Hello!! I’m Lucia and I’m from Seville, Spain. Before I tell you about myself, my family, and my city, thank you so much for reading this letter and for welcoming me into your home and family. I am very grateful, and I promise you won’t regret it.

Now, I’ll tell you a little bit about where I live, my family, and finally about me. Well, I live in Seville, Seville is a very beautiful place with a lot of art, just like me! The weather is great here – it’s neither too cold nor too hot; it’s the perfect temperature. I love going out for a walk around Seville or hanging out with my friends in the city center or the park. I also love going to Seville Norte, up in the mountains, to stay in rural houses or go hiking with my family, and sometimes we go for a barbecue with family and/or friends. When we’re in Seville, we often go out to eat at bars and make plans together. I have two farms; one was my grandfather’s, and we don’t go there much anymore, but the other one we visit a lot. I go there with my family and friends.

In the summer, there’s usually a country bar, and all the neighbors come together for games like scavenger hunts and bingo. In winter, we have barbecues and other activities. I also have a house at the beach in Cádiz, which is close to Seville, and I love the beach! I have such a great time there in summer, spending time with my family and friends, going to the pool, and using paddleboards to relax by the beach. Honestly, I love both places, but I think I like the beach more.

I also love Seville’s fair and Holy Week. I’m a Christian, and when I’m with you, I’ll tell you more about Holy Week, but it’s a time when people take religious processions to the streets, with people dressed as Nazarenes handing out candy, and images of the Virgin Mary and Christ are paraded through the streets. The fair is amazing! It’s another week of the year where we dress in flamenco dresses, eat typical food, dance flamenco, ride in horse-drawn carriages, and go to our friends’ casetas or to ours. There are also rides at the fair, and I love the ones that go high—I never get dizzy!

Now, let me tell you about my family. There are five of us: my parents, my two sisters, and me. My sisters are older than me, but I love being around little kids because I have younger cousins. My sisters’ names are Carmen and Maria. My sister Carmen is 19 years old and studying dentistry in Seville, while my sister Maria is 22 and studying nutrition in Modena, Italy, because she’s doing an Erasmus there. She studied for four years in Granada, and I missed her a lot. Even though sometimes I would get mad at them, I love them so much—they’re so important to me. Of course, being the youngest, I like to think I’m my parents’ favorite (just kidding!), but they love us all equally, although maybe I’m their favorite just a little bit. My sisters and I are very close, and we tell each other everything—we love each other a lot.

My dad is a lawyer, and my mom works in technology. I love both of them equally. I’m going to miss them a lot because I’m always hugging and kissing them. My mom worked for two years far from home and came back to Seville on the weekends, and I missed her a lot, but we managed just fine. At first, my dad, Carmen, and I missed her a lot, but we got used to it and were perfectly fine, although we still missed her. We love doing things together, like playing board games, going out to eat, watching movies, and most of all, trying new things and traveling. Every year, we go on one or two trips, and I love exploring new places, learning about their monuments, food, and culture.

Now, let me tell you about me. I’m Lucia, and I’m 15 years old. I’m a cheerful girl who’s always smiling and making my friends and family laugh. I’m really funny and super friendly—I always think of others before myself. I’m also very polite and organized. I’m very sociable and independent, and I have lots of friends. I’m an open book, and I talk a lot, so you’ll never get bored with me. We can talk about all kinds of things—from food to movies, cars, sports, or even the weather if we need to. I’ll keep you entertained!

If we’re making a recipe, watching a movie, drawing, or playing games, or even going for a walk or to the mall (because I love fashion, makeup, and clothes), I’m always up for it! I’m super thoughtful and love giving gifts without expecting anything in return. My favorite color is pink, and I love going to concerts because I really enjoy music. I also love theater and taking care of little kids. Going on barbecues is what I enjoy most—I love getting to know new things, new people, new food… I also like sports, especially volleyball—I play here in Seville. I’ve done many extracurricular activities, like chess, volleyball, flamenco, ballet, paddle, painting, and skating.

I have my flaws like everyone else—because I’m not perfect, but almost! (Just kidding, of course, I’m not perfect, but I’m working on improving these flaws.) I can be a little bit late sometimes, but I’m improving. I can also be a bit lazy when it comes to studying, but I’m working on that too. I get angry quickly, but I also get over it really fast, usually with my sisters. With my friends, though, I hardly ever get mad, and I won’t get angry with you either!

I’m really excited to go there, get to know you, see your culture, and see the school. I’m excited to meet new people, do lots of things with you, and teach you things about my culture, like the food. I can also make recipes for us I’m also excited to build a great relationship with you and have fun as a family! I want to see how Christmas, Halloween, and the 4th of July are celebrated there, attend school dances, visit churches, travel with you, and experience autumn and spring there. I’m super excited to see all of that!

Since I know how to cook, I can prepare a sandwich for high school. I don’t mind doing any chores like washing clothes, doing the dishes, or anything else to make everyone feel comfortable. I’m ready to help my host parents with whatever needs to be done.

I think you’ll enjoy having me around because, as I said, you’ll never be bored! I’m always willing to do whatever it takes. I’m a girl who doesn’t give up easily, and I’m very patient and polite. But I must warn you—if you don’t want to laugh all day and have a blast, don’t pick me, because I’ll always try to make you happy and bring joy to your life. I’m not shy at all, and I’ll bring happiness!

I’ve faced some challenges in life, like when my mom went away to work or when my grandfather passed away. I also had a moment when I was left alone at school, and I handled all of those situations very well. When my mom left, the first few days were tough, but with the support of my family and my own strength, I got through it. It made me more mature and independent since I sometimes had to cook or take care of some house tasks. When my grandfather passed away, I cried a lot, but with the support of my family, friends, and teachers, I coped very well. It was a huge shock, but it helped me become even more mature. Lastly, when my friends left me for a while, I forgave them because I’m not a resentful person, and now we’re great friends again. We talked things through, and everything got fixed. Now, I know how to choose my friends and value myself more.

I’ve traveled a lot, both inside and outside of Spain, to places like Poland, Italy, France, and Scotland. I love traveling, as I’ve mentioned several times, but I’ve never lived abroad. I feel very prepared for this experience because I’m mentally ready and mature for my age. I’ve only been to summer camps for one week each year, and I had the best time! I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t want to leave when the camp ended!

Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your time, but before I go, I want to thank you again for reading this letter. I hope you didn’t fall asleep while reading it! Thank you for welcoming me with so much love; I’m really grateful. I hope you liked it and that you won’t regret having me as part of your family. I promise I won’t be a bother, though I’ll keep you entertained all the time, even though I’m very calm, I never stop talking!

With lots of love and a big hug,

Lucia