Well tomorrow is the first day of May... MAY! Everything is just happening so fast, it's crazy how fast time flies when you're out of your normal schedule, and I'm glad I'm learning that now. I'm curious how fast time starts going once I get home, will it all go back to the same old, or will it never really be the same? I know that I am a different and new person now compared to when I left, but how much have things changed back home? I'm in love with my home and friends..will that change? I have so many curiosities about coming home and I'll never really know until I do it.
I've realized that a lot in life. You can't live through other peoples experiences. It'll never be the same as going through what they went through. You can hear stories, listen to advice, try to imagine going through these things but in reality, going through these things yourself is a completely different feeling and experience. You can't live an exchange through someone else, you can't even necessarily get an idea until you're living it.. and even then you have no idea what's going on!
I studied everything there is to study about exchange for 4 years before I actually did it. Even though it somewhat helped with advice and how to handle things, it just wasn't and isn't the same as I imagined. Nothing necessarily bad about it, just different. Exchange is more rewarding than words can imagine and only people that have done one can really understand the benefits and impact that it has on people and in society overall.
It's hard to put words to the unexplainable, but my advice to getting your answers is by going out and living it and doing all that you can with what you get out of it.
Signing flags on the last day of the Amazon trip. This is a picture of me showing off all of the signatures I have received from friends I have made throughout the trip and my time here in Brazil.