Dear Host Family,  I really appreciate you for hosting me for six months! This is like a dream coming true for me and I still can’t believe that you will help me make it real. I am very grateful for that so I will do whatever I can to show you how glad I feel. I am a very kind and polite girl and one of my greatest traits is that I always find something positive, even in rough times and that’s why I think you and I could bond really well.  I am an open-minded person and I love having new experiences so I wish we could share some of our traditions. I would like to get involved in your plans in order to live the “American lifestyle” which is very different from mine. I am sure that spending time together will make our relationship better and I can't wait to do that.  Honestly, I have good expectations because I think that thanks to this experience I will improve and start becoming the girl I want to be.  Living in another country for half a year is a real challenge that could bring about significant changes in my life but I am ready to face this. As I said, I am a perceptive girl and having to take on this new challenge is not a big deal for me.  All my friends have advised me to live the experience of the year abroad because they think I am suitable to do so. They usually describe me as a kind, extroverted and empathetic person. I recognize myself in their description of me and I would like to introduce myself better so that you can get to know me. My name is Martina and I am a very compliant and friendly girl who is very inclined to learn.  The things I love doing most are sports, listening to music and having fun with my friends. I am open to new experiences: for example, since I was a child, I have been used to practicing several sports that I have changed through the years. I started with swimming, then tennis, gymnastics and finally volleyball. This has helped me a lot to become a flexible person and now I can adapt to every situation.   My family, on the other hand, describes me as a determined person who is capable of thinking straight even in difficult moments. They encouraged me to start this experience since this  is something I have been dreaming of since I was a child. Now that I've grown up, I still look at this experience with the same desire to leave but with different eyes. It is no longer just a desire to live the American life but it is much more. Deep down there is a sort of curiosity to see how I will react to this important life’s change.  I have been thinking a lot about  starting this chapter of my life but in the end I have come up with the conclusion that dreams must be followed . In Italy we express this concept with the Latin expression "carpe diem"; that means "seize the day". I find it to be a notable expression to better communicate how I intend to face this new part of my life and to begin to build this cultural interchange. Actually I think that I will learn a lot about your  culture and habits and this is one of the main reasons that pushed me to decide whether to do the “exchange” year or not. Residing in another state means changing your habits to conform to other ones, learning a new language and being the most determined version of yourself in order not to give up. If that includes maturing and growing too, and I'm sure it does, then I'm hundred percent ready to start this new chapter of my life that I will forever remember. In my opinion all the new adventures can become an important part of life and I want this experience to be like that. I hope my letter was meaningful to you , I can’t wait to see you!  Love, Martina