Dear Host Family,

My name’s Annalisa, I’m 16 years old and I have always dreamed of getting to know the American culture. As a matter of fact, this is a very significant moment for me that I will always remember as it is the first step to make this dream come true. So, let’s get started!

I’m a very reliable and responsible person, impulsive but not superficial. People see me as an outgoing and sociable person, and that is who I am, even though I may seem shy at first. Perhaps this is what I like the most: I easily get on with everyone and try to make them feel comfortable! I’m very determined and ambitious, this is why I never give up. But at the same time, I’m easy-going and a serious person, also friendly and communicative.

During these years, I have been practicing so many sports such as ballet, artistic gymnastics, artistic roller skating and horse riding. Now, I do aerial hoop dance, which is a not very well-known dance, it is an acrobatic discipline based on circus practices. My dream has always been to become a cheerleader, so I hope I can make it in America! I love reading, watching tv series and movies. I’m passionate about romance and fantasy genres, which is why many of my friends describe me as a romantic girl. I also like taking pictures to fix memories, but for the same reason I also like being on the other side of the camera! Like a good Italian, I like cooking, especially dessert! Hopefully I will be able to cook Italian dishes for you when I come to America, so you will also get to know a bit of my culture!

I like children, that’s why I volunteer as a children’s entertainer during summertime. This is for me a good opportunity to make myself helpful, get to know other people and have fun all together. I love fashion and doing shopping. In my free time I look for new make-up trends, hairstyles and I also draw some sketches (I am still learning and I can always improve). I also love travelling, of course! I want to go abroad, change my habits and learn about different cultures. Until now I visited Paris, Prague and many cities in Italy. I have been very fascinated by all of them!

Relationships are the most important thing to me: this is why I would do anything for my friends. There are always there for me and I’m there for them: when I need some advice, when I achieve a goal or when I’m sad.

I live in a house with a garden with my parents, my sister Arianna and my dog Casper. I like playing volleyball with them during summertime, I like watching tv all together or inviting friends. We spend a lot of time together, especially during summer, when we travel to Sicily, where my grandparents live. I sometimes argue with my family, but I care about them so much and I worry for them, especially for my sister. Sometimes I fight with Arianna for small things, but we really have a lot of common interests, I am an important reference point for her and she is always there for me. For this reason, I hope to have a host sister /brother in America and create a strong relationship. I think that a host sister/brother will help me a lot at the beginning of this experience!

I attend a scientific high school, the most important subjects are maths and physics, but we study also literary subjects. My favorite subject is literature, and I recently appreciated physics. I am not sure about my future, but I am interested in law or fashion design.

I can’t wait to be part of your family, and I would like you and my parents to be proud of me, so that this experience will be great not only for me, but also for you and my family.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.