learn_russian | Off to Russia for a year...

I sent an application in back in November to Rotary, a group that sends American ambassadors to countries of their choice for an entire year to study abroad. I was accepted, and I am assigned to Russia (WOO!). I have to prepare a speech, very basic of course, to demonstrate basic knowledge of the language. I've been studying for two years solo, and of course my Russian is more intermediate than basic. However, I was wondering if my blurb below could be altered to sound "more Russian" and casual. It's meant to be casual because this is what I'll be telling my Russian class mates when I begin attending school there. :-))

Привет всем! Ок, сейчас представляю себя по-русски. Меня зовут Мэтью, и живу в Натионале-парке в (какой-то штате), и я здесь с моей матерей деббий и другом семьи. Тоже тут есть моя сестра кэльсей (Ей четырнадцать года), и моя младщая сестра шелбий (Ей тринадцать года). Я надеюсь же, что это проследный год будет прекрасный для меня и всех.

It sounds really bad to me for some reason. I have to state that I'll have a good exchange year, but I'm not sure how to say that. I'd like to add a few things to it to improv it, which I think I could do if I learned the word for Host Family and Exchange student. How do I express these? Any ideas on how to "spice" it up? It's very bland and boring...and It's got to be 30 seconds long. I don't know what else to say really.

Perhaps someone would also tell me how to handle questions about the war there? I don't want to start a debate on politics, but how would I state that I'm not allowed to discuss american politics while abroad? Would I say ,"Нельзя мне обсудить американские политики, когда я в россии"? Are there nicer ways of saying it?

Thank you.