To my dear future host family. Thank you for considering me as your host-student! My name is Sienna. I was named similar to a beautiful city in Italy that I visited and loved, too. I live in a small town in Germany. It is a beautiful city that has everything you need: Cafes and restaurants, shops in the pedestrian zone, a small cinema and lots of greenery. Since my parents are divorced, I live in two different households and switch from my mother to my father every week. This can sometimes be complicated (weekly packing) but it has improved my organization. I love both my parents very much and I have a good relationship with my mother and my father. My father works as an industrial engineer in a logistics company and my mother as a clerk in a bank. Both have a lot to do but still take their time for me and my sister Chiara. For example, my father sometimes takes us on day trip to a nearby ski area. I learned to ski on a kindergarten slope when I was two years old. Since then I've been very fond of skiing and I'm good at it. My grandparents also live in my father's house and I enjoy spending time with them. Because they come from Poland, I get to know a lot about Polish culture, the language and the food. My big sister is 18 years old. Of course we sometimes argue about little things, but I really enjoy spending time with her because she's also kind of a good friend to me. I would be very happy about host siblings, but I wouldn't have a problem if I didn't have any host siblings. Due to the weekly change from my father to my mother and the high school stress that my sister is currently experiencing, I am also used to not having much of my sister and I get along well with it. I have had a dog for three years. It sounds like a long time at first, but it always surprises me that my childhood dream of many years has finally come true. Eddie is a sweet but very crazy Golden Retriever. Even if it can sometimes be tedious to walk him three times a day in any weather, I really appreciate the time with him. He's always in an infectious good mood. My school (Gymnasium = High School) is the highest type of school in Germany. That means I have a lot of stress during exam phases, but I can manage it well. I like going to school in general, except for getting up early. I'm particularly good at languages and history because I'm interested in getting to know new languages and cultures better. My family and I have traveled a lot, so I've been able to gather a lot of impressions of different cultures, including the USA. Going to NYU is a dream of mine. That's why we looked at New York and Miami last year - I really liked both cities. The people were friendly, polite and helpful – that, along with the landscape, really impressed me. Outside of school I like to meet up with my friends. We are interested in vintage things, listen to music, browse books in bookstores, go shopping and often in cafés or find "treasures" in second-hand shops. I have this one ritual with my girlfriend to always make pasta with pesto because we like it so much. Basically, we like to experiment in the kitchen with cooking and baking. I'm a very sporty person. I've been dancing in the Jazz and Modern Dance club since I was four years old. It's a mix of hip hop and ballet. I go to tournaments with my team in the highest German youth league. In addition, I've been going to the gym with my best friend for two years and doing strength training. Basically, I like to exercise outside, go for a walk, jog or ride my bike. I've had a love for books for a long time, I read a lot, also in English, and I write some myself. I listen to music, especially while cleaning my room. I don't have a specific style of music. I hear what I want. Are you sure you also want to know what my homework looks like? I am responsible for my own room. This includes tidying up, cleaning, etc. In addition, my sister and I have certain household tasks, such as loading and unloading the dishwasher or setting the table. Sometimes I do the cooking for my parents. And if I use the kitchen, I have to clean it again afterwards. The reason I want to spend an exchange year in the US is because I'm open to new things. I've lived all my life in the same small town, which I love very much. However, I would like to go to a new environment with a different culture and people to make new experiences. As mentioned, I've already been to the USA. I really liked the American way. The food, the culture in general, people and how they behave. Everyday life in America just really appeals to me. I'm looking forward to visiting an American high school and experiencing a completely different everyday school life. I am particularly looking forward to my host family and family life with you. It cannot be taken for granted that you give me this opportunity to become part of your family and to share in your everyday life - thank you for this opportunity and I´m looking forward to get to know you. Your Sienna