Category: Exchange year

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, IMG_0177schedule 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.

IMG_0183Well, 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.

IMG_0170After 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.

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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!

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.

Cristo Redentor

Brazil, Chruch, City, Exchange year, RIO, Travel

Also known as Christ the Redeemer…

Recently, I’ve been reading chapters out of the bible on my own time, but this time I read to comprehend and understand the context.  Before, I would just listen and not really pay much attention to the meaning. I was more interested in a summer full of night hide and seek around a neighborhood, going jeeping, watching movies, star gazing on a cliff (etc…) after youth group sessions and/or church.  I am more pleased with THIS summer’s activities full of enjoyable adventures and building friendships I will have for a lifetime.   There is more out there than just doing the exact same things over and over again every day with people I will have little in common with after high school.

It’s always been one of my dreams to get the chance to go to Rio de Janiero and see that statue, but this time I felt connected to it. The word redeem means “to buy out.” The term was used specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. The application of this term to Christ’s death on the cross is quite telling. If we are “redeemed,” then our prior condition was one of slavery. God has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law. I was blind, but now I see. I was lost but now I’m found. My path was destruction, but my Savior has redeemed me! Thank you for finding me and redeeming me from myself.

You know what they say there’s a first time for everything… on a personal level this past September 12th, I accepted god into my heart and I prayed for the first time in my whole life all by myself. I think the good influences on me were the people that I got to know this summer at bible studies and occasionally church on Sundays for the first time. I wasn’t sure I wanted to become Christian because I’ve been raised not really knowing what to believe, but my time here in Brazil I have a lot of free time to think about myself and I decided to start believing. I became Christian because I do not want to be judged or punished for all the sins I’ve caused in the past, after life and I accepted God because he saves us and forgives our sins so I am willing to start over in a new direction. God’s gift is eternal life in heaven so I do not fear of what could happen to me when I die because god sent his only son to die on the cross for all my sins.

Buggy Rides

Brazil, Cool People, Exchange Students, Exchange year, Sandunes, Tour, Travel

Day 3 of my Northeast trip we went jeeping in the sand dunes. We started our month off at the highest point in Brazil also known as Jericoacoara! I’ve never been jeeping in the sand dunes before and today I experienced it with people from all over the world.

Buggies

This past month I traveled along the coast with 56 different exchange students from three different districts. The moment we realized we would be traveling together, we started to get to know each other. I remember that first morning at the airport around 6:15 am like it was yesterday. This month I traveled to 8 different cities and probably 14 different beaches. Out of all those places, my top 5 favorites are Jericoacoara, Pipa, Recife, Salvador, and Itacare.

This month I traveled to 8 different cities and probably 14 different beaches. My top 5 favorites,  Jericoacoara, Pipa, Recife, Salvador, and Itacare.

Jericoacoara is literally a town built in the sand dunes. We spent 3 days in this up and coming beach community. Many visitors and a lot of new construction. Beautiful modern hotels are being built with views of the beach, forest, and desert all from one location.

The locals were very nice and the food was delicious. A little on the expensive side, but it’s understandable because we were out in the middle of nowhere.

I enjoyed the place we stayed at. It felt like a huge housing complex with a bunch of rooms surrounding by hammocks hung up by a pool and a lounging area for card games or just talking.

We filled one entire side of the hotel so it was like we were the only ones there.  There I roomed with 4 other girls, we had the biggest room out of the whole place.

Jeeping was my favorite thing to do in Jericoacoara because it was new and exciting and a fun get away from any service and society.