Buen Viaje

Well.. I made it!
I flew out on Wednesday night from Chicago and embarked on my first ever 9+ hour flight solo. It was a little nerve racking at first, especially because I was on a direct flight headed to Brazil and everyone around me was speaking only in Portuguese.. which I cannot understand at all. Luckily it was an overnight flight and I was able to sleep majority of the way.. the movies playing really helped with that :)
Once I landed in Brazil I had about 5 hours until my next flight and that had to be the most confusing airport I have ever been in, so once I found where I was supposed to be I found my own little corner of the terminal and sat there. I think the weirdest feeling was being virtually cutoff from everyone, I was sitting in a airport where I couldn't understand anyone, I was unable to use the internet, I had no calling card, no cell phone, and you cannot make collect calls to cell phones apparently, so I read a book and took a nap until it was time to go.
The second flight was only about 2 hours but it seemed so much longer than that! (partially due to the couple who couldn't seem to stop making out for more than 5 minutes the entire flight) Anyway I finally arrived and I was greeted by my host mom (Andrea) and her mother (didn't catch her name). Once we made it home I was greeted by Juan (age 12) and Lucia (age 17) two of the three siblings I will be living with. No one really speaks English, but I am okay with that because it is putting my Spanish to the test... so far, so good. Eventually I met Carolina (age 15) and my host dad Gerardo. Last night and today there isn't much going on just learning the ways of the family and trying to get my bearings straight. I am living on the 8th floor of an apartment building in the middle of it all (El Centro). It is going to be an adjustment to get used to the sounds of the big city right outside my window but I think it will be alright. I don't have to go to school until Wednesday so I have about a week to get things straight. Tonight I will be going out with Carolina to explore the city a little.. an update and pictures to follow!

Un beso