Ed eccomi tornata, dopo mesi di assoluto silenzio (chiedo umilmente perdono) ma non avevo un minuto libero e soprattutto non avevo cose da raccontare, o almeno nulla che avesse a che fare con la mia esperienza di exchange student. Ma ora sono di nuovo qui, e ho deciso di pubblicare la mia tanto sudata lettera alla host family!!

Dopo numerose indecisioni, sono riuscita ad ottenere un risultato abbastanza decente e ne sono personalmente molto fiera. Certo, avrei potuto fare di meglio (e meno errori), ma sono convinta che questa lettera esprima perfettamente chi sono, i miei interessi e via dicendo. 

Scrivere di te stessa a persone che vivono dall'altra parte del mondo e che ancora non hanno né un viso né un nome nella tua vita, è sicuramente strano e complicato. E capisco che molti si possano sentire persi o a disagio nel cercare di scriverla; quindi spero che questa mia lettera possa essere d'aiuto o possa fungere da spunto per i futuri exchange students lì fuori!

Sottolineo d'esempio perché ovviamente non va copiata (POTREI UCCIDERE)


Dear future host family,

I really can't believe I finally have the chance to write this letter. It feels like I'm a little bit closer to make my dream come true and it's so nice that I can't find the proper words to tell you how grateful I am to be part of something this wonderful.

But first, let me introduce myself properly. I'm a sixteen years old girl with a lot of dreams and hopes for her future. My name is Marianna. It's a little bit odd for a name here in Italy, but maybe that's what I like the most about it: it's rare and unusual. I live in Rome, the capital of Italy, the boot-shaped country known so well for the great food, fashion and for its great monuments. 

Actually I live in the countryside just outside Rome, about half an hour from the periphery of the city. Living in the countryside has its pros and cons: of course I love living there because it's quiet and relaxing and it actually feels very good to be at home after a day in the huzz and buzz of the city; but on the other hand I live very far from my school and my friends and my town is so small that it doesn't provide any kind of entertainment for the youth. 

I live with my mother and my brother in a lovely house, we even have a little garden where our dog and two cats can play. My father, on the other hand, since my parents are separated, has a quiet big apartment in Rome, where my brother and I go during the weekends. My mother, Katya, is forty-six and she's a researcher and a chemist; my father, Vincenzo, is forty-five and he's an electronic engineer; my brother, Matteo, is fifteen and he wants to be a robotic engineer in the future. He's the funniest person I've ever known so far and even if sometimes he really drives me crazy, I wouldn't change him for anything in the world. I love my big family because, no matter what, I know that I can always count on them.

I attend the classical High School in Rome as I love History of Art and I've always wanted to learn Latin and Greek. I don't know what I would like to do in the future but it surely will be something concerning creativity and art in all its forms. Apart from History of Art, my favorite subject at school is English Literature. I really don't know where all my love for this language comes from, all I know is that I've always been drawn to everything related with different languages, so much that I'd really like to be able to speak several languages when I'm older (like French, Spanish and Dutch).

 As for my character, I'm very determined and when I want to do something I hardly give up. I'm also ambitious, talkative, outgoing, always searching for the silver linings, I have a big sense of humor (I'm always ready to laugh) and a great desire to learn different cultures and see things in different perspectives. Music has always played an important role in my life: in fact, I've been playing the piano since I was a kid (and although I can't practice quite often now because I'm really busy with my homework, playing it is still one of my favorite things in the world) and I've been singing since I can't even remember when (a friend of mine always tells me that I've probably learned how to sing before learning how to talk). I'm a member of my school choir and we have rehearsals every Saturday for about two hours. I really love to sing because, when I do that, I'm able to open myself up to joy.

I also have a passion for tv series and cinematography in general. My favorite tv series are Friends, Supernatural, Breaking Bad and Glee. I love watching films not only for pure entertainment but also because I like to know how it was made, the different techniques that were used, what decisions the director has made and so on. When I was younger I wanted to be a film director myself, I even used to pretend that I was making a film with the little videocamera that my parents got me for my birthday! 

I usually go out with my friends on Saturdays and Sundays and we often go to Villa Borghese, which is a great park in the center of Rome. I love going there because we will be getting an ice cream at the usual place, then we will be laying down in the grass and laugh all the afternoon. I also love to spend time with my family, especially during the winter, when we go skiing in the north of Italy. I have been able to ski since I was younger and although I'm a little bit afraid of difficult slopes, I really enjoy going to the mountains and admire wonderful landscapes. I also have a passion for photography and I'd like to learn how to take photos in a more professional way, someday. 

As every respectful Italian, I love cooking. I usually cook for me and my brother when we get back from school and I really enjoy to create new recipes and use my imagination. I really can't wait to cook Italian dishes for you and to taste every Canadian typical dish possible!

Last but not least: I love traveling and see new places. I love learning about other traditions and getting used to other cultures that are totally different from mine. I think that is really important to genuinely engage with the local culture whenever I'm visiting a place, so that I can learn from the others and gain another important life lesson at the end of the trip. Learning to accept what's different about myself has always been very important to me and I want you to know that I'm taking this experience very seriously.

I really wish that this experience will help us grow both, and that I will enjoy being your host daughter as much as you'll enjoy being my host parents.

I found on the web this sentence that perfectly reflects how I'm feeling about this experience: “Don't go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trial”. That's what I want to do. I want to live without a single regret in my life and I want to be able to say that “I owned every second that this world could give”.

I can't wait to see you

Your future host daughter.


- M