rosiecarls

Sharing My Joy

This offer began back in September, 2022 when I received a work opportunity to extend my stay in Europe. At that time when I received the room and board opportunity, I was already vacationing in the Eastern region. Now, the Western region awaits, and I’ll be navigating this part of the adventure solo.

The initial two months of my trip were spent in the delightful company of my mom, during which we explored seven different countries. Holding the reins of my journey now, I’m determined to make the most of this opportunity. I’m breaking free from thoroughly planning every day of my travels and embracing the enticement of the unknown.

It all began when I contacted my former spanish teacher / mentor, sharing my wish to visit her hometown. Little did I know, fate had something much deeper planned for me. As it happened, her neighbors were looking for someone to teach their daughters English. Without having met them in person, I found myself standing at the train station, ready to embark on this new chapter.

The morning of my arrival, I was greeted by Marcelo (the host dad) and Candela (the eldest daughter), who picked me up from the train station. From that moment, my journey took an unexpected turn filled with excitement and uncertainty.

He drove us through the city back to their apartment. Right out of the elevator, I was welcomed with open arms by Maria (the host mom) and introduced to Julia (the younger daughter). The girls graciously gave me a tour of their home while Marcelo brought my bags up from the car. Maria was already busy preparing lunch in the kitchen.

Throughout my stay, the girls seized every opportunity to ask me questions, eager to get to know me better. I arrived on a Saturday, and from that night onward, every Saturday was reserved for spending time with Maria’s family. On Sundays, they would dedicate their time to Marcelo’s family. I was excited about the prospect of meeting their families, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous about expressing myself in Spanish once again. To be completely honest, my host family had set the stage for success, and we all connected very well. I knew that this temporary role teaching the girls English could potentially be everything I had hoped for.

Candela was the most vocal among them, having picked up numerous English words from her private school lessons. She made it a daily ritual to greet me with “good morning” and “good night.” Right from our first week together, she was determined to enhance her pronunciation and sentence fluency. We even collaborated on her English and math homework.

Julia, on the other hand, started off rather shy until her birthday party. She enjoyed sitting beside me but initially felt she couldn’t connect with me unless I spoke Spanish. Although English was meant to be our primary mode of communication, Julia was keen to make a deeper connection. Her enthusiasm shone through as we jointly planned and decorated for her birthday celebration and Halloween. We designed a scavenger hunt for her friends, baked a cake, adorned picnic tables at the park, captured countless pictures, and danced to her choice of music.

Maria is the heart and caretaker of the family. She thrives on bringing laughter, joy, and togetherness by organizing fun games and outings. During the day, I often accompanied her while running errands and preparing home-cooked lunches. We shared a close bond, and I would confide in her about my life back home and my aspirations for the future.

Marcelo, conversely is more reserved and tends to keep to himself. I completely understand, given that he’s the only male in the household. He consistently took charge of dinner preparations and ensured the girls were safely picked up from school. Marcelo was also my go-to source for recommendations on places to explore or things to see. Occasionally, he’d ask me to translate phrases into English for him, and as we encountered challenging words, we started compiling a list of basic sayings that they would practice repeatedly.

October was far from an ideal month, given everyone’s hectic work and school schedules. Nevertheless, we refused to let that deter us from having a fantastic time together. In addition to immersing myself in their lifestyle, I wanted to share some aspects of my own.

I introduced them to my beloved homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe, and our Halloween decoration project remains etched in our memories. The girls were diligent about finishing their homework quickly so that we could dedicate more time to perfecting our decorations well in advance. Initially, the parents voiced concerns about the clutter left around, but they soon realized that we were creatively recycling materials to craft cut-out ghosts, pumpkins, witch hats, bats, and black cats!

I stored most of the decorations in my closet until the week of Halloween. Little did I know that we weren’t the only ones partaking in the “trick or treating” festivities. Julia dressed up as a Devil, while Candela represented a main character from a series called “Money Heist.” Upon our return with buckets brimming with candy, the parents had a delightful surprise in store for us!

