Dear host family,

My name is Alessio. I’m 17 years old and I live in a pretty big city near the sea, and there are a lot of things to do during summertime, mostly for young people.

I am in the third year of a technical industrial institute. I study a lot and try to do well in every subject. I like to understand what I learn, my favorite subject is chemistry. I study this subject well because I like going to the lab to do experiments and I feel really comfortable there. I live with my mum and with my dad. I’m an only child, even if I would really like to have a brother or sister of my age, but luckily I have many friends! I love animals especially dogs, but my mum is allergic of them so I don’t have one. My mum let me have a tortoise, a hamster and a fish. I love traveling and with my parents I have visited many places in Europe. Last summer we went to the Eastern United States and visited them for 8 days.

I’m a sociable boy and in fact I have no problems making new friends. I like spending my free time with them going out or even just staying at home watching movies. I watch a lot of TV series and movies. My favorite TV series is Dexter, where the protagonist is a forensic lab technician. It would be great for me to do this job or join the armed forces! Since I was eight years old, I have been a scout and I like being one because of the values they teach me and because it’s nice to be outdoors, sleep in a tent, discover new places to explore and above all, be with others. Then it’s nice to know how to manage, for example, last summer my team and I built a platform and saved ourselves from a rainstorm. One very important thing I have learned in these years of scouting is to always have a goal to achieve.

I am an athletic boy, I practiced karate for 10 years, I got a black belt, and recently I stopped it because I go to the gym with my father. Another thing we do together is scuba diving.

I chose to do this experience as an exchange student because I want to learn more about myself and grow, as well as study the language, become more independent, and learn to adapt to new situations. To better prepare myself to face my new life abroad, I started attending an English course at school and every day I try to improve. I know being away from friends and family will be very difficult for me but I am a tenacious person, I don’t give up easily in the face of difficulties. I always look for the positive side of things. And finally, I will be able to see if life in America is really like I’ve always seen in the movies.

Dear Host family, I’m hoping we’ll get along well over the next six months and have a wonderful experience together.

Thank you Alessio