Hello, my name is Kimberly. I would like to participate in the Italian Exchange Program IX this year. I have always been interested in visiting another country. I think it would be very interesting to meet and live with an Italian. I would like to learn their language. My sister and some of her friends went to Italy twice, and both times when they returned home they told everyone how wonderful it was. They influenced me tremendously. I think having the opportunity for international travel at my age, will make my overall high school experience well rounded. When I come back from Italy I will be able to tell and hopefully influence friends and family the wonderful experiences I had while on this trip.

This trip will benefit me in many different ways. As a student I can compare the differences between their education, culture, religion, and government, to ours. This could be a once in a lifetime experience. It will be interesting to compare the Italian family life to my own family here in the United States. Hopefully I will make friends with some Italians and stay in contact with in the future. As a global citizen I will have to be on my very best behavior since I will be representing the United States, my school, and my family. I think it will be interesting to watch a live opera, visit their historical buildings, attend their school, and exploring Austria in depth. I can’t wait to actually attend a Catholic church where they have a Latin mass, I am a Catholic, but I’ve never been to a Latin mass. Maybe he or she could visit my family and I here in “wild wonderful” West Virginia.

Here is a little bit about myself. I am fifteen years old and I am in the ninth grade. I am a student at Hampshire High School in Romney, West Virginia. I live in Delray, West Virginia with my dad, (John) who works for the federal government as a firefighter, and my mom, (Dottie) who works as a bookkeeper at a bank. I also have an older sister, Jennifer who is 18 years old and will be going to college this fall, and a younger brother, John who is 13 years old. I have a dog, named CoCo, two goldfish, four rabbits, a cat, named Fabio, and two gerbils. My hobbies and interests include, chatting on the internet, talking on the phone, watching television, shopping, scrap booking, taking walks, and even though I’m not involved, I love volleyball. If you ask my friends, they’d say I am funny, friendly, responsible, respectful, loyal, determined, and opinionated.

Here are a few of my likes and dislikes. I like to go to the movies, and I don’t have a diverse genre. I like animals, as you can tell. I love music! I listen to country, hip-hop, some oldies, and rock. I dislike heavy metal. I love to cook! I also love to try new foods too. I don’t have a favorite. I dislike any kinds of melons, peppers, onions, and I can only eat tomatoes if they’re small. I can’t eat slices or chunks of tomatoes, but sauces in spaghetti, lasagna, or on pizza it’s all right. I like to be organized, and dislike being messy at all.