June has been a busy month with school, events, outings, and the anticipation for my departure. I have just short of 3 weeks left in Paraguay. We're entering winter here, so some leaves are turning dark and are falling. We had one week of decent coldness, like typical November cold, but it didn't last long. A few trees are blooming flowers. My departure date has been pushed back to the 19th of July. Next week is my last normal week of school; after that we have a tournament during the first week of July, and vacations after that.
On June 2nd, I went to San Juan at my host brother's school. San Juan is a traditional holiday held on June 24th, but is celebrated throughout the whole month. Schools and communities hold festivals with games, music, dancing, and food. On the 2nd, I was able to celebrate at my host brother's school. The different classes organized booths with games, and my friends and I spent the night eating, laughing, and dancing.
On Monday the 12th, I didn't have classes. So, I spent the long weekend at my grandmother's house in the interior. I went with my mom, aunts, and 2 younger cousins. It was colder than it was during Semana Santa, but all I needed was to wear long sleeves and a hoodie. Since I was spending each day with my cousins, they showed me parts of the house I hadn't seen before. We walked around more and they showed me the cows and pigs kept at the house next door. We got to feed them a few times. We also gathered seeds to eat and ate so many mandarins. My aunts made chipa and empanadas to give to visiting family and friends.
A big event of the month was our end of stay camp! All the remaining students went to a 3 day camp organized by AFS to prepare for our departures and reflect on our experiences. On Friday the 23rd, we took the busses to a hostel in Luque, about 40 minutes from my home in Lambaré. It was so nice to see all the volunteers and other students, as well as the students that were there for their mid-stay camp. During the weekend, we had orientations, discussions, reflections, and other activities focused around preparing for our returns, some things to expect, and just reflecting on our exchange year in general. Many people cried. During our free time, we played in the pool, played sports, sang, and talked non-stop.
On Saturday the 24th, San Juan, we made mbejú to snack on, and had a dinner of lomitos around the bonfire. Sunday morning came quickly. We signed each others' flags, took photos, and said our goodbyes. Many of us will still be able to visit each other before our departures, but there were a few friends I won't be able to meet up with. It felt odd; I've been to other students' end of stay camp and have watched them do these activities, and now I'm finally doing it myself! I was able to talk to friends and be comforted by them. I could really feel how much I have changed since I first arrived last year. On Sunday afternoon we took the busses back to the AFS office in Asuncion.
Yesterday, Wednesday the 28th, my class held a farewell party for me. During our last class of the day, I gave a presentation about the United States. I was really nervous to be presenting such a long slideshow in Spanish, but it went well and my classmates enjoyed it. They asked questions and laughed, and were totally blown away when I told them how cold Colorado gets in the winter. After my presentation, my teachers gifted me a mug and pencil bag with the school logo on it. A few of my classmates gave small speeches about their experience with me, (all highlighting how shy I was when I first arrived). Afterwards, we ate! They all helped in bringing snacks for us to eat; like empanadas, cookies, and ice cream.
Next week, my school is having a tournament, so we won't have any classes. We've been spending the past 3 weeks preparing our dances and cheers for competitions. After the tournament, they vacation. It's during this break that I leave. On the 19th of July, my exchange year in Paraguay will come to an end and on the 20th I will arrive back in the States. I will write my next blog post tomorrow about my last day of classes.
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Antiques Sale at Train Station
School Views
Congrats on giving your presentation! You've helped so many hosted students here in the US... I'm so glad you've gotten to live the exchange student life yourself. I can't believe it's almost time for you to come home. Enjoy these last few weeks and days. You will treasure this blog in the future. I sure wish I had done one.
ReplyDeleteMemories for a lifetime. It’s hard to believe your time there is almost done. Breathe in the experience and enjoy. We love you very much.
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