Dear host family, Thank you very much for agreeing to participate in the exchange program and for accepting me to live with your family. I am French and I would have finished college before leaving for the US. I decided to take a year before starting high school to live a unique experience that I would not be able to achieve later: living the life of an American teenager. American culture has always fascinated me as a European and being of a curious and enterprising nature, I am very motivated to do a cultural immersion. In addition, I would like to later move towards international studies in economics, business and law where speaking English fluently is essential. I consider it an opportunity to travel and live abroad at my age. I am sure that this will give another dimension to my life with a greater open-mindedness to the world. I would obviously like to discover your way of life, your education system and how an American high school works. I would like to participate in sports, cultural and social activities related to schooling and neighborhood life. I also look forward to participating in your cultural festivals such as Thanksgiving or Halloween. In return, I look forward to sharing my French culture with you, particularly French gastronomy and the French art of living as well as my many interests. I live in a very big city which meant that I was independent when I was young to get around, go to activities and meet my friends. My school is a 5-minute walk from my house, judo is 20 minutes away and tennis is 30 minutes away by metro, for example. I know how to orient myself very well, think and find solutions if there is a transport or other problem. I have a neighborhood life and at the same time the possibility of doing many activities on weekends: cinema, exhibitions, walks, etc. I go to the British Council every Saturday morning to learn about British culture. Every 6 weeks, we go to our country house for 15 days (the rhythm of school holidays in France). There, it's an outdoor life where I tinker with old engines, renovate our old house, garden, cycle, etc. In winter, I have been skiing since I was little and in summer I go to visit my family at the seaside where I go surfing. As you can read, France is a country that allows you to easily move from the mountains to the sea, from the big city to the countryside. I have very good relationships with my family, my parents and my two older sisters. They are quite impressive to me, I must admit, they are brilliant, both medical students and very active in their lives. I am also close to my family more broadly, especially my maternal grandmother who lives in a region where wine is made. My mother comes from a family of 6 children and my father of 3 children, I am used to large families but a smaller family does not pose a problem for me either. My best friend speaks English fluently because he spent a year and a half in England and some of my cousins lived in London their entire childhood. I also want to speak English well and I must say that learning English at school does not suit me very well! It’s a passive mode of teaching that puts me in difficulty. My parents are very close to me and they have followed my homework very carefully since I was little. Today, I need to take a step back from them to have an experience of my own and prove to myself that I am capable of achieving it on my own. I like feeling useful and doing concrete things. I am a reliable person and I have a sense of responsibility. You can entrust me with a mission without any problem. I have a sense of others, it is important for me that people feel good. In class, I get along well with everyone and I don't criticize others. I am a rather lively and quick boy, I get dressed in 2 minutes! I know how to be efficient  I am very observant, I notice all the little changes and new things and I am very curious. I like to ask questions and interact with others. I'm enterprising and always up for it: I can travel 60 minutes to meet a friend for a game of tennis! Finally, I think I have good manners, I'm quite a gentleman and I'm sensitive to the environments I am in. Oh yes ! I almost forgot, I like practicing humor and laughing with my friends and my sisters. I would be very honored to be part of your family and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for participating in this host family program. Sincerely yours Archibald