zoom...zoom..zoom

Today i went to a rotary meeting and i met the inbound exchange student from japan. Her English is much better than what my Portuguese is. She seems nice. Today i sat at a new table and met some pretty awesome people. It's amazing how small the world really is.
By the way, Rotarian have some of the most interesting stories :D
When i got home i checked the status of my visa and it said that it has been sent so i should have it very soon, :D
SO EXCITED!!!!!
and nervous but there is more excitement.
I think i've said this on my blog about 10000 times. sorry.. I'm just really excited :D

Almost there!

So i was just checking the status of my visa and it say it has just been Authorized :D this makes me so happy!
It should be sent out to me very soon! hopefully by next the end of next week i will be on a plane to Brazil. :D
I can't wait!

Today i was at subway with mom. We were talking about Brazil and my family which is the topic to most conversation now a days. Anywho out of nowhere i got really sad. and started crying. I believe that i will miss my family dearly, but this will not hold me back.

ready..... set..... still struck in Canada

So I've got everything packed i just need a few last minute things that i will pack when i find out my flight date. Which i still am unsure about.
I emailed my host club :D and received a email back :D they seem excited to meet me :D

I went to my neighbors cottage yesterday for the night. The lake was so nice and peaceful it was nice to get away from all the commotion at home.

There is a lot of chaos at my house. With my brother moving out for university and me leaving for a year.

Did you know us exchange students are only allowed two suit cases under 50 pounds? well i have both mine full. One is about 10 pounds over weight. :S honestly how are you suppose to pack one year worth of stuff into that little? i know i will buy lots of stuff in Brasil, but still! it's not that much room!
I'm one of the last exchange students in my district to leave on exchange :( oh well i will get to leave very soon!
There is a new exchange student that just arrived at my sponsor club. i haven't met her but i hope to!

I would like to tell you about what it's like in the weeks before you leave for a whole new country,.. Some moments you are so excited and want to leave right away, at other times it hits you and you become scared and nervous and think how did you get your self into this? Sometimes you can't imagine how you could possibly leave your family for a whole year! But the best part of all is when you think of all the doors and opportunities you've just made for your self. You think of all the people you will meet and all the places you will see, and all the memories you will make, and all the changes you will get. You think about if you never thought of taking the first step and convincing yourself that you can really do this you ARE really doing this. You think of how lucky you are.

I'm one of billions of people in the world. One of 8 000 kids that are doing a rotary exchange. That isn't many people when you think about it. I believe I'm the luckiest person on the planet! I'm so grateful for this opportunity. Thank you everyone that's involved!

Bye for now
Beijos

things are looking up :D

So I received the papers i needed and i faxed them to my aunt. My aunt on Friday took them to the embassy and she was helped by a much nicer lady. My visa was accepted and she is trying to have them back to me by the 3rd of September, I've started packing.. well I'm almost done packing. I think my suit case is over weight, :S oh no.
I can't wait to leave to brazil. It is all happening so fast.
Keith leaves for school soon. Hope he can still make it to the airport with me.

xoxox. Bye for now

what an eventful day.

We get up at 4 a,m and leave for Toronto. i sleep most of the way.. The day is looking good. We get there or so we think. First we are in the wrong end of the st.. we are at the East end insted of west.. we already payed $ 15 for parking. but we got to use the washroom. we jump back in the car and drive down to the right end witch turns out to be only a few blocks away. then we go to the bank located right beside the consulte, We then go and wait in line. We were the first ones there! yay! when it opens this guy asks me for a few thing i give him them. Then he tells me to sit and this girl ask me over and she starts yelling at me because i didn't give him the documents. but he did NOT aask for them. Them i go sit and it happens over again but this time they say i need a letter from the school saying that i start school on this date and end on this date. so Mom calls importan people. I'm full out crying by this point. I was FREACKING OUT! no idea what was going to happen. And they weren't really helpful. in the end we didn't get to apply but i left the papers in toronto with my aunt so she can drop them off. so we dont have to drive back in to toronto. we had a nice dinner with my aunt and i hung out with my cousins for a bit.

