College Essays

Ok, well it´s about time that I got back to writing posts..haha lazy me=) it has just been so crazy here lately, wow changed families (long story), we went to Ouro Branco, Lambari, and I had to finish 3 shorter essays and 1 longer one and submit it about 2 days ago, for the college of my dreams (Stanford!), and I have had to spend my time with the computer working on those instead of writing posts here.  I think I have just about written my heart out. haha but for me there is always something more to write about! I need to sit down and write more like a journal, except I have never been able to keep up a journal, I am horrible at journals. Or maybe just another month summary and some more juicy stuff.  Let me brainstorm more in school tomorrow and I will come up with an idea. but for now, I will just post the essay about my exchange that I have been working on all this time, for your enjoyment:  (what do you think- Stanford material?)

It had always been a dream of mine to study abroad during high school. My mother used to tell me stories about her exchange to Switzerland back when she was a senior in high school, and I would fantasize about the small, cozy towns, each with their own type of cheese, and the untold adventures she must have had in that far off land. I longed to do the same, to keep the tradition alive, and to venture out into the unknown and face a challenge like I had never known before; it was my calling.


As I stared out the window at the clouds over Texas, I felt the thoughts twirling through my mind like little wispy clouds. It was time. No more taking everything for granted, no more eating cereal and a banana every morning, no more living in a small town where I knew every street and person. I had set out to make something of myself, and to try to understand a little more about this vast world we live in.

We spent a night in Miami, and then we were off again, passports in hand, the five brave souls who had chosen Brazil as their destination. I could never quite put my finger on what it was that drew me towards Brazil opposed to the other countries in Europe and Asia that hundreds of students exchange to each year. Maybe it was my dream of seeing the Amazon rain forest, or maybe it was the music of Brazil´s beautiful language, or it could have been just the sheer idea of Brazil and the adventure that was waiting for me there. As I sat on the plane, surrounded by matching shirts and Disneyland souvenirs between two people who spoke a different language, and listened to the Portuguese greetings over the intercom, the change started to sink in. I braced myself for the big invisible wall of culture shock and stomach aches that I had been prepared for, and sunk into a deep sleep over the rain forest. Then I woke up and I was Brazilian.

I was there, with my new red pepper necklace and skinny jeans, hair blow-dried and wavy, conversing with the other families and eating rice and beans with pieces of barbecued sausage right off the grill. It was incredible. I was already completely immersed in the Brazilian culture. To my surprise, it seemed that my two years of Spanish and 6 months of Portuguese pod-casts had prepared me quite well; I was speaking Portuguese and fitting into the culture so well that no one could believe I had just arrived.

Not to say that I didn’t experience any culture shock at all; I was quite shocked when I first met my teacher at school and was met with a kiss on the cheek. Also when I found a lizard in the shower, when I witnessed the peculiar yet delicious way that Brazilians prepare hot dogs, and when I realized how much Brazilian students have to study to get into college. Opposed to my small difficulties, the real challenges that I saw were those of politics, poverty, and preserving the environment.

However as the days went on, I began to understand and appreciate all of the things I thought were strange before. I learned without a doubt that the best way to learn a language and deal with uncertainty is to talk, it is best to keep your wallet in your purse, it makes sense to be organized, and that you should never make assumptions according to stereotypes. The beauty of Brazil is more than just its common stereotype of beautiful women, big cities, and beaches. The beauty is in the simplicity, in the way that people live, the pure hospitality of a family welcoming you into their house for coffee, and the intense, colorful culture that still exists today and unites this immense developing country. The beauty was in the voices of the clapping, chanting circle of people around a pair lost in the twisting dance of capoeira. It was in the map of Brazil that you could make from just the different types of music famous to each region. It was in the faces of the people walking down the street and greeting each other every morning. It was everywhere.

There was more to the country, and there was more about culture, humanity, and just plain life skills I have learned here that I don’t think I could have learned any other way. I wish high school foreign exchanges weren’t such a thing of the past that nowadays practically only the rich can afford. There is a great deal more that can be learned from understanding the culture of a country and becoming part of its people than by simply visiting as a tourist. I think many people don´t realize that, especially in places like Brazil and Latin America. And for students my age, there is also a great deal of about one´s self and place in the world, knowledge I know I have gained so far, that can be obtained from an experience like this. Perhaps if more people had the chance to study abroad and understood more about different cultures, the world would be a more friendly and peaceful place. When I get back, I hope to spread the word about studying abroad, cultural acceptance, and the aspects of Brazil that shine beneath the stereotypes. Later on in life, I could see myself as a volunteer for a foreign exchange organization, or maybe even hosting an exchange student. Wherever I go, I will always have a piece of Brazil in my heart, and I will do whatever I can to give something back.