Dear Host Family,

Let’s start from the beginning.

Hi, I’m Greta and I’m from Italy. I was born and raised in a small town and I loved growing up in it because I was able to make great friendships that lasted from elementary school to middle school. My family is made up of four members: me, my mom, my dad and my older brother. I have a very good relationship with all of them and even though we fight sometimes, like every family, I wholeheartedly love them. My mom is like a best friend to me and my dad is my hero, they really deserve the world and mean very much to me. They’re my rock in the difficult times, therefore I’m very glad to have them. Growing up having a big brother (he’s two years and a half older than me) got me used to have another person almost my age that I could talk to about anything and he still is my extrovert part of my introvert self. I always dreamt of having a sister, so that we could learn together about all those girly things, like makeup, and dresses, but I can see that figure in my best friend who is crazy about makeup and all that stuff and tries to teach me everything she knows. My family and I had a dog, but he died almost 3 years ago and we miss him very much. His name was Gumball (yes, like the cartoon, because my brother thought about it and the rest of us agreed on it) and he was a golden retriever, but, unfortunately, had several health issues.

Talking about my personality, at the beginning I can be very shy with person I just met, but with time I start to loosen up and to become my real self with each passing day. I can be very emotional sometimes and I don’t even know why. I think of myself as a kind and generous person.

I love listening to music and reading books such as fantasy-romance and romance, maybe to experience adventures and love through books, since I haven’t experienced it in first person yet. It’s like I can be whoever I want for some hundred pages: pretend to be a dragon rider or a heroine, a hopeless romantic or part of an unfortunate love story. I also enjoy dancing. I’ve been dancing since I was 5 years old, and even if I may not be very good, I like it. I also fancy books, make-ups, heels shopping with my mom.

During my free time I don’t mind cooking, but I really like to bake while listening to music, because I’m obsessed with cookies, cakes, muffins and whatever is sweet and with chocolate (I absolutely adore chocolate, but at the same time I don’t want to eat too much of it.)

I really really love traveling and experiencing new cultures and making new experiences in a reality that is not the one I’ve grown up in. That’s part of the reason I chose to do this exchange experience, while the other part is that I’ve always dreamt of being part of the “American Dream”. I know it can sound trivial and maybe it is and I have unrealizable expectations, but there is only one way to find out, right? And that is experiencing it myself, and making my mistakes and my choices, so that when I will look at myself in a decade or so from now, I won’t be disappointed and my mind won’t be full of whatifs, but I will smile and be satisfied. Also, doing this experience will make it easier for me to work in another country, if I decide to do so. And, when the time comes, I want to become a vet.

Thank you for opening the door of your home. See you soon

Greta