Only 8 Weeks Left?!

So I had a thought pop into my head last monday. Cori you realize you only have two months left, right? Then it like hit me like a brick what that means because it means I have to go back. You might be reading this and thinking "Yeah but your going back to your family and friends. How can you be sad about that?" Well it's not that I'm sad it's more like a weird sort of feeling. Only exchange students really understand this type of feeling. It's derived from the fear of leaving your new life here in Brazil and not knowing when your going to return. I have become so comfortable here. I feel apart of the community and my family. I have friends and we hang out and go out on the weekends. It's hard for me to imagine leaving here after everything has become perfect.

I admit I didn't really think I would get so attached to my friends and family here. When I left my mom in Ohio 9 months ago it was easy because I knew when I was coming home. It was only 11 months and then I would be back and everything would return to normal. But that's exactly it. Everything will be "normal". Only that I have changed so much as a person on this exchange. I'm not talking about a physical change (all though of course I look a little different) but an internal change. The way I see myself and others and the world. It's all changed for me. I feel going back to my "normal" life would be all wrong for me because I'm not the same girl who left Ohio 9 months ago on a crazy idea of living in another country.

I'm not going to go any deeper than that because those feelings are hard to describe and it's not worth explaining them because it's only something you can feel and experience for yourself. Future exchange students you'll understand when your time comes as well.

I also recieved my return flight information from AFS-USA. My international flight leaves 11:30pm January 11th, 2013 and I arrive in Miami International Airport at 4:55am. Hopefully I'll be in Cleveland by noon if my mom can get a domestic plane ticket for me a couple hours after I land in Miami. I'll also be having my return meeting with AFS-BRASIL on 1st and 2nd of December in Jáu.

It's really real everyone. I'm coming home finally.

Até Mais,

Cori