Dear host family,

I’m Elisa, I’m 16 years old and I’m from a small town in Tuscany, Italy. I like living here, because it’s close to the beach, where I love to go with my friends in summer. My closest friends are Lia, who I met in kindergarten and since then we’ve always been best friends,and Giada and Giulia from high school, but it seems like I know them from a lifetime. I really like to hang out with them, have lunch or dinner together and go shopping. I also get along well with my other classmates and with my teachers: I like studying and I have always worked hard at school, and that’s what let me get the scholarship to make my dream, an exchange year in the United States, come true. My favorite subjects are English and Psychology: I think the human mind is so interesting and fascinating. I still don’t know if that’s what I want to study in the future, but I’m hoping that this exchange year will help me understand better who I am and who I want to be. I would also, of course, like to improve my English and meet new people with whom I hope to create lasting relationships.

My family consists of my mom, my dad and my twin sister. My mom is a public employee, but she is also studying to make massages, and she comes from Puglia, a region known for its good food and the amazing sea. I love going there in the summer to see my family, which is really big and loving. My dad is a computer scientist and he comes from Molise, a really small Italian region. I really like going there in winter, because it snows! Also, the food there is really good and I have a great relationship with all of my family members. My parents are divorced, but it has never been a problem for me. My twin sister, named Martina, is identical to me! We get along really well, we share everything and do everything together. I’m going to miss her a lot, but that’s part of the experience. I also live with two cats, named Lily and Miele (which in Italian means “honey”) that I really love.

I am a hip hop dancer: I started when I was 8 doing ballet, but it wasn’t for me, I didn’t like it as much as hip hop. When I dance, my thoughts just go away, I feel so free. I hope I can continue dancing during my exchange year, but I also would like to try new sports and hobbies, like cheerleading. I really wish to get out of my comfort zone during my exchange year, and make many new experiences, because I can’t really do that in my small city. I also really like reading, listening to music, watching tv series and films, that I’ve recently started watching in english so that I can improve. I watch a lot of tv with my family, usually on Friday or Saturday night, if I don’t go out. I also really like cooking, especially desserts. I would really love to cook Italian dishes for you, to share my culture. One of my favourite foods is pizza, especially the one that my mother makes. Another thing that I love is travelling, not only to see new places, but also to learn about new cultures, open my mind, and meet people from all over the world. That’s one of the many reasons I want to do an exchange year, but also why I did a study vacation in Spain two years ago, which helped not only to learn Spanish, a language that I really miss studying, but also to grow as a person.

It’s not easy to describe myself in a few words, but I’ll try: I’m sensitive, kind, and sometimes a little shy, but I really hope to improve that side of me during my exchange year. When I feel comfortable with someone, I become really friendly, extroverted, talkative, and I laugh a lot. I would also say I’m a reflective person: I’m not impulsive, I have to put a lot of thought into making a decision. But once I make a choice, I’m really determined; for example, I have always known that I wanted to have this experience, and I did everything that I could to realize my dream.

I want to end this letter saying that I’m really grateful for this opportunity, and I hope not only to have a great experience, but also that it will be a great experience for you, and that I can become part of the family.

See you soon!