Dear host family,

Hello! My name is Smilla, and I’m so excited about the opportunity to become part of your family and experience life in the United States. I would love to tell you more about myself, my family, and the things I enjoy doing in my free time.

I’m fifteen years old (soon to be sixteen), and I live in Denmark. I live with my parents and my two big brothers. My brothers are 20 and 22 years old, and right now they are attending university, so they still live at home, which I really enjoy, as I am really close with
my brothers. I also have a cat named Molly, she is very important to me, and I love spending time with her. One of my favorite things to do with my family is travelling. We love to visit new places, whether it is day trips to nearby cities or traveling to other countries. We actually travel to Florida every year on summer vacation, which is like a gathering point for us because we really enjoy spending time there as a family. In addition to traveling, we also spend many weekends playing board games and watching movies together.

As for me, I would describe myself as a very outgoing and positive person. I love meeting new people and experiencing new things such as sports, hobbies, places, cultures, and much more, which is one of the reasons I’m so excited about this experience. I am also a very openminded person, which is why I think it will be rather easy for me to adapt to life in the United States. I also see myself as very responsible and mature, always making sure I get things done on time and helping out around the house when needed. Like everyone else, I also have some weaknesses. For example, I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, which means I sometimes spend more time on things than I need to because I often want things to be perfect and flawless. I might also appear a little shy at first, but once you get to know me, you will find out that I am anything but shy!

I think I can contribute by being a positive and friendly person, who is always willing to help out around the house by doing chores, helping with dinner, and more. Most importantly of all, I hope that I can give you an experience, as amazing as the one I know I’ll have.

In my free time, I really enjoy doing activities such as reading, baking, traveling, listening to music, and, of course, spending time with my friends. We do things together, such as shopping, watching movies, playing games, or simply just hanging out and talking together. They are all very important to me, and spending time with them is definitely one of the things I enjoy doing most in my free time. As for sports, I really love doing watersports, such as swimming, diving, canoeing, and snorkeling. I don’t do any of them professionally, but I like to do them just for fun sometimes. I’m always up for trying new things, and I can’t wait to see what kinds of activities we might do together! I also love spending time with my family, especially during the holidays. My favorite holiday is definitely Christmas, without a doubt! One of our family traditions during Christmas is that we all decorate the Christmas tree together, I always find it really special, and it’s something I look forward to every year! As for food, I am a big fan of pasta, salads, and fresh fruit! I also love sweet treats, such as chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and other baked goods. I also really enjoy baking them, so I hope to share that with you too!

During my exchange year, I am really looking forward to growing as a person by stepping out of my comfort zone and experiencing a new way of life. I think that this will contribute to my personal growth by making me more independent and confident, which are skills that will be
especially useful during my exchange year, but also in the future. Most importantly, I hope to make some amazing friends and memories along the way that will stay with me for a lifetime, as well as, of course, getting an amazing second family on the other side of the world that I will be able to spend this exciting year with.

I am so grateful for this opportunity and really look forward to meeting you all and getting to know each other better. Thank you so much for welcoming me into your home. I can’t wait for this exciting year to begin!