Dear Host Family, Thank you so much for being part of the exchange program and being willing to accept me in your family. I am a Chilean girl, and I just finished my sophomore year in high school. I have been wanting to go on an exchange semester for a long time now and I am thrilled that I can finally do it. I have been to America a few times and I love your culture, so I am very excited to continue learning about it. Of course, I would be happy to tell you about mine as well. I live in a big city where the temperature doesn’t go down 0°C, so I am not used to snow or cold weather in general. I am an independent, caring, organized, responsible and easygoing person. I have a bit of trouble asking for help, so I tend to do things by myself. Sports are a big part of my life as I have been doing them my whole life, but the one I love the most is artistic gymnastics. I practice it four times a week and I hope to continue practicing it on my exchange semester, although I know it may not be possible, so I am open to trying other sports. Even though I live in Chile, I attend an Italian school, so apart from Spanish, I speak Italian since I was a little girl. A few years ago, I took private English classes, but I look forward to becoming fluent in it when I get to the US. I do well in school, and I enjoy going, as I get the chance to learn new things and see my friends every day. Apart from learning, my school does fun activities that I happily participate in such as spirit week, so I would be thrilled to participate in activities that my potential school may organize. After I finish school, I plan to go to university and even though I don’t have it clear yet, I think I want to study business. I have a big brother who is a year older than me, and we get on very well. He also went on an exchange semester, so he is part of my motivation to do so. I don’t have any younger siblings, so I am not used to living with babies or kids. My dad is the CEO of an industrial holding, and my mom works from home, so me and my brother spend most of the time with her at home and when she takes and picks us up from school and me from my gymnastics club. I get along well with all my family members, and I enjoy spending time with them. We have a lake house that we use every summer, where my dad rides our boat and takes us waterskiing and wakeboarding. I also love it there because I get to spend time with my family and me and my brother hang out with our summer friends. I have a dog that is mine, so I am used to walking and feeding her. I also like cats but sadly I am very allergic so I wouldn’t be able to live with them. On most weekdays, I go to school and rush to gymnastics practice, but on my free days I usually study or watch TV. I have many friends from school and from my gym, and I love hanging out with them on my free time. I also like to bake, and I help a lot around my house, so I would be happy to help around yours. I am very excited to go on this exchange program to learn more about the American culture, experience new things and make amazing memories. I really look forward to becoming part of your family! Rafaella