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.

Party time.

Hey y'all. Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been here almost three weeks now and things are finally starting to fall into a routine. On Mondays and Wednesdays I have school from 7am to 5:30 pm. Yes, you read that right, 10 1/2 hours of school! It's insane! On tuesdays, thursdays, and fridays, I only have school from 7am to 12:30. On tuesdays and thursdays I have Portuguese classes for an hour. Generally AFS has some type of activity planned for us every other week. For example, this friday we're going to the Chocolate festival and a Samba concert.

I went to an amazing 15th birthday party. 15th parties are pretty much the same as Quinceaneras but they're not called that. It was the most amazing party I've ever been to and since a picture is worth a 1,000 words, here are a few.

We didn't get home until 3 am but the next day we were up bright and early to get ready for my sister's party. It was another amazing party! If there's one thing I've learned, it's that Brazilians love a good party.

Lastly, I went to a third party this weekend. It was a 3 year olds birthday party. It was pretty awesome!

The Hulk later proposed to me but I was forced to turn him down. Green just doesn't do it for me. So that's what I've been up to. I hope everyone is having as much fun as I am. 

Down south

Hey Y'all,
   I'm officially here in Brazil! It's amazing! The plane ride down was long but I made friends with several of the other AFS students and that helped to pass the time. Immediately after I got here I was picked up by my family. It was so confusing and overwhelming. I was running on almost 2 days no sleep and suddenly I was with a new family and had no clue what was going on. My first act as host daughter once we got to the house was to break down and sob. Not the best start. On Saturday my counselor came by which led to more crying. Homesickness is a very real thing which is manifesting in the form of extreme tiredness and no appetite. Before I got here I was naive and didn't think I'd be homesick. I was so wrong! All the exchange students I  talked to said the first few months were some of the worst of their lives but after that it was amazing. Some days I'm so homesick I would cut of my right hand for a plane ticket home. It's tough because I speak so little Portuguese so often I have no clue what's going on. I'm slowly starting to understand more Portuguese. My family is incredibly sweet! My host mom Sandra is diligent in teaching me Portuguese and my sister Iza helps translate when I don't understand which is often. Everyone I've met in Brazil is unbelievably nice. They're very friendly and curious. They ask questions like, "have I been to Hollywood? What is my favorite animal? What American football teams do I like? and Do I like Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato?"
       Sunday was father's day. We went to Sandra's brothers house to celebrate. We barbecued food and two of my cousins played Samba music. Iza taught me to dance Samba! They played a little bit of soccer and I played with the youngest cousin who is 5 years old. She's so adorable! She likes to jump up in your lap and babble in Portuguese. She told me I look like Cinderella. It was so much fun and a great way to spend the day.

Iza, Iago, and I playing with Marley.

A new Brazilian friend I met on Saturday.

Fathers day!

Today I started school. Everyone was very nice and willing to help me when I didn't understand. When I said I was from San Antonio they would reply, "Go Spurs!" Then ask about the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. The school is different from American schools in that it is K-high school. I and the other three exchange students (from Hungary, Germany, and Italy) were led to each classroom to be introduced. The little kids were especially excited to try their english out on us. Class was confusing because I don't understand a lot of Portuguese. I have no clue how to do my homework so for the most part I just worked on my Portuguese during class. On Mondays and Wednesdays school is from 7-5:30! But on the other days it is only 7-12:40. I already made some new friends and was invited to do something for the weekend. Overall, not a bad first day, even if it did last forever. I hope everyone back home is doing well. Tchau!

Moon over Miami.

Hey y'all! I'm officially here in the sunshine state but unfortunately it's not too sunny right now. Yesterday at 6am my mom and brother dropped me off at the airport. Seeing them waving at me as I walked through security was a little heartbreaking. It still hasn't hit me yet that I won't see my family for 11 months.

I then flew from San Antonio to Dallas. It was an incredibly short flight and I spent most of it staring out the window amazed. My next flight was from Dallas to Miami. That was almost three hours and I was able to finish a book during it. I had a minor panic attack at the baggage claim when I couldn't find my bag. So of course I called mommy freaking out. Thankfully they were able to find my bag and I got to the hotel okay. I was assigned my room and told to go up and meet my roommate. My roommate D. had not been told she was getting a roommate and was sleeping half naked diagonally across the bed, her stuff everywhere. LOL.  Notice the emphasis on the, because there was only one bed! After she woke up and realized she had a roommate and got dressed we made friends. She's also going to Brazil with a BP scholarship. I met several other people going to Brazil. I believe there are about 12 of us. 

We went to dinner and at dinner I was able to ask the AFS volunteer about the bed situation and it turns out we were put in the wrong room so we were able to get moved to one with two beds.

At the orientation, we went around and introduced ourselves and why we decided to be exchange students. Then we just played a quick trivia game. My team won and got gift cards to starbucks. Yay! Then we were dismissed. Today, orientation starts at noon and we have to be check out before that. Up until then we can do whatever we want. The students going to Brazil leave for the airport at 4 and our flight is at 8. We arrive at 5 am in Sao Paulo. I'm not sure what happens after we arrive because several people have given me different answers, but pretty much we either go straight home with our families or go straight to orientation for three days. We'll see. I hope everyone back home is doing well. I already miss you! Tchau!

