Everybody changes during life. This is why we go on living, for the change, whether it be good or bad, this is life. But I am not sure whether or not there is a more changing program in life than that of the year of an exchange student. It´s amazing how much different I am than just 10 weeks ago. I´m more independent, I speak another language, and I´ve learned that sometimes you have to live with the personalities in your family with out saying a thing. Because sometimes it´s better not say anything and not make a problem than saying something and ruining somebody´s relationship with you. I´ve also changed in how to try and express yourself in a different language. During my first month here, I was unable many times to say what I was feeling whether it be from the toy poodle peeing in my room everyday or that I felt totally alone because nobody in my family talked. From my first month here I have made the effort to try and talk with my family and they have responded very well. I think that our relationship has changed us both. I am a stronger more bolder person and when they talk to each other they don´t yell anymore. When I went to my rotary club to make the speech for why I was here I didn´t want to say the normal thing of `I´m here because I got involved rotary and I´ve always wanted to want to travel`. These are good reasons, but I wanted and needed to really strike at the hearts of these old rotarians. I said that I came here because ever since I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life I have always wanted to make a difference. I figured that coming here could help me with that dream while learning about a new culture, speaking a different language, and changing the life of me and brazilians at the same time. When I am an adult maybe I will go into polotics and remember in brazil that you have to independent from others and follow your instincts and no matter what other people say you have to do the right thing. Or when I am in another country volunteering and it´s either I stay there for a couple of months to help people build houses and grow food or go back to the US to my comfortable home, I will remember here that you always need to help the people in need and not for your own wants. This is what I´m learning in Brazil.