Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Two Months to Go!

I'm Helenka a senior in high school and in two months I will be in Portugal! I will be in Portugal from January to June, the last semester of my senior year. When I tell people I'm going to be traveling abroad I receive "Why?" as a response. I have been traveling since I was little. I went to France when I was eight and have since been to Ireland, Norway and Ecuador. Each experience has opened my eyes to the world and made me curious to explore more.
I have lived in the country surrounded by dairy farms my whole life. Life here, is predictable. From the age of 5 to 18 your life is planned; elementary school, middle school, then high school. I want to step out of the mold and challenge myself with a change of scenery, a new language, a new everything. "Carpe Diem" "Seize the Day" I'm seizing the moment and hoping to gain a completely different view of the world. It's definitely scary thinking I'm going to be across the Atlantic from my family and friends for six months, but I couldn't be more excited!
I already have my host family information. I'll be living near Santarem, which is a much bigger city than my tiny town. My host family sounds amazing. There are three kids in the family so hopefully they will help me with school. I will be staying with them until March 19, when I change families (it wasn't specified why) but I will still be in the same community and school. Right now I'm in the process of obtaining my study visa. I know it's going to be a great six months! I can't wait!