A) You really don't need all the stuff and things that you accumulate in your life.
I've been living in a very small hotel room for 12 weeks now. I have a 10 x 14 size room with a double bed (thank God for that!) and a bathroom/shower. I have a 2 x 2 "desk" and a very uncomfortable chair, which has become a coat hanger. I have a suitcase that functions as a dresser and 4 boxes of other stuff (food, photos, books, etc.) that were part of my air shipment (thank you John Deere!!!) . Underneath my bed, I have all my shoes stored and a second suitcase. It's a small room, but I have everything I really need. I realize that I don't NEED all the stuff I had in the US....but it was sure nice. You really can get along and survive without so many "things" in your life. Life is a little more simple this way!
B) John Lennon said " I get by with a little help from my friends."
Well, all my friends are really helping me! Photos of friends & family TRULY are priceless! As well as the cards and other things I've gotten in the mail down here. I have some family photos and photos of my friends on a makeshift dresser and it's a very warm reminder of my great support network back in the US! I've gotten some very sweet, thoughtful and touching cards from friends (um, mom...still waiting for my home baked cookies!) and they REALLY brighten my day and make the distance seem a lot less than it actually is.
C) "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted"--Aesop
I am living in a foreign country by myself. Wow. Sometimes I really can't believe that I really live 5,000+ miles away from my home country. Everything I do here is a challenge...the language, communicating, listening, driving, etc. I love the challenge and am conquering all of those things with 110% of myself. However, I could not have survived these first 12 weeks without the kindness of the Brasilians and other new friends. My first night in Horizontina, I was greeted with a lovely welcome party someone threw in my honor! I have been invited over to people's homes several times and didn't meet them before I showed up on their doorstep to enjoy a churrasco or some other event (no, I didn't just randomly walk around looking for people to adopt me! I was invited as a guest of someone else!!). Or the countless other people who are extremely patient with my Portuguese and try to understand me even when I say the word for "fog" when I meant to say "heart". Note: They sound very similar!!! The kindness of other people here has been so wonderful and appreciated!!
In summary, you know, when you go through a difficult situation or time, you get some new perspective on life. These first 12 weeks in Brazil have been a huge challenge, but it's given me some new perspective on life and I hope it will help make me be a better person and friend & reciprocate all the of the wonderful kindness, gestures and simple things in life!
:-) Happy Reading!
