It is official. No turning back. No parents to tell you to sit up straight at the table or to make your bed. You are alone in a different country. A different continent. Paraguay. This is what I realized when I woke up this morning.
Being here in Paraguay is an experience, an adventure. I have only been here for 8 days, but already I have cried more than I ever have before, wanted to go home; begged to go home and almost givin up. I have been more depressed than most people at my age. But then I realized, I was not alone. Once I got out of my shell, came out of my room, I realized that there where 23 other students in Paraguay feeling the excact same way! I got to talking to some of them and we soon found that we were alll a little depressed and we all wanted to just give up and go home, but we didn´t. A part of us wanted, needed to make it through to the finish line.
I will describe it like a roller coaster. Litterally - there is the waiting part. The excitment is building up. You see the other cars filling up and the other people coming and going and finally it is your turn. You are so excited! You get all buckled up and ready and then off you go! There are the exciting parts and the scary parts and the parts when you just want to get off, but then the car comes to a halt and you are so glad that you did it! You even want to do it again and again. I just need to get to that point.
Unfortunatly, there was a glitch in my roller coaster and we are at a stopping point for a little bit. My first family, my assigned family, didn´t work out. So I am in a temporary family. I am in the same city of Luque and in the basic same area, but a different house :)
I will try to keep my blog updated, but it is hard to find internet around and is probably better if I post only once a month or so, just so that I become more enveloped in my new life here.
Love and Miss you all so much!
Peace
Vivian
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Vivian,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear your first family did not work out;I hope you will soon have another permanent one to stay with and that one will work out.
I gueess you have discovered early on that you will need perseverence and there will be many ups and downs.Keep smiling and soon you will get back on the roller coaster again.I promise it will get easier.
Love,
Grandpa Derek
Hi Vivian
ReplyDeleteIt was so good to hear from you. There are bound to be ups and downs but you are very independent and you will survive. After all the excitement leading up to your arrival, it was likely that there would be a let down but I'm sure it will work out in the end. And as you say, lots of others felt the same so you are not alone. We will be thinking about you and looking forward to hearing more.
Lots of love
Grandma
HEY VIVIAN
ReplyDeleteI WAS SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOUR FIRST FAMILY DID NOT WORK OUT. I KNOW THINGS WILL GET BETTER SO HANG IN THERE. IT TAKES A VERY STRONG PERSON TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND I THINK IT'S GREAT . MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU
LOTS OF HUGS
TIFFINEY
Hi Vivian, it's Carl, Charlotte's dad. Charlotte told me about your first days in Paraguay. You are very brave! I travel all over the world for work now, but I never could have done what you're doing when I was 15. Good luck, and I look forward to reading more of your blog. If you want to read mine, it's at: www.thelunaticexpress.com.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Carl Hoffman
We wish to be there with you!!! but you are a smart and strong girl, we are always thinking about you and hopefully things will get better from now on.
ReplyDeletewe miss you a lot!!!
love,
Dora and Dad.
Thank you all so much for reading my blog! So - I have reason to believe that my temporary family is trying to become my permanent family. It would be great if I was able to stay with them! As far as everything else goes, I am enrolled in Spanish classes and I have successfully taken the bus to and from those classes on my own! It was a very exciting day! I will try and post again soon!
ReplyDeletepeace & Love
vivian
Hi Vivian!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like such an exciting adventure! Have you been placed with a new family? PLease let us know since we're sweating bullets back here on your behalf.
Love,
Christina
PS: The boys (your uncles) headed back to school earlier this week.
Grandpa hasn't got it all figured out yet. Viv, It took me three weeks to try and figure this whole thing out and all you have is bad news for me. Do you want me send Uncle Dave down to straighten things out? If he does arrive don't bother to send him back right away. Tell me some good stuff. What are you eating? Do you have email or just this? Any plans to visit the countryside and collect some wild animals. Tell me more. Love, Grandpa
ReplyDeleteHey Viv,
ReplyDeleteCheck this out -- I found it in the blog right after yours. It's about design, so I was immediately interested. I guess this was a video project made by some students. Read the intro graf--it's about how to deal with life's setbacks: http://www.max-wasserkampf.com/ (once you're at this page, search for sehr, or smile:)
Best,
Christina