No Expectations

This blog post is simple. I just want to say to all the people who are interested in studying abroad that:

 NO EXCHANGE IS EXACTLY THE SAME

From day 1 there will be differences. I am fortunate to have a girl from Florida like I am who went to the same city I am going to and even the same private school system. This does not mean that our years abroad will be the same. As similar as exchanges can be, none are ever the exact same. Applying for a visa for Japan is not the same as applying for one for Brazil or Thailand. Schools will be different and host families will have different dynamics. Every step of the way there are differences. The important thing is to understand that and take the blows as they come. 

Myself and Halsey (the student who went to the same area I am going to) 

All The Countdowns Surround Me

I sit in my room as I type this. "Vienna" by Billy Joel is playing on my computer. A severe thunderstorm rages around me. I have worked all day and the exhaustion is setting in. I am tempted to fall asleep as there is nowhere I can go while this storm (which feels more like a hurricane than a t-storm) blows through. The power is flashing in and out.

My exchange right now is somewhat like my situation in this storm right now. It is the end of the day and it is the end of my year of preparation. I am tired, but I am ready to move along. Just like I am stuck in my house, I am stuck in Florida at the moment. I am waiting for my visa which means I am waiting for my ticket and my leave date. I could be leaving in a week and a half or up to five and a half weeks from now. It is very uncertain of what is coming this next month for me. I am "in the dark" on some of this process and it is a matter of trusting that everything will come through at the moment.

The majority of the students around me are counting down the days.. two for some, ten for others and some are leaving in 20 or 30 days. I have no countdown but instead I have piles of lists. I have lists of things to do, lists of things to pack, lists of what to do when i find out when I am leaving. I could be given 24 hours notice before I have to board a plane. My life is being held in suspension as I continue to babysit, work, nanny, visit friends and have friends visit me. I know that starting in a week everything i have scheduled can be canceled in a moments notice. I am learning to live knowing that the ongoing things are temporary and learning to accept this fact. For someone like me who is a planner, this can be difficult but it is good for me. It is forcing me to be out of my comfort zone which is a huge part of going on an exchange is all about. I am learning and growing, even when its not easy.

Vienna by Billy Joel 

Rotary Potluck: An evening of assignments, accomplishments and goodbyes

10 of the 14 students from district 6980

On Friday July 13th district 6980 had our final event- a potluck in which each student brought food from their future host country and each student spoke in their host language. Each student also had to turn in two paragraphs in their host language about their hopes and expectations for the upcoming year. We had all known this event was coming but the reality of it was stunning. A year ago I would have never imagined that I would be spending a gap year abroad, especially not in Brazil. Now this upcoming year is a huge part of my life. I study the language every day, I am making friends with every Brazilian I can meet, and I see Brazil everywhere I go. I hear Brazilian music playing at Target, I notice every t-shirt with the Brazil flag on it and I am always listening into stranger's conversations to see if they are speaking Portuguese or Spanish. The changes in my life have been drastic but they have been for the best. I have been blessed to meet so many wonderful people through this experience and I have grown close to many of them. 

Scott Krogmann (my outbound coordinator) and me

Caroline (future outbound to Thailand) and me

Brigadeiro

Assignment: Make a food from your host country
Purpose: Feed a large group of people at a Rotary farewell dinner
Lesson: Learn about a part of your new host culture
What I did: I made brigadeiro!!!

In Brazil, brigadeiro is an extremely common sweet. From an american perspective it is sort of balls of fudge rolled in sprinkles. This is what they traditionally look like.

I made an attempt to make some today. I have never tasted them before but the recipe is simple (just sweetened condensed milk, cocoa and a little bit of butter) so I decided to give them a shot before attempting to serve them to a group of 50 or 60 people.

I could not find chocolate sprinkles so I substituted but the concept is still the same. These are how mine turned out. They are delicious!

The recipe can be found at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/brigadeiro/   Note: read the top comment by a Brazilian. It gives better tips and the extra instructions are helpful. 

See you soon Brazil! 
-B

Cameras, Because Every Exchange Student Needs Them!

I love photography. I always have. My first experience with photography was when I was in second grade and I went out of the country for the first time. My family took a two week trip to China where we went to Beijing and Xingdao (or something that sounds like that). My parents gave me a disposable camera to use on the trip. This was the first time I was in complete control of a camera and I loved it! I was always looking for the perfect shot, the perfect view, the perfect place to use my limited shots. The roll on my camera started out with childish shots of my friends and I being silly but during the course of the trip I grew to have a more keen eye for my surroundings and focused more on the landscape and the sights. I knew that I loved my little disposable camera and from then on I loved photography. I have gone through several levels of cameras since then, both film and digital, and recently stepped into the "big leagues" of digital cameras. I received my first DSLR camera as my graduation present. I got a Canon T3i (like the one below). 

While I am in Brazil I will need to be careful about where and when I take my DSLR. I want to be able to take good images but not everywhere I go will be a safe place for me to bring it. To compensate for the times in which I will not have it, I purchased a much cheaper digital camera at target. My new camera was only about $75 US dollars and is waterproof so it can handle more abuse. It is small enough that I can fit it in my pocket and discrete enough that I can take it out for a quick shot and put it away without it being noticed. With both of these together, I hope to not miss capturing any important moments in my upcoming year!








See you soon Brazil!
-B

The Pinnage: A How-To Guide to Making Simple Pins

For those of you who don't know, a common practice between Rotary Youth Exchange Students is trading pins. Each student wears a Blazer like the one below to Rotary Events and when they travel.

Students exchange pins and gradually over their year abroad they acquire enough to have a well adorned blazer. While the pin covered blazers do not always look classy and put together, they are a representation of a year abroad and are often memory-filled. Some students order their pins, some design theirs online, and others (like me) make them.

These are the pins I made today. 

Here is a step-by-step picture guide to how to make simple pins like the ones I made. 

Supplies: 

Ribbon (Hobby Lobby often runs their ribbon at 50% off so watch for sales)

Pin backs (I found mine at Hobby Lobby at 36 for $3)

Center adornment-optional (I chose to use a variety of USA coins)

*note*  Always check online for coupons before going to hobby lobby. They often have good ones that make purchasing supplies a little cheaper. 

Also:

Hot glue

Scissors

Step 1: Cut ribbon. I chose to cut mine anywhere from 6-8 inches 

Step 2: Cross the ends of the ribbon over each other to create a loop. Use a dot of hot glue where the ribbon crosses itself to hold the pieces together. 

Step 3 (optional):

Attach a center piece ontop of the ribbon. I used various US coins. To attach the coins you apply hot glue liberally onto of the point in which the ribbon ends cross and firmly press the coin onto the hot glue. 

Step 4: 

Attach pin backs onto ribbons with a line of hot glue. 

Let dry and they are done! 

About A Month of Volunteering Left

One of my favorite things I do every week is volunteer at Florida Hospital for Children. I volunteer in the Pediatric Oncology/ Epilepsy/ Progressive Care Unit. Every week is different and every week is new. I see new patients and old patients, build relationships and become friends with parents and kids alike. I love all the staff from the food service staff to the custodial group to the nurses and doctors. I have volunteered for over a year now and I have become part of the Florida Hospital family. I will miss everyone there but I hope that I will be able to continue my passion for volunteering with children through to next year. 

This past week I face painted as a part of a day themed "All about ME". This sweet girl was a patient's sibling looking for some fun in the playroom.