Dear host family, My name is Melissa and I can’t believe I’m finally writing this letter! These words finally allow me to find wonderful people like you who will help me realize my dream: to improve my English and become a perfect American girl. What about my family? My mother is an hr specialist and my father is a truck driver. I am an only child and I have three cousins with whom I like spending time together. We have a dog, his name is Rocky, he has three years old and he is a French bulldog. We all live in a small town. It is a quiet place and it has wonderful scenery but there is not much to do because there are no shops and it is far from my school and my friends. I go to a language school. To reach my school, I have to take the train and the bus and every day it takes an hour to go and an hour to get home. I study English, French and Spanish. Learning foreign languages has always intrigued me. I really enjoy traveling, having new experiences, discovering new places and realities that are totally different from mine and meeting new people. I think there’s always something to learn from others, so after this trip, I know I’ll be a lot richer because of you. Over the last two years, I’ve traveled a lot. I was hosted by two host families when I went to London for two weeks in 2021 and this summer, in Malaga, Spain, for a week. The families were available and were curious about my culture. In March, I am going to France to another host family for a week. I like studying and I have always had good grades in school. My favorite subjects are English and Spanish. When I grow up, I would like to become a psychologist because I like listening to others and helping them with their problems or a detective because I like investigating unsolved cases and finding out the truth. To get to know me better, I am a very active girl and in my free time, I like keeping busy. Music has been my passion since I was a child and for three years, I have been attending singing lessons in a music school. I performed many times in front of an audience and participated in several "tours" with the band of my school. My favorite musical genres are pop and k-pop. My favorite artists are The Weeknd, Olivia Rodrigo, The BTS and The BlackPink. Currently I don’t do sports but I would like to resume. I take long walks and use my bike to move around my town. In the past I practiced rhythmic gymnastics for a year, swimming for four years and volleyball for a year. When I think about American sports, I think about cheerleading, so I hope to be part of my American school team, if possibile. Also, I can’t wait to watch a baseball or football game in the United States! I love movies and TV shows, especially Korean ones, and I often try to watch them in English, so I can improve it. I usually go out with my friends on Saturdays or Sundays. I have two best friends. We have known each other since we were at the kindergarten and I always have fun when I am with them, even if we stay at home; otherwise when we go out, we go shopping or go to the movies or go out for pizza. I also enjoy spending time with my family, especially during the summer holidays. Over the years, we went to Sardinia, Puglia and Elba Island and visited several cities of art. We also did a cruise in the Mediterranean in 2019 and this summer we went to Paris. In winter we go to the mountains but I have not learned how to ski yet. I preferred tobogganing or skating. Now, I would like to learn and hope to take lessons in the future. I love cooking. I usually cook pasta with sauces or cakes. I look forward to cooking some typical dishes of my country for you, so I can bring a piece of my house to your house. I have never had doubts about this experience, I am very determined, confident and ambitious and therefore I hardly give up. I’m really glad that my parents understand how important this experience is to me. Another aspect of my personality is that I am really serious when I am in important situations, but I can also be very talkative and friendly when I am with friends on informal occasions. I am very cheerful. I always try to see the glass half full, instead of half empty. I think I can be a good friend and a good daughter, helping you whenever you need and hoping that you will do the same with me. I know that next year I will totally change my way of life and the best thing is that I am not afraid of this, because I am really curious to discover new things and to face the world around me. I would like to feel part of your family and that you were proud of me as your daughter, because I wish this experience was not only great for me, but also for you. Thank you for hosting me! See you soon. Melissa