Dear Host Family, My name is Inés, and I want to start by thanking you for considering me to be part of your home during my exchange year in the United States. I’m beyond excited about the possibility of spending a year in the USA, and I would love to tell you a little bit about myself so you can get to know me better. I live in a medium size town close to a large city in the center of Spain. I live with my parents and my two siblings, Martina, my big sister, and Mateo, the youngest one. My family is very multicultural: my dad is originally from Argentina, and my mom is Spanish. I also have relatives from Costa Rica and China, which makes family gatherings really fun! I’m a happy and fun-loving girl. I care a lot about others and always make sure to check on my friends to see how they’re doing and try to help them out. Every day, I try my best to stay organized (even though sometimes it´s hard!). I have a great relationship with my sister Martina—we share clothes, makeup, and love the same music and TV shows. My younger brother, Mateo, can be a handful sometimes, but we always have a lot of fun together. Academically, I enjoy school a lot. I get along well with my classmates and teachers, and I always try to do my best in every subject. My favorite subjects in school are Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. I’m really curious, and I love how these subjects help me discover so many things about everyday life. My mom was an exchange student in the U.S. when she was younger, and she has shared so many amazing stories about her experience. Hearing her stories has inspired me to take this step, and I know that this will be an unforgettable year for me too. At home, I like to help with chores like making my bed, tidying up my room, setting the table, and even cooking breakfast on the weekends. I also walk our family dog, Titan (kind of funny because he has a superhero name, but he looks more like an ewok). Family time is really important to me, and we often spend time traveling together or just hanging out. In fact, we’ve been to the U.S. three times! We visited New York, Miami, and Orlando (where we celebrated my grandma’s 80th birthday with 25 of our family members at Disney World!). These trips have given me a little taste of American culture, and I can’t wait to experience it even more. One of my biggest passions is dance. I’ve been dancing since I was 3 years old, and I train four times a week. I’m part of a competitive dance team that competes all over Spain, focusing on modern and urban dance styles. While I’m in the U.S., I would love to continue dancing, but if that’s not possible, I’d be thrilled to join the school’s cheerleading team or any other sports club. I’m also really excited about all the activities American high schools offer, like school dances (I’ve always dreamed of going to Prom!), lockers, and of course, the iconic yellow school buses. On weekends, I love hanging out with my friends. We do all sorts of fun activities like bowling, ice skating, going to the movies to watch the latest films, grabbing ice cream, or eating at McDonald’s or Burger King. Sometimes, we just stroll around the mall, even if we don’t buy anything, it’s always fun to walk around and chat. What do I expect from this year? I hope to learn from a new culture, make lifelong friends and improve my English. I want to thank you again for taking the time to read my letter. I truly hope we get the chance to meet, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you and becoming part of your family. Warmly, Inés