Dear Host-Family,

My name is Toni, I’m 15 years old. I live in a big city in the north of Germany, but both my parents are Chinese. I’m excited to write you because I’m hoping to join your family for a while!

I live with my mom and my dad; we have a very good relationship, and they always support and help me with everything. Since they both work full-time, we especially use holidays to spend time with each other, like last summer break when we did a trip to London. My mom always tells me not to tell anyone that we went to Chinatown 5 times during the 4 days we visited London, but I think it’s funny. I also have an older sister who lives about 300 miles away and studies medicine. She often comes to visit us, which I’m always excited for. Every year or two we also do a rather long trip to China and visit the rest of our family. The trips to China are always very memorable and exciting because the culture is very different and it’s almost like another planet.

My friends are like family to me too. We do a lot together and share a lot of interests. I like to be the host too, so we often have fun days in our garden. I'm known for being outgoing and socially active. I love getting to know new people and experiencing new things, which is why I'm so excited about the opportunity to join your family and get to know the American way of life.

 My free time is full of sports. One of my biggest passions is basketball. I play a lot of basketball with my friends in my free time and visit a basketball club. I’m really looking forward to continuing playing basketball in America. Apart from basketball I also really enjoy playing chess and challenging my mind. I play online and sometimes in tournaments, although there aren’t a lot of chess clubs in the place I live, I still managed to find a lot of friends, who love chess as much as I do. Although I don’t play competitive chess anymore, I still play regularly and learn a lot of chess theories and openings.
I also visit the gym very frequently and have made a lot of friends there. I go to the gym with friends a lot and enjoy it almost as much as I enjoy playing Basketball.Besides sports I also used to watch my mom cook in the kitchen when I was younger and really developed a kind of love for cooking since my parents also used to own a Chinese restaurant. I often cook for me and my parents when they must work a bit longer and I have some time left. I learned how to play the piano when I was younger, and I can still play but I don’t enjoy as much as I used to.

For me, religion is also a very important aspect in my life. God has helped me in my life the most and I spend time each day praying and studying my Bible. It’s very important for me to keep a good relationship with Jesus.

I set myself clear goals for my future. My main focus right now is on completing my German Abitur (Highschool Diploma) with good grades and then pursue higher education. I just recently completed a three-week internship, which aroused my interest in a job in the Sales Department with the possibility and goal to be self-employed one day and start my own company.

Looking ahead to my time in America I am hoping to learn nearly perfect English and gather as much experience as possible. I want to step out of my comfort zone and explore new activities, places and perspectives unique to America. I am ready to learn and grow in ways that will shape my personality.

I can’t wait to get to know all of you and experience life in America. I’m looking forward to having fun together and creating wonderful memories. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to live with you for a year and to become a part of your family. I’m incredibly grateful for that and appreciate it so much.

Best Wishes,

Toni

Interested in hosting—whether 6-8 weeks or the entire school year?