Dear Host Family, First of all, I would like to thank you for volunteering for this year abroad program and being willing to let me stay with your family. I live in Germany with my mother, who is from China. My father was from the US, where most of my family lives. I occasionally visit them during the summer vacations. During the latest visit, I went on a white water rafting trip in Idaho with my cousin last summer, where I had a lot of fun. Describing myself, I am a curious, adventurous, musical, empathetic and helpful person. At home I enjoy listening to music, reading, or playing video games with my friends. I also help my mother with household chores, like cleaning windows, doing dishes, cooking or mowing the lawn. I usually practice the cello for about an hour. I have played the cello for about 10 years and I enjoy playing solo or together with other people. I play in an orchestra and hope to join an orchestra in the US as well. My best experience was when I played in the "Berliner Philharmonie". It was a great and inspiring moment. I also enjoy sports like baseball, swimming, soccer, hockey and skiing. I hope I will have a chance to play baseball in the US. My mother is a software engineer and works a lot during weekdays. We travel a lot during school vacations. Mostly we go to Greece or Spain, which we both enjoy a lot. We also visit my family in China once a year, which is always a wonderful time. Currently I am in the tenth grade and I enjoy my time at school, especially when spending time with my friends. My favorite subjects include Chemistry and Computer Science,but I also like English, PE, Music and Biology. After school I would like to work in the field of computer science, chemistry or biology. I am participating in this exchange program, because I want to experience how it is like to live and study in the US as I plan to attend university after high school. Although I have stayed with my family in the US for some weeks, I have never experienced the school life of life outside of vacation in the US. And this is also a good opportunity for me to learn to be more independent. I hope to engage in school activities such as joining an orchestra or sports team. I am excited about becoming a part of your family for one year. Best regards Alain