Dear host family,

First of all, thank you for your hospitality.

My name is Martina, I am 16 years old and I live in Tuscany, Italy.

I can’t believe I am finally writing this letter! This means I am getting closer to my exchange year, which has been my dream since I was in middle school.

Let’s talk about my real family: my mom is 53 and a public employee and my dad is 54 and a computer scientist; I have a twin sister, Elisa, who will also do an exchange year in the USA! I have a good relationship with all of them, especially with my sister because we spend most of our time together, since we share our bedroom and have the same schedule and interests. I also like to spend time with my parents, especially when we go on vacation together. My relatives live in the south of Italy (in Puglia and in Molise), so we go there at Christmas and during summer. I really love to spend time there because the cities are so cute and the beaches are wonderful (especially in Puglia, where my mom’s relatives are from). When we are not on vacation, we watch films and tv series together and sometimes hang out together, for example to go shopping. I also have two cats, Miele (“honey” in english) and Lily.

What about me? I am very determined and ambitious, but also kind, generous and really empathic, and I love to see the people I care about happy. When I first meet someone, I am a little shy and introvert, but as soon as I get to know them I become outgoing and talkative. I attend the high school of human sciences, where psychology, sociology, anthropology and pedagogy are the main subjects, and I really enjoy it. I never had problems in school, and thanks to my good grades I won a scholarship to do an exchange year. I have many friends, for whom I am very grateful. I met some of them in class, some at dance practice and some during a study-vacation I did two years ago in Spain. When we hang out, we often take something to eat, go to the cinema, or just go for a walk or somewhere quiet to talk, and in summer we go to the beach. Hanging out with my friends is one of the things I like to do in my free time, but my favorite hobby is dancing. I only go to dance practice two times a week, but I would like to do more dance lessons because I love dancing. I would like to continue to dance in America, but I would also like to try new sports and activities, like cheerleading. I also like to read, listen to music and cook. I can’t wait to cook Italian dishes for you, so that I can take a piece of my home in your house, and also because italian food is my favorite, and I hope you will enjoy it too.

I also love to travel, to visit new places, discover a new culture and meet new people. I hope I will have the opportunity to travel during my exchange year. My love for travelling is one of the reason why I want to do an exchange year, but also because I know it will be a great experience for me, that will allow me to learn more about the American culture, to meet people from all over the world, to grow, to become more independent, to get out of my comfort zone, to get to know myself better and become more open-minded.

I am really looking forward to meeting you!