Recently we got our “halfway there” surveys and I realized that I had blogs to write. Now I only have to do a couple, but nevertheless I know I can’t put them off forever.
Well let’s see. I’ve been just sorta living it up with the beaches and surfing. I’m no doubt the worst in my class for Portuguese, but you win some and you lose some. It seems like every single person in my class had some sort of background in Spanish except for me. I suppose I missed the memo.
Work has been picking up here and it seems like it’s only making my time here go by faster. When I first got here it seemed as though I was never doing anything productive and now I have my hands full. I enjoy this semi-chaotic environment though because it helps me stay motivated and energized.
On another note I could use this opportunity to talk about switching host families. I switched about a month ago and things were not great in the other one. I only had a host mom in the household and she had some expectations for recieving a kid from the program that I did not fit. Simple things like no dietary restrictions or maybe a background in Portuguese/Spanish. I think that it did give me a valuable learning experience in the fact that I learned that some people just have lived different lifestyles and just are unaware of others. I got to see how someone else can go their entire life living one way and sometimes change is hard when you are so used to routine.
In my new family I have siblings my age and two parents. My siblings are so fun because I can bond with them and it makes me want to practice my Portuguese more. My parents are sweet and caring. They are so thoughtful when it comes to my dietary restrictions and just make the most of the situation. My host sister is a vegetarian and I’m gluten free/dairy free so my parents are always trying to find new dishes to accommodate us. Which I appreciate because that is difficult to do.
Before, I had a really small house and a shoe box bedroom. Now, I have the luxury of a queen size bed and an open room. I live in more of the country side than the city center, but I have the same situation back home in the United States so it doesn’t bother me and actually I sleep better with less noise. The change wasn’t hard because it felt natural and meant to happen. I think I honestly got one of the better situations when it came to switching. The new family I got just makes me feel like a part of the family and I’m going to make the most of the time we have left together.
Bonding doesn’t take time if it’s with the right people in my opinion and I think I’ve found my people.
