Dear Host Family, I’m Ludovica and I come from Italy. First of all, thank you so much for hosting me for 10 months. I’m so grateful to you for this opportunity. This experience means so much to me, I’ve been dreaming of doing it since my first year of high school! I have been wanting to live abroad and to improve my English for quite some time now. I love travelling and learning about new cultures. Indeed, one of my goals for the program is to learn how to connect with new people in a completely new environment, build strong friendships and grow as a person. I think I am a cheerful and loving person. I’m also ambitious and at times I tend to expect a lot from myself. My family sees me as a determined girl, eager to learn new things. Even though I can be a bit introverted and reserved initially, I warm up when you get to know me better, and I am ready to challenge myself to make the most of this experience! I love listening to music. I usually listen to it while I go to school or sometimes when I am studying. I also love watching movies and tv series. I am currently watching a tv series in English to improve my understanding of the language before leaving Italy. In addition, I enjoy spending time with my friends, and I always feel happy when I'm with them. On Saturday nights we usually hang out in the town center or we spend the evening at someone’s house, and sometimes we like to dance as well. I love sports! Since I was little, I have tried many sports such as artistic gymnastics, swimming and skiing, but the sport I have practiced the most is track&field, which I started when I was only 7 years old. Lately I have stopped doing it and instead I go to the gym with a friend of mine. Tell me about you, what are your hobbies? Do you like to play or watch some sport in particular? I would love to do some activities together! My family consists of four people: me, my parents Lorenzo and Isabella, and my brother Carlo Alberto. He and I have some friends in common, and they always tell us we look alike! We are a very close family; even though sometimes we argue, we always support each other. At the moment we don’t have any pets, but I would love to have one! We travel a lot together. In the summer, we have the tradition of spending ten days in the mountains, always in the same town. What about your special family traditions? I can't wait to discover more about your family! Another person I care about is my grandmother. She has been a very important figure as I was growing up, and she has always been by my side. When I was little, I used to spend a lot of time with her and she has always helped me with everything, including homework since she used to be a teacher. I'm so excited and I can't wait to meet you and start my American experience as an exchange student. I truly hope we will build a strong relationship based on trust, and that you’ll consider me part of your family. See you soon! With love, Ludovica