November flew by faster than October and it is crazy that I have only a little over a month left of my exchange year. This past month I have been super busy with the end of school/graduation, hanging out with friends, and getting ready for the holidays. Lots of things are happening simultaneously and it is a little stressful but what holiday season isn’t a little stressful right?
At the beginning of November, I did an overnight camping event with my volleyball team and I had a great time! We were split into teams and had to compete against each other in physical challenges. It was a lot of fun and I was even a team captain! There were probably about 20 different challenges in total and I was pretty tired after this weekend hahaha. There was one challenge that I found very difficult. In this challenge, we had to climb up a steep hill with a rope and then we got one chance to hit a nail with a hammer into a log. After that, you had to get to the bottom of the hill and the next person on your team had to go up and do the same. One time during this challenge I fell down the hill! (To be fair I wasn’t using the rope because it gave me burns on my hands but it was still a lot of fun!)
About a week later I took a trip to visit a friend of mine who lives in the northeast of Brazil. She lives in a beautiful coastal city in Rio Grande do Norte called Natal. I met her in the US when she did her exchange in Knoxville. When I left for exchange she was starting the second half of hers. She invited me to stay with her family for the week and I had the most amazing time there. I loved getting to know her family, friends, and the culture of the northeast. I think it is so cool how in every part of Brazil (or any country) you will find different accents, foods, and cultures. For example, where I am living the accent is super different in comparison to the accent of the northeast. I even had a bit of difficulty understanding sometimes but after about 3-4 days it got a lot easier. During my trip, I went to a beautiful beach named Pipa! I drank fresh coconut water, ate fresh shrimp, and got to try other seafood like crab and octopus too! It might sound a little strange but if you ever get the chance to try it you have to because it is so delicious! I’ve had seafood before but it's a lot better when it is fresh. After our trip to the beach, my friend showed me more of the city. We went to some touristy spots like the biggest cashew tree in the world, Ponta Negra, and a market that had lots of souvenirs. One really cool thing I was able to do was see the dunes. Her city has huge sand dunes that run along the coast, so one day we went for a Dune Buggy ride. Overall I had the most amazing time visiting my friend, meeting her family, and learning a little bit more about the northeast of Brazil.
When I returned from my trip I went to school for a few days and finally completed high school! On my last day, there was an art fair held by the school and I hung out with friends, listened to music, and bought some cookies that one of my classmates was selling. Since classes have ended I’ve had some free time which I have been using to hang out with friends, and my other host families, and do things that I normally don’t have the time for.
One day I went to donate blood, one day I went to my second host family's house, and another day I went to CrossFit with my host aunt and uncle (I almost died that day) Just kidding, but it was so intense and my body hurt for 2 days after! One more thing that I did this month was play in my last volleyball tournament with my team. My team had enough people so we split into two teams (red and white). I was on the red team and we got first place! The other half of my team won second place so it was a good day for everyone. It was a little sad knowing that it was my last but I know I still have 2 practices with the team before we go on Christmas break. Unfortunately, I will be out of the country before they start up again mid January but I will hopefully see my teammates again before I leave.
This upcoming week I will have graduation and my last day of volleyball. It will be very sad for me because after this I won’t see many of my school friends before I leave. In Brazil, many people travel to the beach during Christmas and New Year. A majority of my friends are doing this so I won’t see many of them again after this weekend. This Christmas I will stay in my host city but then right after my host family is taking me to see the Iguazu Falls. They have family that lives in Parana (a state here) so I will get to meet them and spend the New Year there! When we get back I will have a few days to pack up and say my final goodbyes, and before I know it I will be headed back home. The only thing I will be worried about is the weather. January can be a little unpredictable so hopefully, I can make it all the way home instead of getting stuck in Atlanta, Georgia.
My exchange has been full of so many highs and lows and I am so thankful for every second of it. It has been an incredible experience and I am so excited for what this last month will bring. Exchange has taught me a lot in so many different ways and while I miss my family and friends, it is all definitely worth it. I would’ve missed out on a lot if I hadn’t put my name down on the exchange application. My exchange allowed me to learn a culture, and language, make friends from around the world, and make long-lasting connections with people around me. Many people have asked me if I am ready to come home and for me, I probably will never be “ready” to leave Brazil because it’s my home now too, and leaving home is never easy…but I am leaving home to come home. My friends and family here make it home for me. I built a social circle from the ground up and It will be so difficult to say goodbye to everyone that I know and love here because I don’t know when I will see them again. On the bright side, I am very excited to see everyone back home in Galesburg.
This last month is going to go by very fast but I am going to make the most of my time here and before I know it I will be freezing again in the midwest but at least this winter there will be heating!
My volleyball camping event:
My Natal Trip:
My last day of school:
We went to see Moana 2, I am thankful I can now understand movies in Portuguese!
