Dear Host Family, First of all, thank you for welcoming me into your family. I have been looking forward to this experience since I was a little kid, when I used to watch Disney Channel’s TV series such as “Liv and Maddie” or “Jessie” every day. Their lifestyle fascinated me so much that I knew that someday I would have really liked to experience it, too. At the moment, I am attending a Human Sciences high school. In Italy we start choosing our job paths when we decide what type of high school we want to get into. I chose this one because it comprehends a lot of subjects that I really like, such as Pedagogy and Psychology. Do you have similar subjects in your school? I also really like the subjects of my school because someday I hope I’ll become a neuropsychologist (not only sounds this word challenging, but I also know hoe much I will have to study to achieve this goal). I really also like scientific subjects, like Maths or Science. I heard that in some schools you do a lot of laboratory hours, I think that’s something I would really like to do. There are just four people in my family: my dad Stefano, my mom Simona, my sister Eleonora and I. Unfortunately, we don’t have any pets, mostly because my dad is allergic to their fur, but I’m trying to convince them to get one of those cats whose fur doesn’t cause any allergic reaction. Do you have any pets? We are very close as a family and we can talk about what worries us without being judged and we can confide in each other. I hope I will be able to build a very strong connection with you, too. I’m confident that at the end of this experience we will have created strong bonds. Getting back to my family, I’m very close to my sister, as we share many interests and hobbies. We like to travel with all the family or just by ourselves, for example last summer I went to Taylor Swift’s concert with her: she’s a singer we both really like! With my dad I mostly share the passion for movies and Tv series, which I enjoy watching on the weekend. The weekends are also the time where we get to spend more time together, because we don’t have as many activities as during the week. On Saturdays and Sundays we like to go to the mountains and hike or stay at home and play board games or card games. I’ve become really good at some of them and if you’re interested, I could teach you some. Do you also have a passion for board games? How do you spend your free time during the weekends? I would say that at first I might seem a little shy but when I get to know the other person I become really comfortable with them and very open. My friends often define me as empathetic. I think it describes me a lot, and I guess that’s why I am very good around children. I tend to see them as people, with real feelings, and not to underestimate their needs. I really like being around them, so I often do activities with the Church on Saturdays and I go camping with them in the summer as their counselor. I share this passion with my sister and my mom, the person who introduced me to Church activities. Another one of my passions is reading: I’ve liked that since I was in second grade and the way that a book transports me in another word is one of my favorite things about this hobby. I would describe me as a sporty person, because I really like doing physical activity in general and I’ve tried a lot of sports over the years, like swimming, climbing, archery, athletics and acrobatic gymnastics (I’ve been doing this one since I was in first grade, and it makes me emotional to think about all the things that seemed so unreachable for me to do but I managed to learn during the years). What are your hobbies? Are you into sports, as well? Thank you so much for hosting me! I hope we will be able to build a strong connection that will last in our hearts forever. I can’t wait to meet you in person! Love, Elisabetta