5 things I wish someone had told me.

So I know most people who read my blog are friends and family but when I was wondering whether I was insane to go on an exchange I read as many blogs as possible from my future host country. So if you're wondering if you're insane, this post will shed some light on what you can expect if you make the decision to move around the world.

1.You'll be more tired than when you're cramming during finals week.
Or whatever you're version of exhaustion is. It's not even close to how tired you'll be on an exchange. You'll develop the unique ability to fall asleep doing anything anywhere. You'll fall asleep leaning against a wall, during any type of test at school (and you'll wake up with lines all over your face, not this happened to me...), and you'll even sleep during breakfast. Think of it as your new superpower. You are now the girl that can sleep through anything, no plane, train, or demanding teacher can wake you.*

2. Everything about your food and appetite is gonna be wonky.
When I first got here my host mom had several conversations with my counselor about how I wouldn't eat. If you know me, you know how strange that is. I love food! The only reason I wake up in the morning is breakfast. I keep hoping that someday I'll wake up and mom will have made pancakes, no dice so far but I still wake up to see if today is the day. It's not that the food is bad, in fact the food is delicious, but I had no appetite at all. None. Zip. Nada. Even thinking about eating made me feel ill. Once I got my appetite back I still didn't eat much. I still don't. They say exchange student gain weight but I lost ten pounds in 5 weeks. Just make sure you're eating enough that you're not hungry and I'd call it good. 

Acai. My new favorite food!

3. You're new family won't immediately feel like your family.
There's a bit of an unrealistic expectation that everything will immediately be butterflies and rainbows. Well let me tell you, my first act as host daughter was to burst into tears. Everything is overwhelming when you first arrive. If you're like me, you couldn't sleep and had been up for 30 hours straight and it suddenly hits you that you won't see your mom for ten months. And this new family,that speaks little to no english, is staring at you like you're a trained seal about to bounce a ball on your nose.  No ball just sobbing. Even after the first day, they're not going to automatically be your family. Don't expect them to. You just met them and like any other strangers, it'll come slowly. Your siblings will be easier than your parents. Haven't you ever wished your bff was your sister? If you're lucky, like me, that'll be the case. 

  

4. You'll dream of being popular will come true, unfortunately.

Seriously, if you ever wished for this, take it back right now! I'll wait while you do. Now that you've taken it back I can tell you that automatic popularity is not all it's cracked up to be. Everyone stares at you and talks about you. Of course because of the language barrier, you only know they're talking about you based on the pointing (Brazilians love to point) and the words "Texas" and "Americano." Now a whole school is staring at you like you're a seal that's going to bounce a ball on your nose. You will be invited to everything. Everything.  I was invited to spend the weekend at someones beach house, I didn't even know their name! It's nice that you'll get to attend all the parties but because of the exhaustion ( see #1) you'll pretty much just want to stay home and sleep or binge watch netflix. 

5. You'll make the best friends ever. 

These weird, crazy, foreigners you meet will become some of the best friends you've ever had. They tell you not to hang out with your fellow exchange students but just ignore them. I hang out with the other exchange students and we each bring our friends and siblings and just have a grand old time shouting over and at each other in different languages. The other exchange students are some of my closest friends and they've introduced me to all of my best brazilian friends. You form a group made up of exchange students and the brazilians willing to put up with having no clue what you're saying. Some how you still manage to have a great time despite not always knowing what anyones saying. 

Me and this crazy German. 

      Almost all the exchange students and our Yoda.
This photo includes people from Hungary, Italy,
Germany, Brazil, and America, 

My weird Brazil friends and one weirdo from Hungary. 

Someone told me before I left that it would be the best and the hardest thing I've ever done. They're right. So if you're wondering if you're insane, yes you definitely are and you should do it anyways. Tchau!
*FYI this post was originally supposed to be 10 Things but I was just too tired. More proof for #1.