Dear Host Family, Thank you very much for taking the time to read my letter and for considering welcoming an exchange student into your home. I come from Germany, where I live with my family. Family is very important to me, even though my family situation is a bit special. I have three older half-siblings who do not live with me, and I don’t have any contact with them. However, I have a good relationship with my oldest brother. Even though there is a big age difference between us, we get along and understand each other. He visits us from time to time. In my free time, I enjoy both being active and relaxing. I love playing volleyball and beach volleyball and I also enjoy hiking and riding my bike. Sports help me stay positive and balanced. At the same time, I also enjoy calm evenings, watching Netflix or just relaxing. I think this combination of being active and enjoying quiet moments describes me very well. I am also interested in sports in general and like to watch games such as ice hockey, soccer, or volleyball.And maybe we can watch games together too. At home, I help with everyday tasks. I regularly load and unload the dishwasher, take care of our two cats and our dog, and keep my room tidy. For me being part of a family means helping out. At school, my favorite subjects are economics, mathematics, and chemistry. I enjoy working with numbers and logical thinking, and I am also interested in understanding how economic systems work. In the future, I would like to work as a tax advisor. Attending high school in the U.S. will help me become more confident, independent, and improve my English, which I believe will be very valuable for my future education and career. I already have some travel experience. As a child, I traveled to Italy several times, and I have also spent time in Austria, where my mom is from. In 2025, I flew for the first time in my life to Gran Canaria, which was a very exciting experience for me. There are a few things I know I will miss about Germany. I will definitely miss German food, especially Schnitzel, and of course German bread. I will also miss my family, my friends, my pets and my own bed. A funny fact about me is that I can eat ketchup with almost everything, which often makes people laugh. As a person I would describe myself as open-minded, kind, positive, humorous and helpful. At the beginning, I can be a little shy and reserved, especially in new situations. However, once I feel comfortable I open up quickly and enjoy being part of a group. I also know that I sometimes need a little time alone to recharge, but I always value spending time together as a family. I would love to integrate myself into your family as much as possible. I enjoy spending time together, for example watching TV, playing card games, cooking meals together or simply talking about the day. At the same time, I also respect personal space and believe that a healthy balance between family time and individual time is important. I am very interested in your daily life and would love to learn about your traditions. At high school, I would love to play volleyball if possible. I am also open to trying a different sport and discovering something new, because I think school sports are a great way to meet people and feel part of the community. I want to attend an American high school and live with a host family to experience everyday life, school routines, and family traditions. I would also love to discover new places and try typical American food, especially fast food like Raising Cane’s. I believe this experience will help me grow personally and create meaningful memories. Thank you again for your time and openness. I truly hope to meet you soon and start this exciting journey together. Kind regards, Laura