Dear Host Family, First, I would like to thank you for your hospitality and your kindness: I know that hosting a young girl for ten months is a big commitment, and I want to let you know that I’m aware of this. So, thank you very much! I believe this experience will help me with a lot of things. I’ll improve my English by interacting with you and people at school: English has been my favorite subject since I was a kid, and now I love listening to music, watching videos and movies in this language, so I hope to make long conversations with you. I’m grateful that I will be able to create a relationship with you, and in this way, I will learn more about another culture. I also hope to get out of my comfort zone, try new things, and meet new people. I can’t wait to discover your family and your country! My family always tells me I’m determined, and I think this characteristic helped me to make the decision of this Exchange Year. I’m also a bit shy at the beginning of an acquaintance, but if I feel comfortable, I will open. I like to have fun with the people I know, making them feel good and making them laugh. I really like to talk: if you’re the right person, with whom I feel truly unjudged, I could talk for hours. Moreover, I like to take care of myself by doing my make-up or skincare. One of my passions is travelling: all day long, my mind is on the trips I’ll be able to take when I’ll grow up. One important experience for me was the school trip I took last July to Edinburgh. There I met new people, I spoke lots of English, and I visited new places. I appreciate all the experiences I’m having thanks to my parents: my family is a big part of my life and they are very important to me. I have one sister, with whom I talk about everything. I will miss her so much, as well as my five cats: Christal, the oldest and the calmest; Bianca, a white, blue-eyed cat; Fiocco, who is a Persian white cat, always scared of noises; Briciola, which means “Crumb”, in fact she’s small; Simba, like the lion, because he’s orange, vivacious and clingy. I love animals, especially cats! Do you like animals? Do you have any? I also play tennis. This is a challenging sport; it needs logic and resistance. I hope I'll be able to continue it in America, but I also look forward to trying new sports: I like to keep active by playing sports and when I will leave, I’m intentioned to do many walks and go to the gym, if I can. Another passion is listening to music: I listen to American R & B and sometimes rap. My favorite singer is Drake, and my favorite album by him is “Take care”: he’s the soundtrack of my life, I always listen to him. I believe my main challenge for this program would be making friends, however, I know I’m going to figure it out! Here in Italy, my day is usually composed by school, study and sport: I wake up at 6.15 a.m., and I take the bus to go to school. After school, I study and I go play tennis two days a week. What about your daily routine? When I’ll arrive in America, I could integrate in your daily life by doing conversations about our countries and doing things together, like watching movies or cooking together. I want to contribute to the success of this cultural exchange and I’m happy to create a bond with you and get know you well. See you soon! Emma