WOW, what a time I have had here! In two very short months, I have been given the chance to experience and learn so much that it is hard to describe in words. From the endless amounts of food at a Churrasquearia to seeing Pope Francis, there is not a price that can be placed on the memories I have made. Many of these experiences have been external in that I have seen them or been present for them, but they did not necessarily effect my character. However, something that stands out to me and that I think will help me the most as I return to the United States is Patience. As someone who has very little of this virtue, I see the great value it holds within a person. I believe some people are born with more patience than others (in my case, little to none), but I also believe a certain level of patience can be acquired. This level is something I strive for because I know that patience is one of my greatest weaknesses. Since my arrival here in Brazil, I feel that my patience has been tested. Whether it was the frustrations of traveling with a group (which if you have done before, you know can be exhausting), mistakes made in the lab, or waking up to a cold shower every morning I always kept repeating to myself "PATIENCE". This was a subtle reminder to calm down and that everything was going to be just fine. I hope to hold to this acquired trait and bring it home with me to apply it in my everyday life. If I take away nothing else from this trip to Brazil (which will never happen), the least I can say is "patience was my friend there".
So what do I think was the coolest thing I have done in Brazil?
By far, it has to be the JMJ....or as we Americans call it World Youth Day. My last post was about this event and it truly was an amazing event to attend. I do not necessarily want to do it againa nytime soon, but I do not regret it at all. In being there, I was able to get this feeling of being a part of something larger than myself and that in itself was rewarding enough to me.
What do I miss the most from home?
1. Hot water...the hot water tanks are solar-powered where I live and so when I take a shower early in the morning there was never hot water (not to complain though, because at least I had water)
2. A regular internet connection...on any given day ours did not work, which made contact back home difficult
3. English...after being here awhile you become exhausted of having to convey a message to someone in a mixture of Portuguese and English
4. Convenience...living in such a big city as Sao Paulo everything is far to us, therefore it is unmotivating sometimes to even leave your residence
Overall, my experience has been a great one. I am thankful to my fellow MHIRT students (past and present) for helping me along and going through this with me. I thank those who are in charge of the MHIRT program for working so hard in preparing us for coming here. And, of course, I thank all of those here in Brazil (co-workers, friends, etc.) who have treated me so well and taught me so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment