Help with my Host Family Letter?

Question

Hello I'm applying for an exchange student program to Germany and need to write a letter to a potential host family. This is my first time writing one and I'm not sure what needs to be included.

This is what I have so far

Dear Host Family,
Guten Tag! My name is xxxxxxxx and I live in xxxxxx. I actually live about 20 minutes outside of xxxxx in a town called xxxx but most people just say xxxx. Washington is known as the Evergreen State and famed for its sprawling Evergreen trees and homegrown apples. Maybe I can bring you some? While I have lived in Washington for twelve years I was actually born in Anchorage, Alaska! The beautiful outdoors of Alaska definitely rubbed on off me because I love nature and camping..
I am and only child and live with my mum xxx in a cute little apartment. My mom xxxx is CEO of the xxxx household. She got a divorce when I was little but I have a strong relationship with both my dad xxxxx and my mom. In 2009 I moved to xxxx. My mom got married again but things didn’t work out. It was very different from Seattle. I went from rainy days and moderate temperatures to living in a hot and windy desert city. That year I was able to experience being a “military brat” or military dependent of a U.S. soldier. While it was a fun and enriching experience living on the 2nd largest military installation in the U.S., home is where the heart is and my mom and I moved back to xxx a year later.
My house is pretty upbeat and with the addition of new family member; our kitten Lola things can be quite exciting. I attend xxxxxx High School (Class of 2012) and love to show school spirit. My favorite subject is history and I love learning about the evolution of politics. It sounds dull but politics influence many of the things we do today. I am even the President of our schools’ Black Student Union, a multi-cultural club that spreads awareness through discussions, community service, and fun activities/events. As a person of mixed race (My mom is white and my dad is black), I think that cultural diversity is very important in the success of our nation and even the world.
One of my favorite things to do is ride horses. I can’t get enough of them! I took my first riding lesson when I was about 12 years old and haven’t looked back. The type of riding that I do is Hunter-Jumper. This involves jumping horses around a course and being judged on precision and style, not speed. I enjoy attending local shows and one day hope to show internationally. During the weekend I work at a riding stable where I clean stalls, teach lessons, and work schooling horses. I ride anywhere from 3-4 horses a day and get sometimes get really sore but it’s totally worth it. I don’t ask for much but I would love to be able to continue riding in Germany as it is one of the most premier equestrian countries in the world.
Besides riding horses, I love to read, hang out with my friends, and volunteer throughout my community. Community service is one of the reasons I have lasting friends that I can count on for anything. I love modern literature and have a new found liking for non-fiction such a biographies and documentary type novels.
I see myself as very outgoing even if it means stepping out of my comfort level. While I am a fun and spontaneous person, I take my education very seriously and plan to be the first person to attend college on my mom’s side of the family. I want to major in International Business and economics because I believe it is one of the key factors to establishing nonviolent relationships with other countries.
That’s me in a nutshell and for now I can only dust off the suitcase and learn as much as possible about German culture but I hope to meet you soon!
Yours Truly,
xxxxx

(Comments and critiques greatly appreciated!)

Answer 1

Yow might want to proofread for grammar, but it does look good. Don't put in the names of where you currently live -- chances are they will be whited-out to protect your identity. If you're not limited on space, it might be good to add something that says why you want to go on exchange and what you expect to get out of the experience (be specific - don't just say it's a chance of a lifetime or something typical like that - make it personal).

Good luck to you!

Answer 2

Looks good

Answer 3

If kids are being polite, they will adress adults as Senhor or Senhora. Otherwise, the will use the informal application of you, which is "voce" (pronounced Vo-say)