Dear family My name is Apolline and I live in France. I have a 21-year-old brother called Arthur, who has been away studying in another town since September, so I see him a lot less. I live with my mother every other week and with my father the other week. At school, I'm a good student, committed to my work, and I was class representative for my whole secondary school. I'm sociable, which means I have lots of friends. I'm also a sportswoman, but I'll tell you more about that later. For a few years now, I've been thinking about living in the USA with an American family in a high school. I discovered this program thanks to social networks and a friend of mine who had already participated in the program. I was immediately attracted to the experience because American high school is very different from high school in France, with sports and clubs playing a more important role. I also really wanted to go away to learn English, which is now the international language. Then I also want to take part in this program to meet people I'd never have met without it, especially you, my future host family, with whom I want to share lots of moments, so that you can teach me more about American culture and we can exchange ideas so that I can teach you more about French culture too. In France, I have a good relationship with my family. At home, I like to cook because both my parents cook a lot, and I also help my parents by setting the table or emptying the dishwasher. I get on very well with my brother, even though he's a bit older than me. I also have a very good relationship with my cousins - there are 10 of us in all! Especially with my two cousins who are the same age as me. But I also love looking after the little ones. I have a large group of friends with just as many girls as boys. But I especially have my two best friends, Lena and Jaden. I've known Lena for 3 years now and we're inseparable - we do everything together, in fact she's going to the same High School program as me. Jaden has been my best friend since kindergarten, we've always gone to the same schools. Lena, Jaden and I make a great trio. At school, I'm a good student, I've always done well because I'm serious and committed to my work. My teachers describe me as mature, autonomous and serious. In the future I'd like to go to business school and then work in consulting or marketing. I'd like to have an international career and travel thanks to my work, so it's very important for me to be fluent in English. I have several hobbies, like sport. I've been playing club soccer for 4 years, and I'm currently a striker, having captained my team on several occasions. It's a passion for me and thanks to my efforts and regularity I've made a lot of progress over these 4 years. I also love running, and last year I won my school's cross-country race and managed to take part in the French cross-country championship. Since I was a little girl, I've been skiing every winter and I love it, and for a few years now I've been surfing in the summer. My other hobbies include fashion; I love shopping. I also love make-up and doing my nails - I'm my friends' and my family's beautician! I also like watching films and series, going to the cinema and spending time with my friends. It's hard to talk about yourself, but I hope I've made you want to get to know me. Thank you very much for reading my letter and I'd like to express my gratitude to my future host family for taking me in. I look forward to getting to know you and to spending a great year with you. Apolline