Sara C

DEAR FAMILY, MY NAME IS SARA CARMINATI GARCÍA AND I AM SPANISH. I AM 16 YEARS OLD AND ONE OF MY DREAMS IS TO DO A COURSE IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. DUE TO MY OPEN AND EXTROVERTED CHARACTER, I THINK THAT LIVING FOR A YEAR IN ANOTHER COUNTRY WITH A DIFFERENT FAMILY WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE. MY DAD IS ITALIAN AND MY MOTHER SPANISH, BUT I WAS BORN IN SPAIN AND HAVE ALWAYS LIVED HERE. I LIVE IN A BIG CITY NEAR MADRID CALLED GETAFE. THIS CITY HAS A LOT OF SERVICES THAT I NEED TO USE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE: COLLEGES, INSTITUTES, UNIVERSITIES, LEISURE AND SPORTS CENTRES, SHOPPING MALLS, HOSPITALS AND MORE. I LIVE IN A HOUSE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. IT´S A VERY PEACEFUL ZONE AND I LIKE LIVING HERE. I LIKE MY HOUSE BECAUSE IT´S BIG AND COMFORTABLE AND I CAN ENJOY THE GARDEN AND SWIMMING POOL. MY SCHOOL IS ALSO IN GETAFE, BUT IN THE OUTSKIRTS. I NEED TO TAKE THE BUS EVERYDAY TO GET THERE. IT´S SURROUNDED BY TREES AND THE INSTALATIONS ARE VERY BIG. IT HAS A BIG RECESS AREA, SPORTS CENTRE, SWIMMING POOL AND EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR A GREAT EDUCATION. THIS INSTITUTION COMBINES ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL, SO WE ARE THERE FROM WHEN WE ARE VERY YOUNG AND THEREFORE MY PROFESSORS AND I HAVE SPENT A LONG TIME TOGETHER AND FORM ONE BIG FAMILY. I WILL MISS MY SCHOOL VERY MUCH WHEN I LEAVE. HOWEVER, HAVING SPENT SO LONG IN ONE PLACE EXPERIENCING NEW WAYS OF LEARNING, NEW CLASSMATES AND NEW CUSTOMS IS ONE OF MY OBJECTIVES. I HAVE A VERY FRIENDLY GROUP OF FRIENDS AT SCHOOL. SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE GONE TO THE USA THIS YEAR TO PARTAKE IN COURSES AND THEY ARE VERY CONTENT WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR TIME AT THE SCHOOLS, WHICH HAS MADE MY DESIRE TO EXPERIENCE THIS EVEN STRONGER. MY LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL IS SIMPLE YET DYNAMIC. I DO NOT GET BORED. WHEN I GET HOME AND HAVE FINISHED MY DAILY ACTIVITIES, THREE TIMES A WEEK I GO TO THE GYM WITH MY FRIEND OLIVIA, WHO IS ALSO MY CLASSMATE AND ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS. ALSO ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK I PLAY PADDLE TENNIS WITH MY FAMILY. WE STARTED LEARNING THIS YEAR AND IT´S A LOT OF FUN PRACTICING WITH MY PARENTS AND SISTER. AS MY DAD IS VERY COMPETITIVE IT IS FUN TO BEAT HIM. AT THE WEEKEND I GO OUT IN THE CITY WITH MY FRIENDS, OR WE GO TO A SHOPPING MALL AND THERE WE DO WHAT MOST PEOPLE MY AGE DO (GO TO SHOPS, GO TO THE CINEMA, EAT IN A RESTAURANT…). MY MUM AND DAD ALSO HAVE A BUSINESS WHICH THEY DEDICATE TIME TO, BUT THEY ALWAYS DEDÍCATE EVENINGS AND THE WEEKENDS TO THE FAMILY. WE GET ON WELL AND THERE IS A GOOD FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. I THINK I WILL MISS MY SISTER A LOT WHEN SHE GOES. SOMETIMES WE ARGUE AND FALL OUT, BUT WITHIN FIVE MINUTES WE ARE TALKING AGAIN AND GETTING ON. SHE IS FIVE YEARS OLDER THAN ME, AND RECENTLY WE HAVE STARTED TO BECOME FRIENDS. I CANNOT FORGET TO MENTION TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY. MY TOO LITTLE DOGS: JUVE Y MOKA. THEY ARE ADORABLE AND PLAYFUL SHIH ZHU. THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DOGS IN MY HOUSE AND FOR ME IT´S VERY IMPORTANT TO SHARE MY LIFE WITH ANIMALS. MY MOTHER´S BROTHERS LIVE IN GETAFE AND I GET ON REALLY WELL WITH MY COUSINS AND UNCLES, BUT BECAUSE OF WORK AND LACK OF TIME, EVEN THOUGH WE LIVE REALLY CLOSE, WE DON´T GET TOGETHER AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE. I AM THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE FAMILY. MY DAD´S ITALIAN SIDE OF THE FAMILY ISN´T VERY BIG AND WE ALWAYS SPEND CHRISTMAS TOGETHER. THEY LOVE COMING TO SPAIN TO SPEND CHRISTMAS HERE. WE PUT LOTS OF PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE AND SPEND A GOOD FEW DAYS TOGETHER. DUE TO COVID THEY WEREN´T ABLE TO COME LAST YEAR SO WE ARE ALL REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SEEING EACH OTHER THIS YEAR. WE REALLY LIKE TRAVELING. MY PARENTS, MY SISTER AND I HAVE TRAVELLED TO THE USA, FRANCE, ENGLAND, ITALY, PORTUGAL AND EVEN TO CHINA. IT´S FANTASTIC TO TRAVEL AND GET TO KNOW NEW PEOPLE AND CUSTOMS. I THINK IT´S ALSO REALLY INTERESTING TRYING OTHER TYPES OF FOOD. I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF MY TIME IN THE USA AND WHAT WE DID THERE AND IT HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVOURITE TRIPS. WE ALSO LIKE TO SPEND A FEW DAYS BY THE SEA. FOR A FEW YEARS NOW WE HAVE BEEN DEDICATING PART OF OUR VACATIONS TO SPENDING TIME BY THE COAST NEAR BARCELONA. THERE WE HAVE SOME GREAT FRIENDS WHO ARE LIKE PART OF OUR FAMILY AND WE HAVE A GREAT TIME TOGETHER. BUT I DON´T JUST HAVE THE USUAL LIFE OF A CITY-DWELLER. I ALSO KNOW WHAT IT´S LIKE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE IN A RURAL VILLAGE. MY GRANDPARENTS AND A LOT OF MY FAMILY LIVE IN A REALLY SMALL VILLAGE IN THE COUNTRY. MY GRANDPARENTS HAVE PASSED AWAY AND THE HOUSE BELONGS TO MY PARENTS NOW. IT´S A WONDERFUL COUNTRY HOUSE AND WE ENJOY VACATIONS AND A LOT OF WEEKENDS IN A TOTALLY RURAL ENVIRONMENT. MY FRIENDS IN THE VILLAGE ARE SPECIAL TO ME AND THE TIME TOGETHER, PARTIES AND MEETINGS ARE SO FUN THAT I WOULD NEVER CHANGE THEM FOR ANYTHING. I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED READING WHAT I HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT MYSELF AND THAT YOU CAN HELP ME AND GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE YOUR LIFE WITH MINE AND THROUGH THIS GRANT ME NEW EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE. ON MY PART, I WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE COMPANY, FRIENDSHIP AND AFFECTION THAT I AM ABLE. A HUG, SARA CARMINATI GARCÍA.