Dear Host Family,

My name is Anissa. I live with my parents and our dog Lou in a house in a small town in Germany with round about 60.000 inhabitants.

How is it living with my family?
Life with my family is never boring. We all enjoy adventures and have lots of hobbies! My parents originally come from Iran, like my grandparents, but they still live in Iran. That's why I only see them every 2 years. My parents immigrated to Germany as teenagers. My dad is a specialist in oncology and palliative care. He works in his office. On Mondays he goes to a club which helps people, specially children in need or people with financial issues for example after the terrible flood in 2021 in our town. On Tuesdays, he goes bowling, which he enjoys because it helps him unwind from work.

Now to my mom, who’s also from Iran. She’s very interested in politics and works as a social worker. Almost every week, she attends meetings in our town to build connections and make suggestions for improvements. And last but not least, my brother! He  no longer lives with us. He now lives in a big city, where he works for a company and studies business administration (BWL) in both English and German. He also still plays football and goes to the gym.

And of course, the most important member of the family—our golden retriever, Lou! He’s my everything, and I think I’ll miss him the most. 

A little more about me:
My interests include horse riding, playing the piano, and doing traditional German dance. I’ve been doing all these hobbies since I was seven, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I have. Especially with horse riding, since it’s quite expensive and hard to find a place nowadays. I also started dancing again this year after a two-year break because our trainer changed, and I initially found it hard to enjoy anymore.

My school day is actually quite short. I only attend school until 2 p.m., as I go to a private school. Most of the work we have to do is at home, which I really like about my school.

But why do I want to do an exchange year?
I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since I was little, I’ve always wanted to go to the USA and visit my family there (I even wanted to live with them, but my parents weren’t too keen on that idea—I wonder why?). I think being in the USA is one of the most exciting experiences for a European to have! It would also push me out of my comfort zone, helping me develop new character skills. Additionally, I plan to study international law, so an exchange year would really help me improve my English.

I find it really interesting and exciting to live with an American family. I’m very curious to see how families live there and how different the culture is from here. 

I would describe myself as empathetic and communicative. I enjoy talking with my friends about their lives and problems, always trying to help them, whether with school or personal issues. I’m also hard-working (thanks to my parents) and trustworthy—at least, that’s what all my friends say. On the downside, I tend to put others before myself, which is something I still need to work on, as it has sometimes been harmful to me. I’m also a little too sensitive and often interpret things more deeply than necessary, which sometimes bothers me.

I would be very thankful for you to accommodate me :-)

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