Dear host family, My name is Aya and it’s so exiting to be able to write to you to give you a better idea of who I am and what I’m like as a person. I’m a Dutch student with a bubbly, open and unique personality. Being creative and imaginative is something that I really enjoy. My hobbies are drawing and kickboxing. I don’t really have a lot of hobbies but I do want to try new things. Art, such as drawing, is something that I appreciate a lot as it allows me to focus on only one thing for some time. I kick box twice a week and I really like doing it because during kickboxing you not only train your condition and strength of your muscles, but you also train your self-confidence, discipline and perseverance. Something I also really like to do is ice skating. I don’t really consider it as my hobby but i really enjoy doing it because it’s more fun and stress relieving to do than taking a walk. I really like watching series where they have to solve a mystery because it’s so exiting and really interesting to watch. Anime is also something that I really enjoy watching. I live with my mother, older sister, younger brother and my cat. My parents are divorced so I don’t really see my father that often but my mother and I have a really great bond and I love talking to her about my day and I also really like cooking with her and just helping in the kitchen. My mother is a really hard working women and I appreciate everything she does for me. My older sister is the sibling that I am closest with as we are only separated by 1 year. My younger brother is 12 years old and although he is much younger than me I get along with him very well. We play a lot of video games together and we often go to the cinema. I love doing family activities like playing board games, card games and going to theme parks. I also have a cat named Royal, everyone loves him. He is a very active and playful cat. I really love animals and I used to have a lot of pets. Last year I also had two ducks, one was called Oreo and the other was called Noir. I have many friends but I only consider four people as my best friends. I don’t really go out with friends that much but when we do we usually go to the shoppingmall , eating at places or going to the cinema. Even though we don’t hang out that often we have a very good bond and I appreciate them very much. I want to do an exchange program because I want to improve my English, experience a completely new way of life, find new interests, experience a brand new culture, meet new people, personal development and grow as a person. Studying abroad allows me to experience different cultures and perspectives, including new traditions and meet new people. I’d also love to share my cultures and traditions with you. Fully embracing this new culture is an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and experience unfamiliar situations. Fully throwing myself into this experience, for example taking part in local activities, trying the local food and making friends with a variety of people, will give me a better understanding and appreciation for the nation’s history and its people. I want to use these challenges as a way to discover my strengths and my weaknesses. Stepping out of my comfort zone is one of the things that makes the studying abroad experience so valuable. I want to become a psychologist in the future, to help people learn to cope with stressful situations, overcome addictions, manage their chronic illnesses etc. I want to give people a smile, to help them, listen and support them. I also want to learn French and study in France one day. Thank you so much for considering me as your host daughter and making me a part of your family. I’m looking forward to meet you!