Dear host family, thank you for hosting me. My name is Laura, but many call me by my nickname: Lala. I currently live with my father, mother and my 10 years old brother in the south of Brazil. My father has only one brother, my mother one sister and one brother and I have 4 cousins ​​in all. Although we meet quite often, I don't have much closeness with them, due to the age difference. My daily routine is pretty much the same during the week. I go to school in the morning, studying from 7:30 to 12:50. After class, I have lunch at nearby restaurants and head to the gym with my girlfriends. On Wednesdays I attend extra classes offered by the school, which are optional, but I always like to go. On Thursdays, I have physical education classes and, every 15 days, I have chemistry laboratory classes. Outside of school, I have private English lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:35 pm to 8:30 pm. In Brazil we speak Portuguese, but English is essential both professionally and personally, as it is a universal language. I'm a somewhat introverted, shy person, but when I acquire a little more intimacy with people, I'm a very sociable person. I love making others around me laugh and feel comfortable with my presence. I am very focused on school and always do my best to get good grades and get the most out of learning. I am very committed to my future, I like to follow rules and differentiate myself by being a fair and correct person. I also really like playing sports, being somewhat competitive. I don't like to lose, but when it happens, I know how to deal with it, I have a small circle of close friends, about 8 best friends, with whom I relate more on a daily basis, in a calm relationship and without major disagreements. I also have a larger group of colleagues with whom I relate, with a little less proximity, but with whom we meet, go to parties and we share always good and memorable moments, with many stories that I hope to be able to share with you in the future. Now talking about my hobbies and interests... as I said before, I like sports, my favorites being soccer and volleyball. Whenever I can, I'm playing with my friends. We usually make an appointment to play at a club or in city squares and courts. When the weather is not favorable, we play cards. We have a very famous game in Brazil: Truco. In case you don't know, I hope to have the opportunity to teach you. Studying abroad is something I've always wanted since I was a little girl. I remember watching movies and thinking: “when I grow up, I want to go to a school like this!”. To tell you the truth, I always wanted to have a locker at school to store my stuff (it sounds silly, but we don't have that in Brazil). Also, I've been studying English for five years, I think it will be a great opportunity to further develop the language. I have great admiration for the United States. I already had the opportunity to visit the country 3 times, but they were always tourist trips. Although I enjoyed every moment intensely, I didn't have the feeling of experiencing the real routine and culture of an American. This is also an aspiration that I hope to resolve with the exchange and that is why I chose the Public - USA program. I hope that this experience of living abroad will help me to develop my adaptation skills and to relate to people from different cultures and customs. My parents are very supportive, but I want to test myself and become more independent, and I believe this is the most assertive way to do that. It will be an incredible experience, which I look forward to sharing with you, my host family, who will certainly have a special place in my heart and for whom I will be eternally grateful.