Countdown

       Hey everyone! I hope you're having a great summer. It's officially 8 days until I leave. I'm sorry for the lack of updates but things here have been busy. So back in the beginning of July I was lucky enough to attend one of my favorite people's wedding. Stef and Dan got married on July 5th at a "Red, White and I Do!" themed wedding. It was amazing! We all had an absolute blast and it was great getting to see Stef and Dan. Congrats to the wonderful couple!

Bachelorette party

Mini pies should be at every wedding.

      On July 7th I turned 17. Yay! We celebrated by driving home through Mississippi so that we could walk around Ole Miss. After we returned home, mom and I immediately went to Houston to apply for my visa. We were rejected. Uh Oh! The Houston consulate is one of the strictest and we didn't have enough of the right paperwork. Don't worry though, AFS sent us the paperwork and we're driving back on August 1st to get my visa. I also attended my pre departure orientation shortly after that. I got to meet students going to The Netherlands, Turkey, and Switzerland. I was also fortunate enough to meet a girl that had just returned from her year in Brazil! Sarah was awesome and answered so many questions. For example, it takes about 3-4 months to become fluent and don't worry about school, you're not expected to do great. She also taught me a bunch of Brazilian hand gestures and shared funny stories from her trip. At the orientation we discussed things we are worried about such as making friends, learning the language, and fitting in. I had a great time and it only made me more excited to go.

 This week I finished up my shopping for gifts for my host family and for things I'll need while there like converters. It's just starting to occur to me that I leave in a few days and I expect to start panicing any moment. Well that's all for now. Tchau!

We are family.Nós somos uma família.

      Hi y'all! I hope you're having a great summer. This was an incredibly exciting week in our family. I got my host family and my travel itinerary. I will be living in  Sao Bernardo do Campo which is a suburb of Brazil's largest city Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is the 7th largest city in the world! Yay! I have a mom and a dad (duh) and a little brother and sister. My sister is barely a year younger than me and my brother is three years younger. I'm thrilled to have younger siblings especially a sister! They're Catholic and have one dog. That's all the information I've been given so far. I've written to them and will hopefully hear back soon.
      I also got my official travel itinerary. I leave for Miami on August 6th at 8 am. I have a layover in Dallas for an hour then I'll arrive in Miami at 1. I spend a day there for orientation where I'll meet up with the other exchange students from America going to Brazil. I leave Miami on the evening of August 7th and I arrive in Sao Paulo incredibly early on the 8th. There I meet up with all the AFSers from all over the world who will be in Brazil. It's going to be amazing to get to meet all the friends I've made on Facebook. I have a short orientation there and then go on to my host family.
       In sad news my friend here became unable to go to Brazil and had to give up her spot. She made me promise to have enough fun for both of us. On the flip side a good friend of mine that applied and was originally was rejected was given her spot. Yay!
     In the meantime I'm checking things off my Texas bucket list. Today mom, Aunt Amy, and I went down to Austin. We went kayaking and to Barton Natural Springs. Then we had dinner at Chuys and cupcakes at Hey Cupcake!. It was an awesome day and in memory of it I have the most awkward sunburn in the history of sunburns. It's seriously bad. Just patchy burns on my back and shoulders and one on my wrist. Ugh! Overall though an awesome day! I hope you're all having a fantastic summer.
Tchau!

Closing time.Hora de fecho.

Hi Y'all,
    So it's official, I'm no longer a high school student.

Finals are done. My books are turned in. Fines were paid. And finally yesterday they gave me that coveted high school diploma. No more class, pep rallies, or homework for me. I'm all done with my required education. Graduation was bittersweet. My least favorite teacher hugged me twice for an uncomfortably long time, told me he'd really miss me, and called me girlie. When I went up to receive 

my diploma, before I walked on stage, I asked the man if anyone had ever tripped before and he said, 

"Nope, you'll be our first." So with that vote of confidence, I walked across the stage. They announced by BP scholarship and my name. I shook hands with two men who I assume are of some importance by their fancy robes but honestly I have no clue. For all I know they could have been janitors. Then I received my diploma holder. I then excited the stage and received my real diploma. I'm really proud that I didn't trip because my feet were in so much pain from my gorgeous heels that I could barely walk. I was having visions of me pulling a Lizzie McGuire and tripping and taking everyone and everything down with me. Thankfully, that didn't happen and I walked the stage with some grace. I think my grimace actually looked like a smile to the audience. I'd like to give a shout out to my wonderful friends and family that came and sat through several hours of monotonous speeches and over 600 names being called just to watch me walk across the stage for 5 seconds. It must taken a lot of love to go through that and don't think I didn't see you playing on your phones during the speeches. 

It didn't hit me until today when I was cleaning out my room that I was actually done. I saw all my yearbooks lined up in my room and tossed out all my accumulated notes and school papers. It was both exciting and terrifying to realize that, as everyone keeps reminding me, I'm now an adult and on my own. I took my last SAT on saturday and now all I have left to do is to apply to college.

In AFS news, I got Rosetta Stone. I've been working on it a little everyday and now know some pretty basic Portuguese. I also sent in my papers for my necessary background check a few weeks ago and I should get that back for my visa by July 1st. I've met several people that are going to Brazil on Facebook. They come from Germany, Turkey, Italy, Seattle, and right here in San Antonio. They all seem really sweet and I can't wait to meet them in person. It's officially 59 days until I leave. Tchau!