In summer, I enjoy swimming very much. Every day, I try to do more meters or go faster than the previous day. I also like shooting basketballs when I have a basket nearby, I wish I knew how to play better. I’ll have to practice more. I also love hiking and exploring new routes in the mountains because I’ve done it all my life with my family. I’m open to trying new sports and new activities; I’ve always liked trying new things. Besides sports, I do other activities like writing stories, reading, and cooking. Recently, I’ve started taking singing lessons and I hope to learn and sing beautifully. Often, I meet with my friends; we don’t do anything special, just spend time in the street, walking, and talking. When I have nothing else to do, I watch TV or chat with my friends. When I tidy my room or do things alone, I put on my headphones and listen to music, which makes everything more enjoyable.

I enjoy all kinds of food, for example: meat, fish and vegetables. I particularly like Japanese and Mexican cuisine (sushi, sashimi, tacos, quesadillas…) Other dishes I love are chicken curry, and poke bowl. Besides international cuisine, I also appreciate common favorites like hamburgers or pasta. One of the things I love most about family traditions and holidays is the food, the other one, even more important, is family. On Christmas, we get all together and spend all day with family. We eat my grandmother’s cannelloni and mushroom soup, and then we open presents. When my cousins and I were little, we did the Tió. The Tió is a piece of wood with a face on it that brought us presents. Now we do the invisible friend; each member of the family has to give a present to another. We also have family gatherings for birthdays or other special occasions. In the summer, we used to go to my other grandmother’s house, which is on the beach. I love it there. When I was there, I used to spend all day in the water and the afternoon playing cards with my grandmother.

One of the things that could define me it’s that I like adventure, new things and changes. Everything that’s related to experiencing or seeing things I’ve never experienced before thrills me. I’ll never say I don’t like something if I’ve never tried it before. I think this aspect of me it’s a big part of why I want to try this experience. I would like to learn a new culture and a new way of living. Get to know new people and make new friends. I know I’ll miss my family, my friends, and my home, and they will miss me. But even thinking of that, I am very sure I want to go on this experience. Another thing I could say about me, it’s that when I want something, I’ll do anything to achieve it. Just like if a family member, a friend, or anyone I love needs me, I would do anything for them too. Sometimes, I like to do everything perfect, and that’s not always possible. I’m too perfectionist and self-exigent. And that’s not always a good thing. I consider myself a social person, maybe at first I’m a little shy, especially with adults, but when you get to know me I open up. I enjoy being with other people and meeting new people. But, sometimes, I also like being alone. If I mess up or hurt someone, I feel terrible about it and think about it a lot. I don’t forget things easily. The same happens when someone does something to me; I find it difficult to forgive, but eventually, I have to do it.

Thanks for reading my letter and open your home to me