Category: Feelings

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!

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.