4 Months here today, and I thought I'd do something a little different! I have learned so much since I got here, from important to trivial stuff, but I wanted to just list them out for all of you(: Its a shorter post today, partially because I'm just too lazy to write a lot, and also for your sanity! So here it is:
-Portuguese! More or less haha, I understand almost everything, and can speak pretty well too. I still haven't lost my accent thoughhhh, but I'm trying!
-Handle limes carefully. Well, at the beach anyways, because exposure to sun and skin will result in a dark mark that may not fade for as long as a year. Not personal experience though :D
-Dress well to go out. While on a road trip, my family stopped at a highway restaurant to eat lunch. My sister got laughed at because she went in with her PJ pants, this isn't even noticed back home!
-Heavennnn forbidddd you place something salty and something sweet side by side on your plate (my classic feijão and bolo of the day:) Guaranteed at least one person by you will exclaim "que nojoooo!" (how disgusting), I still do this anyways though, to keep things interesting;)
-Expanding my family. Before I left, I had no idea what it would be like to just live with strangers basically, and accept them as my new mom and siblings. But it was a lot easier than I thought, and now I have family in the US, Colombia, and Brazil(:
-Appreciate America more. I swear that living abroad will teach you more about your own country. For me, it was mostly just learning how really "free" the US is in many ways, and what an influence we have in the world. I feel like this is also one of the most valuable things I could have learned, since I plan on going into foreign affairs some day, wish me luck!!
-Being careful on the street. This was a big one for me as a "gringa" since I never worry so much before leaving the house back home. Here, having a purse with you calls attention, its best to make sure the shape of your cellphone isnt visible in your pants, you should only leave with what you'll need, stuff like that. I haven't been assaulted yet here, but almost everyone I know has or knows someone!
-How to sleep. Seriously, I don't think I ever did more in my entire life. This also leads to drinking coffee, which I picked up here(:
-Trying new things. I'm mostly talking about food, but exchange definitely helps you become more open.
-Letting go a little. I don't know if its Brasil, or just time, or whatever, but I just don't worry that much about the little things anymore?
-And lastly for tonight, lots of confidence. Before I left, it wasn't like i was an introvert or anything, but i definitely didnt like having to reach out to people i didn't know (or want to), or making business calls haha. But every day I have a new situation that I have to face to keep living here, like speaking in portuguese with strangers, finding my way around, trying to figure out whats "acceptable," and then working to keep my relationships with everyone I know here and back home. I feel like a job interview or visiting colleges is going to be super easy after this!
XOXO,
~Nikitaaaaa
No comments:
Post a Comment