Hi everyone, First of all, thank you! Not only for hosting me, but also for taking on such a big responsibility towards me. I am grateful for the opportunity you’re giving me, and I'll do my best to integrate well with you in every way. Among the reasons why I want to have this experience there is of course the will of improving my English. In addition to that, I believe that spending a year away from home in a completely different environment will help my personal growth and will be something that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I am a sporty person, and practicing sports has turned me into a determined person, so when I have a goal I don’t give up, even if I’m facing challenges, and I try to achieve it. I also think I am an extrovert girl, who is usually able to open up to people shortly after meeting them. One thing that I am working on is that I sometimes find it hard to express my feelings, especially when I’m in a public situation, with lots of other people around. My friends also describe me as decisive, someone who knows what to do and can make decisions even in stressful situations. For example, I am usually good at calming people down if they are a bit worried about school or sports. When I'm home, I like to play the piano; in fact, it's one of my main hobbies. I took lessons from the age of 6, but when I was 12 I decided to stop because I didn't like it so much anymore and I didn't have much time left out to play after school and swimming practice. Nonetheless, nowadays I still like to play the piano at home and try to learn songs and melodies using the internet. After I stopped taking piano lessons, I tried singing. I enjoyed it, but I didn't get very good at it, so after a couple of years I decided to focus mainly on sports instead. There are four of us in my family: my mom, Ombretta, my dad, Diego, and my 20-year-old brother, Glauco. Since I was little, I have always been taught how important it is to help with household chores, so I like to do my part and help with chores like setting the table and cleaning my room. In the morning, my alarm goes off at 7 a.m., and I start getting ready for school. Classes start at 8 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Then I go home, have lunch, and get ready to go to the pool from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Then, around 6 p.m., I go home and start studying/doing my homework for the next day. At around 8 p.m., the whole family gets together for dinner, and at around 11 p.m./midnight, we go to bed. What is your daily routine like? I know that my life in the US will probably be a lot different, but I am ready to dive into your culture and experience something completely new to me! Thank you again for making this dream of mine come true. I sincerely hope that during the time we spend together, we will be able to share unforgettable moments. I can't wait to meet you and spend 10 months with you! Giulia