Hello dear host family, My name is Raphaëlle but let me introduce myself to you in more details. I live in France and in a big town in the west . My parents's names are François and my mother's is Isabelle. They are 57 and 54 years old. I have one brother called Pierre-Alexandre who is nearly 14. My father taught economics and computing for 25 years to post graduates but he has decided to change jobs: for five years now, he has bought houses to refurbish them and rent them out. He is now a real estate investor. He loves what he does because he has learnt a lot by himself, electricity, plumbing, gardening, decorating, everything, and he says there is always a solution to a problem ! My mother has been an English teacher for 29 years in the highschool which I attend. She and I are only ten minutes's walk from our highschool located downtown. We live in an apartment with a nice view on the town center. As I live in a town, I have many opportunities to enjoy urban activities, like going to the cinema, to the theatre at times, to the restaurant or simply window shopping or even shopping. However, on most weekends, we are away because we have old village house in the countryside, 40 miles away, which used to belong to my great grand-parents. My father has done it all up by himself and it is great to breathe fresh air and do outdoor activities. We also have a house by the seaside, in a very pretty place that attracts a lot of tourists from across the world . Moreover, since I was three years old, my family and I have been going to Spain in the Costa Blanca near Valencia and we have a house there. Therefore, I get by in Spanish but I have also been studying it since I was 11 at school. Along with my parents and my brother, I often go abroad during the holidays. I have recently been to Italy to visit the main cities . We enjoyed visiting beautiful museums and historical sights, without forgetting to mention that we ate lovely food ! We have been to England aswell, the Dominican Republic, and of course many times to the beautiful cities and regions of Spain. Of course, we love visiting France where there is so much variety and and where we love tasting new food specialities ! But there is a place in the world which has attracted me for ages , that is the USA ! I was so disappointed when my parents had to cancel our trip to New York because of the Covid outbreak. On TV, we see series that happen in the US but I know that the reality is not quite the same. I would love to see it with my own eyes and above all have the privilege to live with an American family. I am very eager to live a few months with a host family that in return I will be very happy to exchange with. I would love to share what I am, my personality and my culture. Moreover, I am very determined to attend highschool and appreciate the wonderful opportunity to discover a very different environment from the French school system. I know that I will have to adapt to new people, a new place, a new way of living but I am very excited at the idea to live this. I can't wait to know you and your culture. Oh , I forgot : I have a little pet, a Maltese Bichon dog aged 3. She is so cute and loving. Her name is Frimousse, which means cute little face in French. I know I will miss her when I am in America but we will keep in touch on sreens ! My parents are raising me with the idea that it is important to respect family values and traditions. We are Christians and go the the main Christian ceremonies but are not regular church-goers. However, Christmas and Easter remain two important moments for us, it is a way to refocus on the family links. That's why I am very eager to meet you , my future American host family. I hope you have enjoyed reading me and I am vey impatient to hear from you soon. Kindest regards. Raphaëlle