Dear future host-family,   First of all, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your family. I hope after reading this letter, you will have a first impression of me and my life in Germany.   My name is Leona. The people that know me would describe me as an open-minded, optimistic and extroverted person. I love to experience new things and find new friends.     I am living together with my parents Marcus and Britta, my eighteen year old sister Malina and my dog Toby. My sister and I get along very well. We both play tennis in our free time and love to play together on the weekends. I am very thankful to have her in my life, because whenever we spend time together, it’s always a lot of fun. But also the relationship between my parents and me is great. They support me and my ideas and are still the people I go to, when I have problems and need advice. As a family we usually spend time together playing games, watching movies or going on walks. Which is, in fact, pretty often, because of our dog Toby. I believe, getting a dog was one of the best decisions and I can’t imagine what my life would be like without him and our daily cuddles. Both of my parents work full time during the week. For this reason I help a lot in our household. I clean my room, help in the kitchen and walk the dog. I am very grateful for my family and the opportunities they are offering me!   In my free time, as mentioned above, I play tennis and I love to spend time with my friends as often as possible. Beside my family, my friends are the most important people in my life. I met them through my ballroom class. Together we like to meet at home to talk, go to parks in our city or go swimming in the summer. However, it doesn’t really matter where we meet, because as long as we’re together, it’s always a fun time. I know that I can count and rely on them and that they are always there for me when I need help. I am very thankful for that.   If I had to picture my dream future I would be happy, doing what I enjoy and most importantly being surrounded by the people I love. I want to finish school successfully and then study something I enjoy, in order to have my own steady income someday. It is my dream to do what I like and at the same time to be able to live from that. I also plan to travel a lot and get to know as many parts of the world as possible. I want to collect unforgettable memories and moments, my exchange year being one of them.     But why did I decide to do an exchange year? I guess the tipping point was last year when we picked up my sister from her exchange family. We did a roadtrip for longer than a month. I truly fell in love with the USA. Everyone was so open and kind to me that my wish to be an exchange student myself grew stronger and stronger. I would love to experience the American culture and the so-called “American way of life”. I am already very excited to attend an American High School, which is completely different from the schools we have here in Germany. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new people and and making friends, maybe even for a lifetime.   As a German exchange student I believe it is my duty to let you know about my life in Germany and about our culture, as you are letting me be a part of yours!   During my year abroad I want to have the best time of my life. I want to collect unforgettable memories and experiences and grow as a person.   I am so very thankful that you are offering this opportunity to me by considering to host me for one year. I would love to be a part of your family and am excited to getting to know you!   Yours, Leona :)