We saved the best for last, our penthouse. As we entered the living room, guided by blindfolds, we couldn’t help but be suspicious of what awaited us. To our amazement, the parents had taken it upon themselves to align with the theme of the night. The room was adorned with everything from orange chips, a selection of veggies and crackers for the dip, a pumpkin-inspired main dish, hotdogs artfully wrapped up like mummies, and sugar cookies ready to be decorated. The girls and I were utterly stunned by the effort and thoughtfulness.

Our initial batch of cookies may not have been visually appealing, but they were undeniably delicious. During my grocery shopping expedition, I unintentionally purchased raw sugar instead of brown sugar and a chocolate bar to crush into chips. This caused the cookie batter to be excessively sticky, making it challenging to place it onto the cookie sheet. After the trial cookies, we decided to incorporate more flour, but this led to the batter becoming somewhat dry flakes and less sweet.

Marcelo didn’t exactly encourage us to persist with the baking experiment, but we were determined not to let the batter go to waste. Instead, we decided to get creative and used a unicorn-shaped mold. Thus, what was originally a recipe intended for around 25 individual cookies transformed into one very large unicorn cookie.

For the second batch, I decided to make it while the girls were at school so they could assist me in placing the dough on the cookie sheets later. This time, I made sure to use the correct ingredients, resulting in a more consistent batch. It was evident that these cookies were impossible to resist. Each bite was delightfully soft and gooey, and even a few days after they were baked, the cookies retained their freshness.

The girls indulged in these treats after dinner, enjoyed them in the morning with a glass of milk, and even packed some in their school bags for a satisfying snack. I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness and pride in how well they turned out.

Too this day, this cookie recipe is now named the “Americas Chocolate Chip” as I continue to introduce it to my friends and host families all over.

Reunited

europe, Friends, Travel

6 years later….

After the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted my travel plans, I finally had the opportunity to prioritize my long-awaited Europe trip to reunite with my exchange friends. Since then, I’ve successfully completed college and begun settling into my career, but I felt the need for a much-deserved break from my daily routine. It was during the planning phase, after deciding to postpone my visit to Greece until after graduation, that I realized how close my exchange friends were living to one another.

The geographical proximity of their countries, most of which share borders, made it feel as effortless as traveling between neighboring states. To ensure cost-effectiveness during my four-month journey, I strategically purchased one-way tickets for entry and exit from their respective countries. I discovered that by booking transportation tickets well in advance, I could secure reasonable prices for travel to various destinations within Europe.

During my journey, I discovered that trains in Europe also run internationally. I learned that many Europeans prefer this mode of travel not only because it saves travel time, but also because there are no extra fees for luggage.

(images below are with familiar faces reuniting in unfamiliar places)

In the first two weeks of my trip, I had the joy of visiting Amsterdam, Netherlands, followed by Budapest, Hungary, and Kosice, Slovakia. Reuniting with my friends felt like no time had passed. We seamlessly continued our bond by exploring their cities, meeting their loved ones, savoring their favorite foods, and delving into their current careers. Despite the challenges of adulthood, whether starting businesses or entering serious relationships, we maintained a strong connection.

Slovakia felt like a second home, while the backdrop of ancient castles and towering mountains was awe-inspiring. Budapest’s architectural wonders like Fisherman’s Bastion, Royal Palace, Parliament, and St. Stephen’s Basilica left a lasting impression. And in Amsterdam, the canal trip, biking through picturesque streets, and indulging in a Stroopwafel in downtown were memorable experiences.

From there, I embarked on a journey with my family to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey. Over the course of ten days, we enjoyed the stunning beaches, national parks, road trips, cliff jumping, zip-lining, cave exploration, and kayaking in Croatia. September proved to be the perfect time for our adventure.

My mom and I, accompanied by my sister and a close family friend, commenced our journey to Greece.

This leg of our trip was the longest, spanning three weeks out of our two-month adventure, and it truly felt like a dream come true. Our Greek exploration began with island-hopping, taking us to some of the most renowned destinations, including Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Skopelos, Naxos, and Crete. Among these beautiful islands, Naxos emerged as my absolute favorite.

