See You Later Brazil...

It was a Saturday afternoon. After a full year in Brazil, it was time to say goodbye. Or, not necessarily a goodbye, but at least a "see ya later." Adriano was busy with an event he had been planning for months and my host mom had to go to work, so I was heading to the airport alone. Or so I thought. At the last minute, me friend Leo came all the way to accompany me to the airport and send me off.



A year. A year is a long time. And yet nothing. It flew. And yet was cram packed with memories. In a year I learned so much, grew so much, changed so much, matured so much. I'm not the same person I was when I left. And I'm okay with that.

A year. Wow. It was a hard goodbye. A lot of hugs. A lot of kisses. A lot of tears. But it was a necessary goodbye. It was just hard to leave the place I had loved for 12 months...

It's good for me to leave and have the opportunity to see if Brazil is really what I want. It's important for me to finish my college education. And, of course, it's going to be great to see my family and friends from back home again. But it was hard... very hard to say goodbye.

As I said goodbye to Leo, I cried. As I worked my way through security, I cried. As I got my visa stamped and worked my way through customs, I cried. As I boarded the plane, I cried. As I took off, I cried. But they were good tears, full of all the great memories I had had in the past year. And, thank goodness, I know I'm going back.

As I left Brazil, Leo left me with a note talking about our friendship and my time in Brazil. And the last lines were the lyrics to the song "Wheel" by John Mayer. They fit the situation perfectly so I had to post them for you.

"And airports
See it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye
Blends in with someone's sigh
Cause someone's coming home
In hand a single rose...

And if you never stop when you wave goodbye
You just might find if you give it time
You will wave hello again
You just might wave hello again"

I'm starting a new phase in my life, being in Norway and traveling through Europe. I'll be finishing up college and concluding some research projects. And... I'll be hopefuly starting out on my own again in Sao Paulo.

It was a great year. And hopefully just one of many more to come.