Dear future host family,

My name is Shiyan, I am 15 years old and I live in Germany. I have a little brother and I had two rabbits, but they sadly passed away last year. We’re a small but happy family that lives in a suburb. We have a small garden and an allotment garden, where mostly my dad grows vegetables and fruits. In the small town that I live in, I basically know everybody my age at least from seeing, which is very cool. I love spending time with my family and doing family activities like watching movies or going on trips and holidays together.

I am an open-minded person who loves to discover new things. That’s also one of the reasons I decided to do this year abroad. No matter if it’s food, the environment, or lifestyle, I can adapt to changes very easily and quickly. For people who don’t know me, I might seem like an introverted person, but with my friends, I am very talkative and funny. One of my strengths is that I am a responsible person. My friends can always rely on me. My circle of friends isn’t very big, but they’re all people I can really trust. I have a lot of friend circles, for example, in my basketball team, at school, and some friends I’ve known since kindergarten. My weakness is that I can be a bit stubborn, but that has improved over time. Also, when I was a kid, I wasn’t very patient, but in my opinion, that has also gotten a lot better over time. One really huge reason why I am willing to spend half a year abroad without my parents is that I am easygoing and independent from my parents. Since I was a kid, I took part in a lot of camps where I easily spent a few weeks away from home. I was never homesick; on the contrary, I always had so much fun with my new friends that I wanted to stay longer. I sometimes help my parents with the dishes, clean the house, and wash the clothes too. I know how to cook a few easy recipes. I believe this experience will best prepare me for my future and help me become more independent. I would love to help with the chores, and I am sure it will be very helpful. And I really mean it!

My favorite hobby is basketball because it makes me feel happy and releases stress. I started playing basketball when I was 6 years old and have never stopped until today. It really became an obsession since I practice 4-5 times a week as I play at a high level. The league is called JBBL, which means that I have games all over Germany. My dream job would be to play in the NBA, but I am still far from my dreams. In general, I would say that I am a sporty person because I like other sports like swimming, badminton, or volleyball too. Another hobby of mine is playing the piano. I love music, whether it’s listening to it or playing it myself. While I mostly play classical music, I prefer to listen to hip hop or rap. In my free time, I like to watch movies or go out with my friends, do some shopping, eat, and just hang out. My favorite movie is Star Wars, by the way, because it’s one of the first movies I remember watching together with my dad. But in general, I like all kinds of movies and TV shows. I enjoy all kinds of food too, no matter where it’s from, and I do eat a lot. But my favorite food is Japanese food like sushi or sashimi bowls. In Germany, I love the wintertime because of Christmas. Even though I don’t really celebrate it, I still love the atmosphere and mood during the holiday time. If I were in China, I would love to celebrate Chinese New Year even more, but sadly during Chinese New Year, we have school, so I can’t really celebrate it with my hardworking parents. I think that celebrating Chinese New Year with my grandparents is also on my bucket list.

I hope to learn a lot of new things from this experience, including about the culture of America. I want to meet new people, make new friends, and have a lot of fun together during this time. Of course, I want to improve my English as well. In general, I would love to experience the lifestyle of an American family, like how they live, what they eat, and what is typical for an American family, etc. As a German ambassador, I will also share parts of German culture and my personal experiences in Germany. I am sure this exchange of information and comparison between these two countries will be very interesting for everyone. And of course, the most important thing is to have fun together.

I don’t really have any preferences, and I am open-minded as I said. I like surprises and trust in God’s plans. With this first letter, I want to express my thanks. I really appreciate that someone is willing to take in a child they have never met before, and I don’t take it for granted. I promise I will behave and be respectful, and I am not going to make your life difficult by causing trouble, etc. I am looking forward to seeing you, spending half a year in America, and having a good time together!

Wishing you the best and warm greetings from Germany,