Pre Departure

Ok, so I haven’t left the country yet, but I feel the need to christen my blog and make an official post. On February 24th I will be leaving good ol’ Amuuurica (pronounce it like GW Bush and chuckle like I do) for Fortaleza, Brazil. I will proceed to immerse myself in South America until I must depart in mid July after the fam and I conquer Machu Pichu (let's hope it's still there by July!).

Needless to say, I am psyched beyond belief to depart; boredom from living in DeKalb, IL only being one of the reasons for this. On that note, I hope (now really keep your fingers crossed for this wish) that I will never, like in my whole life never, have to live in DeKalb, IL again. I am working on week six, and I am restless to say the least. By saying that, I do not mean anyone disrespect, I just hope my life will lead me on path away from here.

My six weeks has been uneventful but enjoyable and very relaxing. One of the greatest things about living with your parents again is a fridge full of really good food (at least mine is…mostly)that I did not have to buy. I have a new appreciation for ‘stinky cheese,’ the kind that is literally growing mold in it, and I have mastered the art of two-letter words in Scrabble. Watch out if you play me; I’m a fierce competitor at the moment.

Luckily, one of my friend’s father has been kind enough to employ me at his construction company for the interim time I’m home: Need an excavator, hollow metal specialist, or architect and I can name you five! My weekends have found me judging Speech tournaments in the wee hours of the morning, and I’m brought straight back to high school. It’s actually really fun being the judge instead of the competitor. And, I think the most important part about being home is the quality time I’ve spent with my little family-unit as I like to call them. Watching my brother, Jack, end his senior year of high school and get ready to be a freshman next fall has made me really wish I was about to move into the dorms and start school. How college has flown is all I have to say!

Overall, I am ready to embark on a journey of a lifetime. I have thought about, planned, and studied for this trip, and boy am I ready for it to begin! My mind is on overload thinking about how drastically my life is about to change. Oh my God, I will be speaking Português everyday! I will be not just the pale girl like I am in the states, but I will be the WHITE girl. I will have to somehow find the strength to stay up past 1 o’clock in the morning(!!)—they don’t even eat dinner until then. Ok, that was a slight exaggeration, but if you know me you’re aware of how much I enjoy sleeping! Although, I think the afternoon siesta will be a fabulous addition to my daily routine.

As for right now, I just have to sit back and get through these next three weeks. The countdown has officially begun: 22 days until departure! Thank God I have a little trip to visit the bff in Iowa and then a jam packed week of fun in the Eug to help me pass the time! To the many adventures on the horizon…you will be mine soon!