Thursday, July 17, 2014

Countdown

Oi everyone! My name is Bethany, I'm 17, and I will be a Rotary exchange student for the next year in Brazil! I am being sponsored by the Rotary club in my hometown of Northfield, Minnesota.
 Today is July 17th, and I FINALLY have my Visa. This is fantastic news because it means I will for sure be able to leave on the 19th as planned. This also means I only have a couple days left in the US. My mind is a constant whir of emotions. One minute I'm over-the-moon excited and  the next I'm in tears about having to say goodbye. Although the nervousness and sadness are inevitable, I'm definitely feeling more excited and happy than anything else!!!
I really don't know what to expect for this next year of my life, but that's the beauty of it. I'm excited for everything to be completely new, and ready for all of the challenges that will go with that. Here is what I do know so far. I will be living in a small city called Palmital (population about 23,000) in the state of Sao Paulo. I will be living in the Southwestern part of this state, an area in Brazil known as the "interior". So for everyone who has asked, unfortunately no, I will not be living on the beach or anywhere near it.  I will be living with four different host families in this city throughout the year, and the family members I have talked to all seem very warm and welcoming! :)
So... In two days I will be boarding a plane at MSP and landing in the incredible city of Sao Paulo!! I can't wait for my adventure to begin, and I will do my best to update my blog often so everyone can see what I'm up to! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED MAKE THIS POSSIBLE! Wish me luck! Tchau :)