The local ambiance proved to be captivating, and the culinary offerings were exceptionally delectable. Remarkably, price levels remained reasonable, contributing to a truly immersive experience in which exploration often yielded delightful surprises within the city center. Notably, the city escape was characterized by uniformly white buildings, and our selected Airbnb accommodations boasted highly convenient locations, all within a short stroll from the beaches.

It’s essential to note that the sole means of accessing this island is via ferry transport. While we had the foresight to pre-purchase our tickets, it’s worth highlighting that the boarding procedures vary, occasionally leading to departure delays. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure you have the relevant ferry company details documented or downloaded in advance to mitigate any connectivity issues upon departure.

My sister and I said our goodbyes to each other in Crete, the largest Greek island in terms of both land area and population. In my perspective, Crete stood out for its vibrant and diverse architectural styles, in contrast to the prevalent white buildings with blue accents. During our time there, we strolled along the bay, made leisurely stops for window shopping, and indulged in wine tasting on our final day together.

Subsequently, my mom and I continued our journey to one last island up north, Skopelos. In early October, we hopped over to Istanbul, Turkey, where we spent a few days residing on the European side of the city. Additionally, we made arrangements for a food tour on the Asian side, given its proximity and the high recommendations it had collected. We also treated ourselves to a traditional Turkish bath experience and arranged for a photo shoot against the backdrop of the city.

Continuing the last leg of my travels with my mom in Spain, we arrived in Barcelona. Unfortunately, our first day was spoiled by continuous rain, posing a weather-related challenge. Nevertheless, we persevered, seizing the opportunity to upgrade our travel backpacks and procure packing cubes from an equipment store.

The subsequent day brought better weather, which we optimally utilized by renting electric bikes to explore iconic sites like La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, the Cathedral, and Ciutadella Park. As our time together dwindled to less than 72 hours, we efficiently managed our itinerary, making a visit to Park Guell via public transportation before departing for Madrid.

In Madrid, we maximized our sightseeing with the convenience of a hop-on and hop-off bus tour, which provided comprehensive insights at every stop. From the second level of the bus, we captured unobstructed photos, ensuring a satisfying exploration of the city.

The morning after my mom and I parted ways, she embarked on her journey back to the US while I remained behind to continue my solo adventure. At the train station, we exchanged swift goodbyes to avoid getting emotional. I couldn’t help but feel immensely grateful for the time we had spent together during our travels. Our shared interests and similar life experiences made it remarkably easy for us to make the most of every place we visited.

They Meet…

Brazil, City, Cool People, Exchange Students, Exchange year, Family

Now they are all connected! My real Family and my Host Families. They have relationships stronger than I ever expected. I know the connections will continue my entire life. It’s cool to be able to say that my parents flew to Brazil to visit me after 300 days being away. But I’m glad to have these last few weeks of my exchange to spend with my host families and friends before I go back to the U.S.

I was nervous to have to translate everything back in forth because I know I don’t speak perfect Portuguese. There are a lot of words I don’t know how to say. And when it comes to my family, anything could come up at the dining table. But luckily, I wasn’t the only one there willing to translate. At times, I got to sit back and relax when my host siblings were around to translate. That was my favorite part!

It was shocking to see my family at first almost like a dream, but it becomes more real after they left and my host families continue to talk about them. Meeting my family made it more real for my host families and I believe they will come to the US to visit. My exchange friends were very curious to know if my parents noticed any change in my personality. My family thinks I have “stepped it up” and am a more mature young woman. Of course, when I am with friends and family, I am the same old sarcastic person when we stand alone.

It was awkward to see my parents reactions at first when my host families described me with words like calm and quiet, but then they got to see it for themselves and it made a little more sense. I think its normal as an exchange student to change the ways you act with your host family because you can’t express yourself the same way you do at home. Maybe because there’s no translation in your host language or you are just not that comfortable with them for a first impression to go a certain way.

At this point, I can’t wait for my host families to come visit me in the US so I can show them my country, Colorado and my town! Breckenridge!

Touristic Day in Curitiba

Exchange year, Family, Feelings, Stories

Showing “the family” around this world got me thinking that it was up to me to show off this city. No one else in my family had ever been to South America. Brazil is the first place we’ve traveled as a family where my parents didn’t organize, schedule and plan anything to do. It was all up to me to take them to the famous spots in Curitiba but still, give them a local experience. This city, would not be called a tourist destination, but I wanted my family to see all the things I love about it.

