Dear host family, Thank you very much for wanting to participate in the exchange program and for giving me the opportunity to become part of your family. My name is Chris and I am from the Netherlands. Next year, I would really like to go to America to learn many new things and to get to know the culture. I am someone who likes to step out of my comfort zone and discover new things. I am also caring, direct, empathetic, friendly, respectful, extroverted, and calm. I could name more character traits, but for now I will keep it at this. I already speak English quite well, but I would like to improve it even more. Besides English, I speak Dutch and a little German and French. I believe my English will improve a lot if I attend high school for a year. I am a big fan of the NFL, especially of the Ravens. In America, I would really like to play American football. I play it now as well and I really enjoy it. When I started, I found it a bit scary because, at the age of 17, I joined a team with only older teammates, one of 18 and the rest is 21 or older. However, I could not have wished for a better and funny team. I also go to the gym and try to train five or even six times a week. I also enjoy running when the weather is nice. Otherwise, I focus on weight lifting. During the week, I go to school, and on Saturdays I work at a butcher shop. I have been working there for almost three and a half years. Every time, I help customers with a smile. I always enjoy my work and I want to make a small chat with the customers. Sometimes I also work in the back of the shop preparing meals. I have also worked as a cook in a restaurant for some time, which I really enjoyed. However, because of school and my job at the butcher shop, I no longer had time for it. In America, I would really like to experience the real American culture. I have been to Miami once when I was six years old, but I do not remember anything from that trip. Soon, I will go to Las Vegas for four days, but that is still very different from living in America for a year. I am very curious about the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, as we do not celebrate those in the Netherlands. I am also curious about what it is like to go to school with a yellow school bus. I would really love to discover American culture together with an American family and experience it with you. I am always open to trying new things. I have a very good relationship with my family, and I also have a large family in the Netherlands. In total, we are eight people, including my two parents. I currently live with both parents, one brother, and two younger sisters. I also have an older brother and sister who have already moved out. I am still very close with them. My oldest brother is 23, almost 24, and my sister is 19 and already lives on her own, which is quite young here. My other brother is 18, I am 17, and I have sisters who are 16 and 6 years old. My brother of 23 and my sister of 16 have a different mother, but it does not feel like that at all. I am very happy that I have such a good bond with everyone in my family. Besides my family, I also have my friends. I have four very close friends whom I have known for six years, and I am very grateful for them. Two years ago, I started at a new school, and none of my friends went there with me. I wanted to make new friends, but at first I found it difficult because I did not feel very welcome. To this day, I do have friends at this school with whom I get along very well. I hope that going to America will not affect my contact with them, as we have a strong bond. At school, I have good contact with my teachers and I always do my best. I really enjoy my studies and learn a lot about marketing and communication. For the future, I am not yet sure what I want to become. I really enjoy my current work and might want to continue in that field. I also find economics very interesting and would like to learn more about it. If I get the chance to develop myself in that area and eventually work in economics, I will probably do that. I am also exploring other interests that may help me in the future, but I am still young and can make a another decision. I hope that we can create many great memories together and that I can learn a lot from this experience. I am really looking forward to a fun and educational time. Kind regards, Chris