It´s May??

Where does the time go? Once again months have flown by without me stopping back to update, but in my defense, it feels like I wrote my last blog post just yesterday. Things have quieted down a bit since carnaval has been over. I´ve been back in school and the weather has gotten a bit cooler again. My sister came to visit for 10 days in March and that was amazing for me. It was like my two worlds coming together. Getting to show her around my town, introducing her to my friends and family and just spending some time with a person who has known me for more that 8 months was priceless. We also were lucky enough to get to go on a trip to Iguaçu Falls with my host parents. The waterfalls were absolutely incredible... Definately something everyone should put on their bucket list. Just so everyone has an idea, it´s more than twice the size of Niagra falls. The trip was also great just to get to soak up some sun and get away from my routine for a bit. I was really sad saying goodbye to Emily after the 10 days, but I´m forever grateful that I had the opportunity to share a little bit of my exchange with someone from home. In April the rodeo took place here in Palmital. In my city, this is the biggest event of the year. The rodeo goes on for 5 days during which there is no school and no one works. In many ways it is similar to the rodeos I´ve experienced at home: fair food, rides, games, and of course the actual rodeo. But one huge difference here is the events after the rodeo each night: the show and the dance. When the actual rodeo competition ends each night, the gates of the arena are opened and thousands of people rush in to watch the show. By show I mean concert, each night by a different and very famous country singer. If anyone has ever heard the song Ai Se Eu Te Pego, which was an international hit and one I was singing before I even got here.. Yep! That singer came and sang in Palmital. I even got within a few yards of the stage that night! The shows start around 11-midnight and go on for a couple of hours. The best part is that all of this..the rodeo and the show, is completely free and put on by the city! The only part of the rodeo I had to pay for was the dance which happens each night after the show. So yes, the party starts around 2-3 AM and lasts until 6-7. I´ll never forget walking into my house at 7:30 AM when it was totally light out already and thinking "Wow, normally I would be starting school right now". Brazilians, man. Anyways I can feel how quickly my year is winding down which can only be described as bittersweet. I think leaving Brazil will be one of the hardest things I ever do. I have gotten so attached to my life here and the people in it. On the other hand, I have begun to feel like I'm just sort of spinning my wheels here, and I know that I have new and exciting things ahead of me back in the US. It doesn't hurt either that I have such a wonderful place and people to go home to :) Of course, I can see both sides of going home now, but at the airport I'll probably be clinging to my host parents sobbing and begging for them to legally adopt me. I know I keep promising pictures but technology is just so much work sometimes, ya know? I'll try to put up some pictures this week though! Beijos