Well, we did get some weird looks. Maybe it was the blinding white legs as we entered the bus or how fast we spoke in another language back in forth to each other. I think the weird looks we got were the Brazilians trying to follow along or understand one or two words out of the whole conversation. It could have also been that we were wearing shorts and flip flops like it was summer when actually, it was winter in Curitiba.

After covering every square foot of the city and seeing every location that meant something to me, we had dinner with each host family. Each night a new host family would treat us to a meal I either suggested or just wanted my family to try. They loved the generosity of my host families. The food was a little different then what we eat in the US, but its good my family was willing to try everything. It’s interesting what you get used too!

Easter!!

Exchange year, Holidays, Host family, Places, Stories

Where do I start….

Well, my Brazilian family is like 4 times the size of my American family! I am lucky all my host families are connected somehow so even though I’ve moved to another household I still get to see my previous siblings and parents, pretty often! I have a total of 6 parents, 7 siblings, an additional 8 cousins and 3 grandparents that I have met throughout the year.

This year my Grandma celebrated her 80th birthday and it just so happened to fall on Easter! What an amazing day for two very important celebrations!

Easter Sunday is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches. Without Easter, without the Resurrection of Christ, there would be no Christian Faith. Christ’s Resurrection is the proof of His Divinity. My Brazilian Grandma is a strong Catholic believer so all her children organized a private mass earlier that morning that was followed by her birthday party. Sounds like the best birthday an 80-year-old could imagine!

Festa Nacoes

Bands, Brazil, City, Exchange Students, Exchange year, Nation Fair, Rotary, Unites States

The highlight of March was a surprise visit from other exchange students in another rotary district coming to visit for our Nation Fair. That day was more special for the RYE outbounders 17/18, because it was good to see our friends we’ve missed from our Northeast Trip.

Nation Fair is to share our nationalities with the community. This also helps the outbounds choose which country they will choose next year. Every country is responsible for serving a traditional food and decorating each stand so it catches the strangers attention. As a representative, we are given stickers with our nation flag on it. When the outbounds come find us and ask about our nationality, we try to convince them to choose our country for the following information. When they fill up their booklets of stickers they turn it in and choose the top three places of their dreams. This event is open to everyone in the community, so it was a big deal when the city’s governor made an appearance. To keep the energy up all day long they have dances from all over the world perform to keep the audience entertained. This event takes all day because all the outbounds have to finish their book then the Rotarians make the final decisions so they head home knowing where they will go. We get the honor to announce which exchange student will be coming to our countries next year!

It is a long process to be chosen for this amazing opportunity, but as soon as you get there all the hard work pays off. With all the friendships you make across the world it turns out to be the year that changes your life for the good!

District Aniversario

Bands, Brazil, Exchange Students, Exchange year, Family

April 7th,

The annual birthday of my district turned out to be a huge deal…. hosted at one of the most famous restaurants in South America known for seating the most people at once. This dinner was fancy and fun to attend. It amazed me how many Rotarians showed up that are a part of a club with nothing to do with an exchange student. But it worked to our advantage! We were responsible for selling a certain amount of raffle tickets for the final surprise that turned out to be a new IPHONE 7!!!

After lots and lots of mingling…. they pulled out that lucky ticket that turned out to be one of the women we sold it to! What a small chance, we sold 50 out of 250 tickets and ours was drawn. Of course, we didn’t win the iPhone but the woman that did came and found us afterward with a huge smile on her face!

After a huge honoring ceremony to introduce all the different clubs that make up with district we sat down for dinner. The restaurant was famous for Italian food, but if you are not aware restaurants here have a different system. With a party like this the buffet would take to long and then the people at the end wouldnt get anything to eat so they organize it so every table gets a family size potion for 6-8 people and when you finish a plate the servers will replace it with a new one. After stuffing our stomachs we took plenty group pictures and danced on the dance floor all night!

