When something leaves, it will never be the same.

   Once  I was already adapted into living in a different country, speaking a different language, submitting to a completely outrageously, different culture, I decided that the difficulty level of my life needed to highten. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. 

   Ever since I could remember, I've always wanted to learn how to speak a foreign language. So one day I decided to speak to my mother about it. She thought it was a good idea, and even mentioned the prospect of me one day traveling abroad into a full-emersion program to get the "whole experience". I thought she was bluffing. Oh how wrong I was. 

   Long story short, this year I started to take some French, and in less than two weeks I will be going to stay with some relatives in France. I will be staying only for the semester and will be put into a regular French high school. 

   The idea started when I mentioned to my mom that an old classmate of mine would be leaving to spend some time studying abroad in Switzerland. I told her that I wanted to do the same, never in all my life imagining where she would go and the lengths it would take. Really all it took where a few phone calls over to my Grandma and to her sister (the one that I will be staying with), a quick meeting with my principal and that was it. I was set. 

   Now I realize that once I leave, I will never be the same. So what must I do? I must grasp this huge opputunity into hands and make sure that it does not go unwaisted.

 

When I was a little girl.

I grew up in a home were each of my parents wanted different things; while my mom wanted to move back to her native country, my dad just wanted a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood. So I grew up with a few dilemas. Then one day I realized that I didn't need to be in my hometown (this already in Brazil), or live in a huge house to be happy. All I need is to be satisfied with myself, to have good people around me. Because it doesn't matter where a person lives or who they are (status-wise) for them to be happy. It's not a matter of conforming, it's a matter of not wanting what one doesn't need and being thankful for what one already has. Living in a capitalist society where more is better, one tends to start thinking in the opposite direction. It's a never-ending cycle of "Nothing is ever good enough." One has to be happy with everything, every moment and every little oppurtunity that comes one's way.  Which is why when I was a little girl I decided to stop putting so much value and so much worth into hopes and dreams that were, essentially, hollow. But hey, that's just when I was a little girl.

Who am I?

To start I would like to tell anyone who comes about this blog to know a little bit about who I am. I was born in Berkeley, California in the United States to Brazilian parents, and am fluent in English and Portuguese. I lived in the San Fransisco Bay Area until I was 14 years old when my parents decided to move to Brazil. Since then I have had many experiences dealing with many different styles of people from all kinds of backgrounds. Therefore I have been strongly influenced by a variety of events throughout my life that have made me who I am today; a sixteen year old with a passion in International Relations. During the following months I will be randomly posting some pictures of some of my favorite outfits.