Dear Host Family: I am sincerely grateful to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience and for your generosity in opening both your home and heart to me. It is incredibly honored to be welcomed into your family, and I look forward to sharing our culture, daily life, and meaningful memories with you. Let me briefly introduce myself. I am a teenage girl from Taiwan with big dreams and a curious spirit. The purpose of my exchange year is to step outside my comfort zone, discover more about myself in a new environment, and experience high school life in another country. As an extrovert, I enjoy making new friends, exploring different perspectives, and learning new languages and cultures. I also love dancing, especially ballet, and I enjoy trying new styles of dance just for fun. My mom says I’m a “performer at heart”. I love performing in front of an audience, expressing my feelings, and connecting with people through my performances. My personal motto is: “Why give up if you never even tried? You might be closer to winning than you think.” This thought keeps me motivated to face challenges, stay positive, and give new things a try, even if I feel a bit nervous. It’s also one of the reasons I wanted to start this exchange year: to see where it takes me, what I can discover, and how much I can grow from the experience. I love my hometown and culture, and I’m really eager to share my experiences with you, like visiting our famous night markets with cheap and delicious food, exploring Taipei 101 with its 101 floors, and so much more. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about my country as much as I look forward to learning about yours. Sincerely, Pei Hsuan (Emilia)