Mi Vida Extranjero: Goodbye Uruguay

I'm posting my final blog post in Uruguay a little bit early so that I can enjoy my final week, but don't worry I'll write more when I return to the USA. My flight is in the evening of the 17th of July and I will be in Marietta the evening of the 18th.

In recent news, I spent the past weekend in Punta Del Este (one of the most beautiful beaches in the world) with my boyfriend, Sebastian. We stayed with his aunt and I got the chance to meet most of his family. We made it to most of the touristy areas of Punta del Este and celebrated his 18th birthday by going dancing all night. Overall, a very fun trip!

A week or two before my trip to Punta Del Este, I traveled to an AFS conference in Buenos Aires for about 3 days then spent about 4 days after with a family in Montevideo. I got to know two big capital cities in one trip! In the conference, I made more friends from all over the world. The bond between exchange students is always strong and I can honestly say that I feel like I have a home in just about every country.

My host parents left for Europe the same day that I left for Buenos Aires and will be returning the day before I leave Melo for another AFS conference in Buenos Aires. In the meantime I have been living with my grandma, Marion. I enjoy staying with her but I'm going to gain a lot of weight if I stay here much longer as she is a very good cook.

And now for my sappy "Goodbye Uruguay" paragraph. Recently I was talking to someone about my exchange and I think I summed up how I feel about my experience pretty well, "I'm not going to lie, I cried a lot my first week and I'm sure I'll cry a lot this week as it is my last but I wouldn't trade my experience here for the world." In reality, my experience here gave me the world. Not only did I learn a new language and a new culture, but I also learned a lot about myself. I learned to trust myself and my abilities because I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I learned to keep my head up and enjoy every moment, even the boring ones. The people I met here: my family, friends, classmates, other exchange students, teammates, and volunteers are truly unforgettable and have changed my life for the better. The easy-going carefree way of life here has taught me to slow down a little bit and enjoy doing nothing (those of you who know me realize that this is a lesson I needed to learn!). And most importantly, I learned that it's not the house that makes a home, it's the people. I've stayed with so many great families, each with a distinct lifestyle; but they all had one thing in common, they all made me feel like part of the family. I'm so thankful for everything that everyone has done for me and I hope that I have been able to make a difference in their lives too. I will miss you Uruguay but I know we will see each other again soon!