Hi, it’s Kaila here!

I am from Italy but my name may surprise you because it is Indonesian. In fact my mom is from Indonesia and my dad is Italian, so I can introduce you to both cultures. My family is completed by my younger brother Orlando and we love spending time together traveling, which is the main hobby that we share along with cooking, watching movies and tv shows together, doing trekking and camping. I love spending time with my extended family on Christmas and Easter and keeping with tradition such as playing cards and Italian board games all together.

I have so many interests that I could not check them all on the application so I am writing all of them here. Other than traveling and learning new languages, I love the arts and humanities, such as literature (Italian and foreign), music, paintings and so on. In fact reading, writing, listening to music and visiting museums and art galleries are among my favorite activities. But I love sports too, especially tennis and athletics. I practiced tennis many years ago and athletics until last year, so now I just watch them on TV. I can’t wait to get to know the sports that are played in the US and maybe take part in the matches as a cheerleader. I also enjoy cooking and baking very much and if you would like it I’d be very happy to cook for you sometimes. I am curious about food and I like to try different cuisines, even though I have a soft spot for pies.

Growing up with constant exposure to two very different cultures makes me very open and curious about other countries’ ways and languages, so I’m very excited to come and live in a country like the US which is so different from both Italy and Indonesia. I am used to large cities as much as to small towns. In spite of its size, my hometown hosts a number of important festivals throughout the year, of which the Carnival’s Parade is my favorite event. I normally hang out with my friends every Saturday and sometimes I go to parties. My town is only about 30 minutes from the beach and during summer I use to take the bus everyday to go there with my friends. I am a fan of mountains too, where I go trekking in the summer and skiing in the winter with my family.

At first I may come across as a reserved person, but after some time when I start to familiarize myself with the new environment I become outgoing and sociable. I consider myself an independent person who has no fear of change in order to find her own path, and that is one of the reasons I decided to move to a completely different country for a whole year. I have been warned of the obstacles that I may encounter living in such a different place, but I am positive that this new experience will help me a lot to grow as a person. Also more than anyone else, I think that being welcomed by the warmth of a family will make the experience even more unforgettable and that is why I chose the Exchange Program, because I trust this is the best way to get to know the way of life, traditions and culture of American people.