Dear host family, I want to start by thanking you for letting me be a part of your family and giving me the chance to experience the American life. My name is Marike (pronounced as Mah-rie-kuh) and I am from the Netherlands. I would describe myself as a kind and social person, who likes helping others. I am responsible and my friends say I’m very funny. In my free time I like to listen to music. I also collect Lp’s and like going to concerts. I also enjoy reading, especially English books, and watching movies or series. My favorite movies are the Harry Potter movies, because I have watched those a lot of times. The next thing I like to do is baking and I would love to do it for you in America. I have also done horse riding for 9 years, but I quit earlier this year. I live with my mom Tamara, my dad Marco and my brother Jens, who is two years older than me. As a family, we like going out for food and playing board games. My mom and I do a lot together, such as shopping and watching series. My dad and I often listen to music together and sometimes I sing while he plays the guitar. My brother and I have a good relationship, even though we do fight sometimes, but I think all siblings do. I also live with my dog Toos, who i really enjoy walking with to clear my head. I currently babysit for four families, which I love doing, because I like working with children. I also have been working on a camping for three years from March until October, where I work in the restaurant, bakery and cafetaria. I enjoy working here because my co-workers are friends of mine and because it feels like you’re on vacation every day, because a lot of the customers are not from the Netherlands. I’m not completely sure on what I want to do in the future, but I would either want to become a psychologist or teacher. I want to do an Exchange year for multiple reasons. First of all because I want to get out of my comfort zone and try new sports or clubs. I don’t really have a preference for a club or sport, because I’m very open to trying new things. I also want to learn more about your culture and the holidays you celebrate, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving. The next thing I would like to do is just the normal things your family does, such as going to the store and spending days together. I’m also really excited to experience the American high school, because I see it in a lot of movies (even though I know it’s not fully accurate). I also would love to tell you about my own culture and the holidays and traditions we have here. Thank you for reading my letter and I’m really looking forward to meeting you! Kind regards, Marike