Dear future host family! Hi, my name is Henrike and I live in a small town in Germany. I am so excited to write this letter, because it means I am one step closer to meeting you. I really hope that by reading this letter, you will get a little idea of who I am and what kind of person you could have in your home. I live with my parents Carsten and Petra and my older sister Ann-Sophie (she also did an exchange year in Iowa). My family means a lot to me. We like to go outside together or just play board games and watch a movie at home. On the night before Christmas Eve we always watch the same movie together, which now became a tradition. That’s why I am hoping to find a host family that also enjoys spending time together. Together as a family we also like to go on vacation to go skiing, hiking or swimming. At school I enjoy subjects like sport or biology. But what I like the most are the breaks where I can spend time with my friends. I love doing sports especially handball, tennis and running. I have been playing handball since I am four years old and started tennis shortly after that. I play handball on two teams, and with one of them I play in the highest league you can play in as a youth player -the Bundesliga. But I also really enjoy spending time with my friends. We like to go shopping, cook together our meet up with other friends. They would describe me as positive, caring, sporty and always ready to laugh. I decided to spend half a year abroad because I want to step out of my comfort zone. I want to learn more about the culture and the different life we live. I think spending half a year without my family and trying new things will help me in my future. Besides, I think it’s special to go to an American Highschool and experience the high school spirit. And of course I want to taste all of the “American food”. ;) Thank you for reading my letter and considering me as your host kid, I hope we will meet soon! Best wishes from Germany! Henrike