Dear Host Family, thank you so much for considering hosting me and giving me the chance to spend a year with you in the United States. My name is Theresa, I will be 16 during my exchange year, and I live with my parents and our dog Milou in a house near a city in Germany. My older brother recently moved out to study business informatics, but we are still very close and talk often. My mom works from home in a marketing agency, and my dad is a professor of microbiology. I feel very connected to both of them. My mom is someone I can always talk to, and my dad is supportive and creates a warm atmosphere at home. Milou has been part of our family since 2020, and I love walking her and cuddling with her in the evenings. I am also close to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and I enjoy family gatherings because they remind me how important it is to stay close to the people you love even if you do not see each other every day. I would describe myself as active, curious, and positive. I love traveling, being outdoors, and discovering new places. Since I was a child, we have gone skiing every winter, and in summer we often spend time near water or go hiking. These trips are one of the reasons why I enjoy exploring new cultures and nature so much. Sports play a big role in my life: I have been dancing in a club for ten years, and I enjoy focusing on music and choreography, performing, and being part of a supportive team. About a year ago, I also started playing tennis. I like it because it is fast, challenging, and gives me a sense of achievement as I improve step by step. I hope to continue both dance and tennis in the U.S., but I am also excited to try something new. Friends are very important to me too. Some of them I have known since kindergarten, while others I got close to in recent years. We like doing many things together, like cooking, going to the movies, shopping, or just walking around town, and we sometimes study together for school. Even though some of my closest friends go to different schools now, we still manage to see each other often. At school I try my best in every subject, even when it gets stressful. My favorite subjects are math, chemistry, and art. Math feels logical and structured, chemistry combines theory and experiments, and art gives me a way to be creative. I am excited to see how high school in the U.S. is different from my school in Germany, especially with clubs, school sports, and events like Homecoming and Prom. I would love to be part of the school community and experience life there as a student. After my exchange year, I plan to finish my Abitur and then go to university. I am interested in many fields, including science, law, and architecture. I like the structure and problem-solving in science, law interests me because I enjoy thinking about fairness and building arguments, and architecture fascinates me because it combines creativity and technical thinking. I hope my time in the U.S. will help me get a clearer idea of what I want to study. I am also looking forward to experiencing American holidays and traditions like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas on December 25th, which I only know from movies. Cooking and baking is something I enjoy a lot, and I would love to share German recipes with you and learn yours. Faith is also part of my life. I pray every day, sometimes go to church, and would like to see how faith and community are lived in the U.S. I know that an exchange year will not always be easy. I sometimes put pressure on myself or want things to be perfect, but I hope this year will help me to be more patient and relaxed. I want to take responsibility, be open, and become part of your family’s daily life. Thank you again for considering hosting me. I am really excited to meet you and spend time together. Warm regards, Theresa!