Dear American Family Hi! My name is Aléxia and I live with my mom - Leila, my dad - Cristiano, and my brother - Pedro. Both my parents are federal employees and my brother is in medical school I study in a school with a big university acceptance rate and a lot of great teachers. My favorite subjects are History, Philosophy and Physics. I'm looking forward to studying psychology or medicine (aiming at specializing in psychiatry) in college, because I’m really interested in the human mind and I want to help people struggling with mental health issues and mental illnesses. On weekdays I wake up at 6:30 AM and get ready for school, which starts at 7:30 and ends at 1 PM when I don’t have exams, and when I do the exam starts at 12:50 PM and ends at 13:00. After school I either have lunch at home or with my friends. I have Volleyball practices on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 1:45 PM to 3:15 PM. I also go to the gym at least 3 times a week. Besides Volleyball, I also take Piano lessons on Wednesdays and as for Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have English classes. After all my activities, I study for my upcoming exams. As for the weekends, I start by going to the gym or going for a walk on Saturdays. After that I have lunch with my family and in the evening I usually hang out with my friends.On Sunday mornings I go surfing, then I have lunch with my family and study. I am a really outgoing person, always up for new experiences and hanging outs. I tend to be calm and my friends would call me funny. I may be a bit shy when meeting people for the first time but I soon open up. I never discuss with my friends and overall, I’m surrounded by good people that care for me and that I can count on. My relationship with my family is also good, though I’m closer to my mother. We always manage to spend time together, even with our busy routines, such as going to the beach or going to the cinema. Since I was little, I’ve always enjoyed doing all sorts of activities. At the moment, my hobbies vary from artistic ones to athletics. As I mentioned before, I practice volleyball, work out and play the piano, besides that I also like drawing, painting, reading, studying about topics like psychology, surfing and roller/ice skating. During my stay in the USA I hope to continue practicing volleyball, because it’s my favorite sport and physical activities are really important for me. It was always a dream of mine to do an exchange program, and since I want to live abroad, it’s a great way to experience being in a new place with different people, learning how to be more responsible. I chose to do the Public Program in the US considering it will be a chance to put my English in practice and live the American High School experience. I expect to make a lot of new friends and to get along with my host family, creating unforgettable memories and taking them for all my life. It’s also a dream of mine to visit the whole world. I’ve already been to various places, some I can’t remember, such as South Africa and Chile, because I was too little at the time. Those I remember include: France, Spain, the UK - where I did a 3 week exchanging program, Uruguay, Portugal and the US. All the things I lived in those countries made me realize how much I love meeting new places and my passion for travelling. I consider myself a very adventurous and curious person, always up to new experiences. I love meeting new people and new places and I’m really excited for that during my time in the US. I have a passion for all sorts of animals, but dogs have a special place in my heart, even though I don't own one. I’m a rather sensible person and I don't just go with the flow, I prefer being myself rather than being like everyone else. Well, thank you very much for reading and receiving me!, I’m very glad to be able to participate in this program in August and I can't wait to meet you!