The first of many...

Hello everybody!!
How are you all doing?
It´s been a week since I´ve been here in sunny Brasil, and I´m loving it.
Where to start…
Friday last week, I left my home city of Portland to begin the adventure of my life time. I had made some of my best friends all stay the night before hand, so they could all accompany me to the airport, and say their final goodbyes.
What a sight it must have been, a Caravan of girls (and a few boys to) all huddled at the security line, crying and waving goodbye to a sobbing me. Huaha!!! Everyone in line was staring at me.
The first flight I took by myself. I sat next to a very nice father and daughter who were headed to Florida for the girl´s volleyball tournament! We talk for part of the flight…and I listened to music for the rest. When we were about to land, the pilot announced that we would have to hang I the air for awhile, because a storm was rolling in, and it wasn’t safe to land. After gliding for about 20 minutes, we finally landed, I met a man while walking down the terminal that was headed in my direction, so I tagged along with him. If it wasn’t for him I would have missed my flight. The Atlanta airport in HUGE!!! We took a shuttle/train to my Section, where he and I parted…and I raced to my gate. It was a good thing I ran, because they were closing the gates!!! Another Rotary student had the same problem as me, and we both dragged onto the plane. Luckily enough, we were able to sit next to each other. Her name was Dena, and she was from Idaho or something. We talked for about 4 hours, and I found out that she knew NOTHING in Portuguese…not even Hi!! So I taught her a few lines. Then we took some sleeping pills, and woke up 20 minutes before landing!
Now here is where the fun begins. Since the storm had rolled in, it delayed our plane about an hour on the runway. So I missed my flight in Sao Paulo. No worries though, after a bit of struggle with the language, I had myself a new plane flight….but it was at a different airport! So I hoped on a bus (that was headed directly to the new airport) and cruzed through Sao Paulo for an hour….When I arrived at the new airport, I quickly hurried myself in. I was in no rush to miss another flight! I managed a few words to a security guard, and he pointed to the elevator…where I got on. I~m so Happy I had been there, at that Moment, because I met the kindest man ever! He knew little English, but enough to understand that I was going on exchange for a year! When he asked where, I told him my next flight was to Belo Horizonte…and he said he was going there too!!! So again I followed some random person around the airport…he helped me with checking in, then he bought me some suco (juice) and we headed off for our gate!! Again, I was SO lucky to have met him…because as we were sitting at the gate, they announced in Portuguese that the gate had changed! I never would have known if he hadn’t told me. I definitely had all the luck that everyone wished me!
When I arrived in Belo H. Marcela and her cousins were waiting at the entrance for me! (and their cute cuwawa Bobby!) And so the 4 hour long car ride to Joao Pinheiro began. Let me tell you, I am sooo much more appreciative of American driving now! The roads here and unkept, and they pass each other so much, to the point the oncoming traffic is 15 feet away. I had to sleep most the car ride so I would stop gasping whenever we entered the other lane of traffic!!! Huahahah!!!!
That night of my Arrival, my family invited some cousins, and friends over to welcome me. I wasn’t as tired as everyone said I would be…but I was just confused, and understood nothing. They had put up wonderful signs for me in welcome, and telling me I was their new daughter. I couldn~t have been given a better first host family!
The next day I woke up when the sun rose, at about 6am. I have never seen such a beautiful sunrise. The sky had no clouds in it, but still shone a gallant orange, and the sun hung a bright red. It filled my room with color, and it was a wonderful way to wake up! My breakfast consisted of coffee(The Best damn coffee I have ever had in my life!!!) and some weird bread things…that looked like mini bagels…but were hard. Never the less…they tasted GREAT!
Later in the day, Marcela (my host sister) took me around town, introducing me to all her cousins and such (She has 30 first cousins... all of which live in this city! AYE!) I met Zaca (or in English Zach) He is the other exchange student from Canada. Later some of Marcela´s friends met up with us..and we all went out for Ice creme…but Since I´m allergic… Marcela and I got a weird frozen fruit thing…with this new Fruit called Açia…They have it at Booster juice in the US..so go try it!! ITS AWESOME!
That night I went to a birthday party for a boy named Lucas (he´s in my class) Everyone was laughing, dancing, singing…it was amazing! Everyone was trying to talk to me…but I couldn’t really understand…hauhah. No worries though…I got a few words in with everyone!
The Marcela´s Mother picked us up, and we went out to dinner with some family friends…I kinda zone out when I don~t understand things…(things that don´t really concern me) so Basicaly that whole dinner I just kind of sat there and zoned out.
The next Day started out with Natalia and I (my younger Host sister) washing the dogs, Bobby (a different one then that was in the car when I arrived) and Hika. The the family had a BBQ and I had Beans and rice. Man, I can’t tell you how much I love beans and rice. I look forward to eating them every meal. I swear I’ll way 200 pounds when I get back! Hahahah. Oi-vay.
I met some more cousins (actually my second host family) and we danced to some music, and made Videos…I~c show them to you…but the internet is to slow to upload them here. The funniest moment bout that was when my younger sister Natalia turned on Fergie (my Humps) and had a whole dance to it! I asked her if she understood, and she said kind of!!1 huaha, ohh my goodness.
I showed then The Video’s tess burned for me…man, they must thing I’m sooo crazy!
That night we went to church….All I’m going to say about that is that I won’t convert anytime soon. But I will continue to go every time, because it’s important to marcela!!
As for school…I have so many classes…Physics, Chemisty, Biology, Portuguese(or English for us) History, Art, Math, Inglais, Spanish, and A few more I cant remember. Í don’t understand anything that’s going on in them…but today I took a test…hahauha, I can’t wait to see the grade I get!
That’s basically the main thing’s that happened so far in my exchange. I can´t tell you all how much I love this town, the people, the culture. It´s all to much to ask for. I love this place so much. I´m so glad I decided to go on exchange!