Dear Host Family, Thank you so much for accepting me into your family for one year. I think one year is very long to have a stranger to live with, but I will do my best to take a good part in your family. I am very happy to participate in this exchange program as I have always been wanting to study abroad. I first visited Portland, Oregon attending my family wedding when I was six years old. Since then, I have been hoping to go back to the US to study English and its culture. I enjoy many things and I always want to try new things. So, please allow me to join the activities you have throughout the year. I would like to share my family members, I have two older sisters who are college students, one is 20 years old while the younger one is 18 years old. We often enjoy traveling as well as camping and outdoor activities. My older sister went to Hawaii University as an exchange student for four weeks last year. My mother attended university for undergraduate and graduate school for six years in the US. So, we often spoke to each other in English. Although I have good English listening skills, I sometimes have a difficult time communicating my feelings in English, so, I hope to improve my speaking skills and communication skills by spending time with your family. Please note that I would like to learn culture, and language, and explore new opportunities in your community as well. I look forward to meeting you and spending one year with you. There are so many things I would like to share with you. I hope to cook some Japanese dishes for you, I also love cooking some sweets such as cookies or muffins. I also hope to play some music for you. I would like to try many new things which you do in your daily lives. I am very thankful for the opportunities to learn from you and your family. Best Regards, Soichiro Higuchi