Dear Host Family, My name is Lisa, I’m an Italian girl and first of all I want to thank you for hosting me for five months! You are making my dream come true and I’m sure this will be an unforgettable experience not only for me but for you too. I’ll do my best to make you proud of your Italian daughter! I’m eager to experience a new culture and I hope to build a strong bond with you, which will hopefully remain forever. I also hope to make strong friendships and get to know a different reality from the one I am used to. I'm very curious about you and I hope you'll be happy to discover who I am and create beautiful memories together. My family is composed of four people: my parents Franco and Cinzia and my 17-year-old sister Sara (now she’s in the USA as an exchange student). We are a tight family and we have a very good relationship. I love the moments we spend together, especially during dinner when we all get together at the end of the day and tell each other all the funniest things that happened during our day. My parents and my sister are an important point of reference for me. I’m a very determined person and I put all myself in the things I do. I attend a high school that focuses on the study of scientific subjects and I really like mathematics, physics and IT. I’m a very curious person and I like discovering new things. I am also a fairly shy and introverted girl, but I’m working hard to improve this aspect of mine to become more extroverted and throw myself into new adventures. I consider myself an open-minded girl, quite reserved and kind. I like to express my opinions and learn the point of view of those in front of me. One of my passions is playing the piano. I have been playing this instrument for many years and it has always been a passion for me. I've always put a lot of effort into playing it because I really like it. I also love listening to music both in English and Spanish. I also practiced ballet for six years, but unfortunately, I stopped when the Covid pandemic hit. I also practiced athletics, where I met my best friend, Alice. Besides Alice, I have many other friends. I met some of them recently in high school while I've known others since I was little. I really enjoy doing activities outside of school, or simply hanging out, meeting new people and making new friends. Another one of my greatest passions is traveling: I’ve been to New York, Malta, London and Dubai with my family. Also, last summer I went to Ireland for three weeks to attend a summer school hosted by an Irish family. It was a great experience for me because I was able to manage various situations independently and I got the chance to meet many people of different nationalities and cultures. Thanks to this experience, I stepped out of my "comfort zone" and I returned home with something new as I consider each trip as a personal growth and a cultural enrichment. On my trips, I really like trying and tasting new foods and recipes, and I can't wait to eat a very American hamburger (one of my favorite foods!) and find out your typical dishes. I’m very excited and I can’t wait to arrive in the USA, meet you and start my American experience as an exchange student. I hope you will enjoy having me as a part of your family. I think I have a lot to give and I will do my best to become a true member of your home, family and community. Thank you for reading my letter. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing together this beautiful and important experience. Love, Lisa