Dear host family, First of all, I would like to thank you very much for considering hosting me in your home and allowing me to become a part of your family. I hope that we will grow a strong bond and enjoy a great time together. My name is Laura and I am from Germany. My native tongue is German and my first foreign language is English, which I learn since 3rd grade. Last year, I went to England to attend a summer school in Bournemouth to study English and this summer I will go there back again. It is a nice city next to the coast and I also stay there with a guest family. Also, I speak a bit of Spanish, because I am learning the language for three years now. In my exchange year, I hope to find American friends at the high school. In Germany, I also have many friends, but my most important friend is Marie. We go in the same class and spend a lot of time together. I often stay over at her house, so we have time to chat and do whatever we feel like. I hope to find a friend like Marie during my stay. I have many hobbies, especially singing and dancing. I am learning classical dances, but I like hip hop, too. Also, I am very interested in fashion. I like to combine outfits and wear different styles. I really enjoy trying new things because of my curious nature. While my music taste is very mixed, I listen to everything from pop, rock and hip hop and even some classic. My favorite book genres are rather specific: Romance novels and fantasy. While I did various types of sport growing up, lately I prefer to spend my spare time singing in a choir. This spring, we went to a trip with the choir, which was very fun. School is very important to me since I want to have a successful career. My favorite subjects are Ethics, Politics, History and German. In the future, I dream of a well-paid job, so I can use that money to fulfill my desire to travel around the world and maybe even do a world trip. So far, I have traveled to five countries and various regions of Germany. Who knows, what the future will bring? Now, I want to tell you about my family! I live with my mother and my two siblings. My cute half-brother Ben-Nicolas, although I like to call him Ben-Nicki, and my half-sister Leonie. They are three and one years old. My mother's name is Pia and she is currently studying psychology. My parents had me at a young age and she is 32 years old right now. Although she is very busy and cannot spend much time with me, I adore her. On the weekends, I usually stay with my father or my grandparents. My father is the same age as my mother and a hard working executive at a bank. When I am with him, we often do fun activities like going to the cinema or going out for a walk with his dog. He has a dog, which is a small pug named Mooncake. Moony is very sweet and likes to play a lot. Next, I want to tell you about my grandparents, who are very important to me. I often stay with them, sometimes even during the week. They are like a second home for me. Both are 63 years old. My grandpa works at the theater as a carpenter and set designer. He has built a lot of things for me, for example a princess chair, when I was a young girl. My grandma is the principal of a Christian kindergarten. She is very kind and when I have a problem, I can always go to her and talk about it. She always supports me, if I need it. Now you know a lot about me and my family! America has always fascinated me. I want to learn more about your culture and get to know new people. I really hope that I will become a part of your family and I am looking forward meeting you. Sincerely, Laura