Things i learned today:
-Check the sreet to see if it's East or West.
-Never cry in front of mom when she is trying to leave a message
-I never want to work at an embassy or consulet
-Shopping makes things better :D

GREAT NEWS!

Oii
So i was hoping my papers would come yesterday.. i ran out to the mailbox right after the mail lady left. But no papers:( But today i went to the beach and had a wonderful day. When i got home my day only got better. My papers are here! YAY
I looked everything over got copies of everything. Tomorrow i leave for Toronto at 4 a.m good thing I'm not the driver and i can sleep on the way there. In Toronto i will apply for my visa.. Ii really hope it all goes smoothly.
I was going to email my host club.. but one little problem. i don't think i can read their email address. :s I'll keep trying. :D
I'm so very excited to get my papers. but man am i ever getting nervous. I am leaving so soon.. what do i do?
I have one suit case packed! i should really get going on the next one, ahaha.
I'll let you know how my visa applying goes.
bye for now

GOOD NEWS!

So I've just heard the news that my papers are in Staford! and they should arrive to me in a couple days tops.
When i got the news i was so nervous.. Oh my,, I'm leaving Canada for a year! AHHH
this is going to be the time of my life.
I made copies of everything that i thought i could possibly need. I think this is all really happening.
I'M SO EXCITED
I have about a suit case and a half of stuff packed.. none of which is clothes :S
I hope it all fits in the end.. we'll see.
I'm trying to get everything ready to go apply for my visa.. I've heard it shouldn't take long for them to get it back to me. I really can't wait to leave!
we'll so long for now
I'll post when i get my guarantee forms.

Where are my papers!!

Oii
So another exchange student has left for Brazil.. I'm still waiting for my papers. I am talking to an exchange student in Floripa right now.. I'm so jealous. It loos like she is having fun :D i bet i will too.

so when people
"ask me are you excited?"
I answer YES! Ive never been so excited in my life.
"Are you scared?"
Yes. Still not knowing when i leave is scary! and going somewhere new without the same comfort of home, and me breaking out of my shell is very scary. I can't wait to see how things play out.
"when do you leave?"
I have no idea. Hopefully by the end of August. I don't have my guarantee forms yet and that means I still can't apply for my Visa and I can't get my plane ticket yet. I can't wait to meet my Brazilian family though!

I'm getting business cards made.. I can't wait until they are done :D this is gonna be so cool.
Next week I'm hoping to get my papers and apply for my visa! we'll see how it goes.
Guess what!
I finally got to sleep in today! it's been awhile. because of babysitting and shopping (jokes) and everything.. ahahha But sleeping in today was only until 8..
They don't have skittles in Brazil :0!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
I am going to bring some! i will need them. i love candy. that's one of my biggest down falls. I'm working on it. i say this as I'm snaking on m&m's.. well i tried.

Joline will be home in 6 days now! she was suppose to be home today but she is going whhale watching :D LUCKYY!!
Tchau

what do I really know?

OLAA
so i was once asked by a Brazilian amigo what i knew about Brazil. Not wanting to offend him i didn't really say what i knew. then i thought more about it. What do i really know.. Turns out not much at all! i did write a 13 page essay about it but i forget most of it. so I'm going to say some random things that the Internet told me. Please don't hate me if the facts are wrong which is most likely.
-Brazil is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
-Brazil is much hotter than Canada!
-It does get cold in the south.
-Brazil's capital is Brasilia
-Brazil's population: 186,112,794 Canada's population: 33,311,400
-Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world.
-Brazil touches all the countries in south America except for Chile and Ecuador.
-Brazil and Canada were in dispute in 2000 due to Canada not wanting Brazilian beef for fear of mad cow disease, even though no cases were found.
-Official language of Brazil is Portuguese.
-Brazilian money is called Reals (and is some of the coolest money i've ever seen :D)
-Brazil is a large exporter of coffee.
-Population of Floripa (Florianopolis) is 400, 000
-Brazil became independent from Portugal on September 7th 1822.
-Brazil owns 1/3 of the worlds Amazon, and the largest Amazon river is found in Brazil
-Brazil has monkeys. (an exchange student told me she seen monkey roadkill :0)
-Most Brazilians are Roman Catholic
-Brazilians love their soccer
-Brazil won the world cup 5 times.
-Brazilians love to dance, they dance a lot of samba.
-Brazilians are much more touchy than people in Canada
-Brazilian food is amazingly great
-On the Brazil flag it says ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

