Dear host family,

I am Mateo, a 16 year old student. I live in a town near Madrid (the capital city of Spain). I live with my parents and with my elder brother and sister. I love cycling and playing padel with my brothers; also I enjoy going for a walk with my parents.

I like well done work and I don’t give up easily; it’s true that sometimes I am a little lazy and it costs me starting a new activity or project, but when I start something I can’t stop until it’s done. I like to think that I’m a funny and happy kid. In my family, sometimes they say that I talk too much; from my side, it’s better to talk more than less.

I play the French horn in my town’s band: we play two concerts a year, and we go in two processions parades in the town each year too. I used to play basketball; right now I only swim; I swim since I was a little kid. Here in Spain we have very good food, and since little I have been trained to eat all types of food, so I don’t have many problems with any meal apart from my allergy to kiwis. In Spain, we have the luck of being close to the beach, but we also have mountains so, in holidays, I go with my family both to the mountains and to the beach for trekking and swimming. Also, I enjoy reading books and watching movies.

I have been looking forward to this experience during a long time, as my two siblings have already gone there in a similar situation, and they have improved their English skills. I realize that it’s a very good cultural exchange and an opportunity for knowing new people too. I think that this is also a good way to improve my social skills.

I hope we meet soon,

Mateo