Tenho Vontade de Ficar Aqui

Two months have passed since I left Minnesota and I can hardly believe it! I didn't realize when I started, but keeping up a blog is difficult! So for future reference I want you to know that my blog posts are going not going to be on a regular basis, but I will do my best to post every month.
Since my last post a bittersweet milestone in my exchange has passed: I had to say goodbye to my amazing host sister, Clarice, as she traveled to France to start her own RYE adventure. I passed some exciting milestones too: I walked to the center of the city alone, which is safe as long as I walk during the day. This is exciting because it is a 2.5 mile(30 minutes) walk and I didn't get lost! Another milestone for me was something that I never realized requires much thought: watching TV. At home it was something that I did when I was tired and didn't want to think any more, but here I have to concentrate really hard! Anyways so after trying to watch TV many times, I completed a full episode of Biggest Loser and understood everything that was said! Portuguese is becoming more natural for me everyday. My host mom and I like to have a little fun and surprise people who think that I don't speak any Portuguese!
During this time I have done some really fun things with my families, Brazilian friends and exchange student friends. I went to Japanese celebrations, a wedding, a baptism party and I also had the opportunity to go camping with my class from school. I have been keeping myself busy and taking classes for Portuguese, Jiu Jitsu fighting and dance acrobatics! It is such an awesome experience learning these new skills here! I don't have time to talk in depth about each one so I will post some pictures of them below.
The feeling I have as an exchange student is so great! It is empowering, loving, excited, nervous, crazy, open, happy and so much more! You won't know the feeling until you have been an exchange student! I have to tell you what a gratifying experience it is to be making strong bonds and friendships with the people here! I am so grateful to Rotary for this year and proud of myself for choosing to be a Rotary Exchange Student!

This is my class at school.

These are pictures from when I when to my friend's farm.

Day of the children. This event is put on by my Rotary club.

 These are pictures of my Jiu Jitsu coach and I fighting.

 

This is my class on folkloric dress-up day.

My friend from school brought me to the television station where her dad works.

 These are photos of my dance acrobatics class.

 

Here are some of the exchange students in my city hanging out.

These are photos from my class camping trip.

These are photos from the wedding my second host family brought me to.

 These are my friends at school trying Reese's for the first time. I think they liked it!

 This is all the exchange students in the bus on our way to a Rotary event. We enjoyed ourselves, but I think the rest of the people on the bus were annoyed with all of our excitement by the end of the eight hours!

This is Naiomi (the only other exchange student at my school) and I on independence day

That's all for now! 

Tchau!