"Time is precious, waste it wisely"

I sit here writing this in the airport on my way to a three week holiday in the north of Brazil. I know I’ve been rather slack on the writing front the last couple of months but I can’t even begin to describe the wirl  wind of a ride I’ve had and just really couldn’t bring myself to write anything due to the fact I know I have to face that this year is coming to an end!

Going all the way back to my birthday, it was a pretty interesting day! The fact that my birthday wishes started a day early since time is a little behind was the first strange thing!! I couldn’t figure which day my birthday was – my brain really was confused.

Then the 18^th came about in Brazil and nobody said anything, literally. I had been sending messages to the exchange students over the days before hand asking if we could organize something to do, and no one had been responding, to the point where I sent them a message asking if they were angry at me!!! Their simple reply was ‘no’. 

So the non-existent happy birthdays were really upsetting. I was close to tears in class, and sent a message to mum in NZ saying, ‘ This is probably the worst birthday I have ever had in my life, no one has said anything  to me, I’m probably not going out tonight because no one is replying, we’re just going to have to celebrate in NZ’.

the worst part followed shortly after, my mum here sends me a message and says, “I’m having some problems at work and I won’t be able to pick you up at school, your brother and sister will have lunch with their father and Romiltom (her boyfriend) will pick you up”. I’m pretty certain I cried a little. With a few sniffles on the way to lunch we arrived after Romiltom did a few errands and to my complete surprise, my host mum had organized a small surprise party!! All the exchange students and my family were there with presents, a birthday cake and my favourite food!! I had gone through all that suffering because of this, and the day turned out to be one of the best days of my life! I went out to a restaurant that night with all my school friends and the exchange students!!! Literally I could not have asked for a better day!! 

Exchange Students

Sursprise party!!

Best birthday cake I have ever tasted

I had my school graduation and dance on the 6^th and 7^th of December! It was so completely new which meant I was utterly nervous about every tiny detail! Especially because we had to try and look presentable not just for one day but for two! Its moments like these when I really wish that I was a guy! The Friday was the actual graduation ceremony where everybody received their diplomas! It was a little bit more important for the others considering they had managed to make it through 12 very difficult years of school, however i was still pretty chuffed that I managed to complete 13 yrs of school too! 

Receiving the diploma

The Saturday night was a dinner until midnight generally with the familly of whose graduating, and then a dance until 4am. Bruna, one of my really good friends at school invited me to sit with her family for the dinner! I was super glad I wasn't going to be orphaned for the night! However when it came to the time for the graduates to dance with one of their parents, i was overcome by probably the most homesick I have felt in a while, just to see everyone celebrating with their parents, so I spent a lot of the night with the guys from my class who were all sitting at a table together rather than with their families. Kindly too, a guy in my class asked me to dance the waltz so i didn't have to feel too disheartened i didn't have my family there!  

School Friends! 

The last pretty big moment I have had was a week or so ago! My mum here in Brazil rung and said Andre, the district youth officer of rotary wanted to have a word with me! Obviously I was freaking out a little, you know how it is, even if you know you haven't done any thing wrong. Eight comes around and i all ready to leave, we drop my brother and sister off at a friends house, go to look at some lights, waited for a while for them not to turn on, all the while my hearts freaking out more and more. Finally we arrive and he goes 'you can sit here, so do you know why your here', and of course i really had no idea so kind of just squeaked ou 'lets see'. At that moment everyone from rotary jumped out and yelled SURPRISE! turns out, it was my early leaving party! we ate pizza, i got a couple presents and some people said a few things! it was really lovely but one thing i have learned this year is 1. I am really way too gullable and 2. trust too much of what people tell me.

This passed weekend I spent the whole time crying! I swear that after this year it really can not be possible to have anymore tears left in my system!! Friday was my goodbye party with most of my school friends but then Saturday goodbye to a couple of others! They are the most amazing bunch of people I have ever met! It was difficult to be welcomed into the group in the beginning, but the really are the most carefree, do whatever, have fun bunch of people ever! Its been so hard to leave, especially since half of them are begging me to stay! But I know they’ll be here forever which just means I’m going to have to return super soon! Because I don't know if I really can say goodbye to these amazing people! <3

I know that this will not be my last post yet! I still have three weeks to get crazy in Brazilllll! So expect to here from me again! 

P.s I will return to NZ with huge welts all over, my body really does not like mosquito bites -_-  and they love me.