So i'm going to google more facts.
maybe i'll share more with you.
tchau for now.

it's now or never.

i have no idea why i chose that for the title. but it sounded fitting to me. i don't think it has anything to do with what I'm about to write though. i don't even know what I'm about to write to tell you the truth.
So.. this week i babysat. it was fun. the kids 3 and 6 months keep me on my toes and they take my mind off my papers taking so long to get here!
oh i talked to a Brazilian on Skye with the microphone.. It was fun! we talked English though my Portuguese isn't that good.. YET! i did say some words in Portuguese but my pronunciation was off :S
I just finished my scrapbook that I've been working on.. it's of all my friends! i think im going to take it with me to Brazil.
Another exchange student is on their way to Brazil :( can't wait until that's me!
I was browsing the web when i seen something about Brazil. i clicked on it and it was breaking news. IT SNOWED IN BRAZIL! i bet you don't think that's a big deal.. but trust me it is! there was snow in the state that I'm going to. :D looks like i might need pants after all ahahah..
Joline is home in 9 days! holy! can't wait!
I'm going to tell you a little bit about exchange students. We make pins some exchange students just buy them, but no not me.. I'm not that smart. so now I'm stuck making more pins. i had 500 then i went to grand rapids, and now i have about 200.. i hope i can make more before i go to Brazil! I'm stick of making them though. i need ideas! so if you want to help me! just tell me! I'll take all the help i can get! ahah.
any who (I know supposedly it's a Canadian thing to say.)
I really do think this exchange will help me find out who i am! i have no idea. people always ask me what i want to do with my life, or what i want to be when i grow old. I never have a good answer, i just say something like "well maybe someday I'll find out" i think.. that year to find out is here! IT'S NOW OR NEVER :D looks like the title did fit! XD

can't sleep..

time seems like it's slowing down... I'm not to sure if that's a good thing or bad. i want it too seed up so i can get my forms sooner.
It's late but i can't sleep and no on is on msn or facebook.. which i believe I'm addicted too.. I'm also addicted to my email. I check it way too often! so if you ever are board and want something to do email me! rachelmariesmith.94@gmail.com i will most likely email you back pretty fast.. I'm so busy now a days but i always seem to find time for facebook. which i believe is a bad thing.
i think i can't sleep because I'm so excited, or scared, or nervous, or something.. i just can't sleep! the relaxing exercises don't work at a time like this:S.... ahhhhhhhh
what to do.. i keep yawning but wont sleep.
i think i will go practice my Portuguese.. maybe not. i think when I'm done this post i will..
or i could teach you some Portuguese :D
hello - olaa
hi - oi
goodbye - tchau
kisses (which is commonly used at the end of emails) - beijos
how are you - como vai
I'm fine - tudo bem, estou bem
I'm alright - tudo certo
and you- e voce
ohhh! my very favorite word is jellyfish :D I don't know why.
jellyfish - agua viva (which means living water)
maybe in Brazil i will actually use the word jellyfish :D

I'm so happy to say that i have a friend who did a work and change exchange to Quebec for 6 weeks in the summer.. she will be getting back on the 14th. I can't wait to hear all about it! we have been staying in touch via e-mail and the stories she tells me are so funny, and i can't wait to be the one telling the stories!

this is a once in a life time chance and i can't believe i get to experience it! Rotary is to thank for this one! MUITO ORIGADA rotary! i can't even thank you enough for this opportunity!

want to listen to some awesome Brazilian music?
Exaltasamba - 14 - Eu Não Consigo Sem Você (Ao Vivo na Ilha da Magia)
Ivete Sangalo - Nao Precisa Mudar
Jeito Moleque - Hoje a Noite é Nossa ( Abertura DVD)
Cine - Garota Radical
listen to them.. i like them! can't wait to tell you more songs.. i will once i know what's current. I'll give you the latest music.

I have good news :D

I have just heard the news that my papers are finally being sent from Brazil! I should get them soon. I'm so excited and happy right now! I'll let you know as soon as i get them