Dear host family, Thank you so much for being willing to participate in the exchange program and accepting me to live with your family. My name is Kara, I am a German girl and am currently finishing 9th grade. If nothing comes up, I will have successfully completed my 10th grade by the start of my year abroad. My favorite subjects are math, sports and art. But I'm looking forward to trying out new subjects at an American high school that aren't available here in Germany. I'm also very curious to see whether the high school spirit really exists in the way it is always portrayed in American films and series. I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I love animals more than anything and would be delighted if you had a pet, as unfortunately me and my family don't have time for a dog or a cat. But I also love all other animals, especially horses. Every year I spend my summer vacation at a horse farm, so I know a lot about horses and can also ride them. I would be delighted to have the opportunity to have contact with horses from time to time when I’m with you. I also like to spend my time with books or painting and handicrafts, but my heart beats most for cheerleading. I've been doing this sport since I was 5 years old, go to practice twice a week and regularly participate in championships with my team and hope to not only be part of the cheerleading team at your high school, but also learn new elements. However, I'm not too worried about that because the USA is the home country of cheerleading. I am very open to new things, I like to try different things, I am creative and imaginative and I can be very ambitious when I want to achieve something. My friends appreciate my reliability and helpfulness and that I am such a cheerful person who is always fun to be with but also someone you can always trust on. I have been learning English since 6th grade and am looking forward to improving my English and being able to speak it fluently. I especially want to learn about American culture and be a part of their lives. Although I don't really have the opportunity to do volunteer work in Germany, I would like to participate in these activities in America. It makes me happy to help other people, especially younger children. My father works in the service department in an international industrial company, and he is interested in cycling. My mother works in the same company in the process organization and shares my passion for cheerleading. My brother is three years younger than me and is now in 7th grade. We are a close family and I hope to become part of your family too. I spend a lot of time with my family by playing games, riding my bike and watching movies. We go on vacation several times a year, skiing in the winter, traveling around in Germany in the summer and flying in the sun in the fall for snorkeling in the ocean. But I don't just want to learn about the American culture and way of life, I would also like to show my host family how we celebrate the various German festivals. For example, Easter or how we celebrate Christmas in Germany. I would also like to cook and bake a few German dishes with you and teach you a few German card games. My mom was on a business trip to Florida this year. After seeing her great pictures and listening to her talk about how great she thought it was in the US and how nice the people were there, I became even more determined to go to America and learn about your culture. I believe I can also take amazing photos and have unforgettable memories with you and my new friends in America. I look forward to becoming a part of your family and hope we get along as well as my family did! Sincerely yours, Kara