Gabriela "Gabi" Brito

2005-06 Inbound from Brazil

Date of Birth: May 18, 1988

Hometown: Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil

Sponsor: Itabuna Sul Rotary Club, District 4550, Brazil

Host: Arlington Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA

School: Terry Parker High School

Bio

Gabi's Bio

I love my country, my friends and my family, but I decided to come because I think this program is a form to became independent and is a new, different and exciting experience.

I enjoy hearing music, dancing, go out, meet new people, go to the beach, and everything that keeps me out of home!

September 19 Journal

But like everything, the exchange program has a good and bad side, and here I want to show both of them, so people can know really what is be an exchange student in Jacksonville- FLORIDA!

At first I want to say that my host parents are a blessing and I only have to say a lot of THANK YOU every day! They are lovely, they take care of me like I am their real daughter, and I can feel that they are like real parents for me. I have a host sister and brother but they don’t live here, but I met them and they are very good too.

At the first week I went to the Rotary meeting and they received me very good. The Rotary people here always worry about you and they are very nice!

The first day at school…I can say that it was terrible. The school is very big, people are so crazy (I know that it is culture, but those gold teeth and a lot of colors in the hair…) and nobody helped me or talked with me. I missed my school and all the people in my country (in Brazil people come to talk with you, we hug each other a lot, and you are never alone), and this was the first and only time that I asked myself “What am I doing here?”. OK, I tried not to think in bad things and to do something that I could meet people. I decided to enter in the volleyball team, so I would not be at home doing nothing and missing everything.

Then, I arrive at home at 5 p.m. and I only have time to cook something with my parents to eat, do the homework, watch some TV, and sleep, because I am very tired!

Now everything looks different. I can say that there are a lot of nice people that I met in my school and I started to enjoy my classes, to talk with the teachers, and I don’t know, but people's faces don’t look so bad more.

One thing that I can not forget to say is about the first exchange student meeting. It was wonderful. We had a lot of fun, and I can tell you…I thought it was going to be boring, but they talked and helped us a lot with the instructions and meetings. The District 6970 is very organized and I am very happy to be here!

I just want to say thank you to Rotary and to everybody that works to keep us here, because it is really a good experience, and “I am loving it!”

January 19 Journal

So, good...let's start with the new host family: AWESOME! It's a big family, I have 8 brothers and sisters, and even though they all don't live here, there are 11 people at home, yeah a soccer team!! But it is so much fun, they are very nice, and I like the house full of people too!

The holidays were pretty good too; Christmas: oh my gosh, even my real parents never gave me that much presents, and it was not just about presents, my Christmas was wonderful because I felt they did with me just like a daughter, and that made me feel really good, since that was a time that I would miss my family a lot!

New Years was so much fun, as always when the exchange students get together! And I can't wait now for Seacamp!!

And of course, I couldn't forget to tell about the Disney trip, but I really don't have an word to describe: PERFECT! That place is so magic and I felt like a little kid all the time! Everything is so peaceful and so cute! THANK YOU ROTARY!!!

Well...I think that's it!!5 months already...:(...it's sad and happy...:)

February 2 Journal

Today I am here for exactly 6 months and I think it is something very very special for all of us that decided to go to this adventure that is the exchange program. Now, I can look everything around me with another eyes: people at school don’t scare me no more (at first it was really weird), the huge school that made me crazy giving me a map in the first day looks like somewhere so familiar that I can wander there for hours and actually know which class I am going to. I learned to ignore the people that don’t have anything good to tell me and be nice with everyone no matter the color or the ethnicity (and that, trust me, there are a lot!), because, like my dad would say...they don’t know any better...

I played volleyball, soccer –that one I enjoyed a lot...isn’t that funny, I left Brazil to learn to love soccer!, and know I am trying for tennis... I can tell that I am so not used to that little ball that I miss all the time!

Changing families is one of the greatest experiences. I can’t understand how totally different families, with different habits and different ways of thinking and acting can be both so nice, I mean, they are more than great! I came from the “spoiled only child” of the first family to one among 8! In one more month I will change again, and it makes me sad in thinking about leave this family. It’s so crazy how easy we can get close and start loving some people!

Last weekend was the Sea Camp, and although it was really cold, we had so much fun, as usual. When we were passing through the bridge I kept recording with the camera: Atlantic Ocean...Gulf of Mexico...Atlantic Ocean...Gulf of Mexico...Isn’t this exciting? I think about that little map in the Geography class and I am just there, in the division separating the Atlantic from the Gulf! I loved it!

Now, instead of the happy thinking that I made one more day, I start thinking that I missed one day already... I mean, I can tell that now is when I miss my folks a lot, but I get so lost thinking in what is expecting me over there...

I guess now my English is getting better and better, even though I believe I have a lot to learn yet.

Right now I am so looking forward to go to Pennsylvania. My sister did the exchange program there 2 years ago, and I am going to meet her host parents, and go skiing! I just can’t wait! I heard up north is totally different , and I will be able to tell when I come back! :D

My people.. : P I think it is time to put a THE END in this journal now.. I am pretty sure it is enough to receive an e-mail from THE counselor with no complaints and amazing comments about it.

Exchange students: always so much fun together...sad in thinking it's almost over...