Dear family,
I’m really excited to be writing to you, I don’t believe it! My name is S., I’m 16 years old and I live in a middle and lively city in Northern Italy. Even though I live in the North, it’s not as cold as you might expect (thankfully, because I’m not a fan of the cold; I much prefer warm weather!). I go to a public school in the city center, where I mostly study humanities like Greek, Latin, Italian Literature, Art, but strangely, my favorite subject has always been biology, especially anatomy!

And what about my family? Unfortunately, it’s not very big, I’m an only child. I live with my mom, and my dad, with whom I’ve always had a very close relationship based on trust. We always try to spend time together. I also have two grandparents, whom I love very much, and I usually have lunch with them on Sundays. We also have a dog, Luna, since I was young because I’ve always loved animals. Since I’m an only child, though, I would like to have siblings. I’ve always loved big families, and seeing the relationship between my friends' siblings has always been beautiful. In particular, my dream has always been to have a twin, because I think having the same age means sharing experiences together. I hope that in America I’ll have siblings, to see if it’s really like I imagine.

I’m a very lively and curious person! Traveling is one of my biggest passions: if I could, I’d leave every day to explore new places and meet people from different cultures because I believe you can learn so much from places that are completely different from your own. This is one of the reasons I decided to do this exchange. But that’s not all, I also love sports! I’ve been doing figure skating since I was 5 years old, although this year I had to reduce my practice a bit because of school. I also enjoy watching sports on TV, especially live events, so I can’t wait to see some matches in the U.S.! Another passion of mine is reading; I always try to find time for a good book. I also love spending a lot of my free time with my friends; we often go out for a walk or go shopping, sometimes we go to the cinema or bowling.

Another interesting thing about me: my name isn’t Italian but Greek, and it means “wisdom,” which I think suits me not because I think I’m particularly intelligent, but because I’m a very reflective and responsible person. I have a very sunny and outgoing personality, and I’m always laughing! I get that from my dad, who is the funny one in the family. People always tell me that they can feel my energy when I’m around, but don’t worry, I also know how to be serious when needed! I’m very talkative and talk to everyone, which is why I’ve never had trouble making friends. I would also describe myself as very affectionate and kind, always ready to give my friends or parents a hug. One of my big flaws is indecisiveness; I guess that’s why I’m a Libra! I always feel bad about making sacrifices, and I wish I could do everything, and I have to admit, I'm not a great cook! I know, it’s embarrassing for an Italian not to be able to cook, but I’m working on improving, and I promise to practice so I can make you some typical Italian dishes when we meet.

I want to say how incredibly grateful I am for the opportunity you’re giving me. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to make this big dream come true. I have so many more things I would like to tell you, but we’ll have much time! Although I think one letter isn’t enough to really get to know someone, I hope I’ve shared enough to give you an idea of who I am. For me, family is the most important thing in the world, and you’ll be my family for 6 months, so even though I don’t know you yet, I already carry you in my heart. I can’t wait to spend a lot of time with you and learn new things from you, and I hope that by the end of my experience, I’ll have left something with you too. Thanks again for this amazing opportunity that I’ll always be grateful for.
Love you!
S.

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