28 days; 4 hours; 5 minutes: My New Home

Alright, so yes it is true. I am still at home, that is Owatonna, Minnesota, USA. But holy cow! Time has flown by oh so fast, up to this very point. I've been in preparation for my youth exchange to Brazil for nearly a year, but it feels as though I just received my acceptance letter to the Rotary Program. Since words can't express my excitement for my new escapade, I figure I should start with what I am most excited about, my family! Well, for starters, I am located in the Southern State of Brazil, Mato Grosso do Sul. I will be spending my year in the city of Dourados. It is home to nearly 200,000 people! A big adjustment from my city of Owatonna that is home to only a fraction of that (25,000) but this is what the program is all about, adapting to a new culture and building bridges to new communities and homes. Some brief facts about my city is that I am roughly an hour from the border of Paraguay, agriculture is fairly big in my city, education in my city is considered to be the pole of MS with it being home to 5 universities and over 200 schools. My family! My mother, Sandra, has practiced in veterinarian services, but no longer practices. She enjoys handcrafts! My father, Tomas, is involved with the agriculture of Dourados. He rents out farming machinery, is in seed production, and manages a family farm on the Northeast Coast of Brazil in the State of Bahia. I have an older brother, Gabriel who is 22 and is finishing his last year in college. Carolina, my older sister, who is 19, and she is starting her first year in college. And lastly, but certainly not least! I have a younger brother, João, who is 16 years old. Unfortunately Gabriel and Carolina do not live at home, and João will be leaving for Germany on his youth exchange when I arrive. So, it looks like I am an only child, but there is no harm in that! I will be attending a private school within a college in Dourados! Well, that about sums it up! I am still in awe that I am able to experience an adventure like this! Some call me crazy, but I just say that I am opening my eyes to the world that surrounds me. Well, I am sure that the next time you hear from me, I will be either A.) stuck in an airport and venting about my anxieties or B.) in my city of Dourados! Let's plan for choice B! Tchau!