Student exchange experience 2015
During the summer vacations, June 20th to July 23rd 2015 to be exact, I had the opportunity to be a Rotary exchange student in Joinville, Brazil.
The main goal of this exchange is for young adults to experience different cultures, help other and also make friendships that last a lifetime.
I am extremely happy with the results of this exchange, not only for what I have learned, but also for what I, a girl from a small island most people have never heard of, have been able to teach others, who come from countries much bigger than mine. Often these countries do not realize what a small island is capable of.
As for the exchange, I have learned so much, I now have a great appreciation for the Brazilian culture, which has allot of similarities but is also very different than the culture we have on Curaҫao. I’ve learned a new language and even though I am not yet fluent, I am able to survive.
I have seen different parts of Brazil and I have learned that a country is so much more than what we see on tv or in movies. But for me, the most important, is the friendships I have made, which I know will last a lifetime, the people I’ve met there turned into my family. They have brought out the best parts of me and I am forever grateful for them accepting me the way I did.
Thank you, or as they say in Brazil, Obrigada.