Hello my future host family, Before I start my letter to you, I would first like to thank you for wanting to take me into your home for a year. My name is Lilli-Sophie, but everyone calls me Lilli. I come from a town in Germany, near a big city. I live with my family in a house with a garden. My family includes my mom, my dad, my sister and me. We also have a golden retriever and a rabbit. My sister is 12 years old and is in the 7th grade. My dad is a teacher for aspiring educators and my mom works as a senior manager at an IT service provider. I'm in the 10th grade of a music-focused school. I don't really have a favorite subject, but if I were to choose one, it would be music. That's why I also attend a music class. I have been playing the cello for almost nine years now and the piano for five years. Since most of my free time is dominated by music, I don't have a fixed sport yet. But I really want to change that in the USA. I'm not quite sure what sport it will be exactly, but maybe something like cheerleading, tennis or even soccer In my free time I like to meet up with my friends, we go shopping, spend the night at each other's houses, go on trips to lakes or to the city and attend festivals and celebrations that take place in the area. I was already on holiday with two of my friends in Denmark this year. I also regularly have large concert appearances where I play the cello. Less often, but now and then, I sing in a group of other students or play the piano. At home there are no fixed tasks, but I often unloading the dishwasher, feeding the rabbit and cleaning the stable, walking with the dog or generally tidying up the house or the kitchen. I also enjoy baking and cooking, even if I don't do it often. But when I do, I really enjoy it, especially when I do it with friends or family. Maybe we can bake or cook something together? I live in a small town. There is a shopping center with lots of shopping options, and a lake is also nearby. Just a few houses away there is a forest where we often go for walks with our dog. We also have another large property, where we stay often on some weekends. There are many lakes in the area, also a few beautiful cities and, above all, the Baltic Sea is not far away. I also enjoy spending time with my grandparents as they live just down the street. I often play cards with them or we take care of our dog. I also love traveling. When I was one year old, I lived in Norway for ten months with my parents, who were studying in Oslo at the time. About six months ago I did an internship abroad in Salzburg, Austria. I lived there for two weeks with a friend of my parents, whom they had met while studying in Norway. For a few years now we have been traveling through Europe during our summer holidays and discovering new countries. In recent years we have been to Hungary, Croatia, Switzerland and Austria, but also other countries. We travel with our caravan and our dog and spend the night at campsites. I also love swimming in the sea, which is why in Croatia we always stay at large campsites right by the sea. I also really like children and get along well with people and animals. That's why I've already done an internship in a daycare center and in an organization for people with a migration background. I'm very cosmopolitan and that's exactly why I want to do a year abroad. I want to meet new people from all over the world, make lifelong friends and hopefully find a second family. Another important reason why I want to do a year abroad is that I want to improve my English. I've been dreaming of traveling to the USA for a long time. About five months ago I decided to do a year abroad. The reason for this is that I would like to attend an American high school. I'm looking forward to hopefully attending a typical American football game, seeing the yellow school buses and, most importantly, learning how Americans live. I would also like to experience how they celebrate all the festivals in the USA, especially Christmas, as I am a very big Christmas fan. I think the country is very diverse and I'm excited to get to know it all. I hope that we are a good fit for each other and will have an unforgettable year together. I'm really looking forward to finding a second home with my host family and can't wait to get to know you soon. Very best regards Lilli