Ilha do Mel

Beach, beach soccer, Boats, Brazil, Bus trip, Cool People, Exchange Students, Friends

Stands for HONEY ISLAND…

Beachy Sunsets!

It takes exactly an hour and a half by car and 30 minutes by boat to this island from Curitiba. It’s known as the prettiest beaches in PARANA. This island is the farthest my Brazilian families travel to get away for vacation. When I mention I have been to Northeast, Falls Iguazu and Santa Catalina they are shocked because some of them have never traveled out of Parana. Compared to all the beaches I have been to in Brazil this island is beautiful, but there’s nothing super special about it.

Lean on me!

We the Bomb.com

On the first day we walked 17 kilometers… we live for the motto “do it for the picture!”

We walked 17 kilometers between the fort and lighthouse. The second day, we found a beach cove to lay out in the sun or play soccer!

Most of you must think Brasil must be made up of beaches because that’s all I write about, but as far the exchangers, it doesn’t feel like Brasil unless we are back in Curitiba. The local Brazilians disagree, they think Brasil is everywhere but Curitiba because the weather is so bipolar and colder than every other city in the country.

Funny faces

You’re not ALONE!

Exchange year, Feelings, School, Stories

The truth always comes out when you talk to your real mom,

I started crying as soon as my mom said: “Hi Sweetie”…

February was the hardest month to be away for over 200 days (7 months) in Brazil. I only have 100 days left here. So I wasn’t expecting to get homesick because my life has been an ongoing dream, but getting a whole month to myself it lead me to think about HOME in the US.

It’s exhausting to always pay attention and translate everything…. As I get better and better at Portuguese, I try to translate every word in a conversation, on the TV or the song on the radio. My mind is going all day long! I don’t want to seem uninterested when I get to sit down with my family over a meal, but my brain just shuts down by the end of the day.

So after returning from a month-long coastal road trip of Brazil, I gave myself a break and stopped going out every day. I chose to rest the majority of the weekdays and make most plans during the weekends. When my host parents are working, I quickly get pretty bored and lonely. My friends are at school all day, so I find myself obsessing about a Netflix series. I thought that would keep my mind busy and NOT cause over thinking nor staying on social media. Yeah, no….

Maybe it was the Netflix series I chose, which kept up on High School drama. I found myself feeling like I was growing up too fast, but no one seems to be noticing. Sure, the series would make time go by fast but I couldn’t help but relate it to my own experiences. As my mind started to carry on, I found myself comparing the two worlds none stop. To step away from my simple routine in the US with family, friends, teachers, mentors, coaches I’ve known my entire life. Too then start over making my own decisions can feel pretty complicated. I don’t miss the drama of High School, but I do miss being a regular teenager.

Like everything, this will change. In the meantime, I need to keep myself distracted from my wandering thoughts of home, stay motivated and live in the moment. I found a really cool cafe down the street that serves delicious acai. While I have the free time instead of being consumed in my head, I prefer to enjoy acai (a famous dessert in Brazil) and also people watch out the window.

Foz Iguazu

Brazil, Bus trip, Cool People, Exchange Students, Exchange year, Places, Tour, Waterfalls

After spending almost 90 hours in a bus throughout January and now getting the opportunity to spend another 30 hours seemed easy. Our district was invited to be a part of the meeting with John F. Germ also known as the Rotarian international president this year. The meet invited over 8 different districts but we were the only one’s to bring INBOUNDERS. The meeting took place in the town of Falls Iguazu which was named after the famous waterfalls that cross Argentina, Paraguay, and Brasil. Foz Iguazu is 13 hours from my district so we drove all night. Arriving so early in the morning we spent our spare time getting drenched by the waterfalls.

After 2 hours at the falls, we gathered for lunch and then headed to the big conference with the International President. Our director reserved seats for us to sit right in the front row so our blazers would stand out to the staff. Meeting some of the staff gave them the idea to allow me and the two other girls from the US to sing the nation anthem to welcome President. My heart just about dropped when they asked us to sing without background music to follow along to. To be honest, I have never sung the whole anthem let alone now I have to do it in front of over 200 people I got a little nervous. But then I started thinking to myself I will never see these people again so what do I have to loose.