Unknown Terminal Thoughts

I'm currently sitting in the Rio de Janeiro airport, waiting for the plane to arrive that will at long last deliver me to my new family and to my new home.  The Past two weeks have been a blurr of hugs, warm wishes, and answering the same five question over and over again...

Q: Where are you going?
A: Paraguay
Q: What made you decide to go there?
A: There are families there that will take me
Q: How long are you going to be gone?
A: 9 months
Q: How do you feel about going?
A: hmm...that one's a little more complicated

Most people assume I'm scared.  There are definitely moments where I become paralyzed with fear.  It isn't the leaving my family, or being away from everything I know.  It isn't even not knowing the language.  The thing that scares, and excites, me the most is the simple fact that I know pretty much nothing about what is about to happen to me.  I don't know what I am going to do about school. I don't know if I'm going to be changing families. I don't know when I'm going to meet people besides my family. I don't know if I'm going to meet people besides my family.  I don't know if I'll have to have a job.  I don't know if I'll have a maid.  I do know that I'll have dogs there, but surprisingly that doesn't really put my worries to rest.  Heck, I most likely don't even know of some of the things I don't know!

All my life I have been adventurous.  I want to travel the world, see everything there is too see and even a few things no one else has.  I try to look at this experience as a big adventure.  I may not be spelunking into a deep dark cave, or shooting off into space, but it's still an adventure into the unkown.  It started when I left my parents at the gate and was completely on my own for the first time.  It was pretty neat, and I know that it will only get better.  Each new lesson learned, each new experience had is another step in the journey.  Even though I'm not going to die (all of you knock on wood...quick!!!) doesn't mean I don't need to be careful. Careful of people's feelings. I recognize the great opportunity this is, and I know that this isn't the United States.  Things are going be different, but different isn't bad. Which brings me to the fifth afinal question I've had to answer again and again.

Q: What's the reason you wanted to do this exchange in the first place?
A: To learn about and appreciate the differences between our culture and another

I'm leaving the United States as a blank canvas.  I'm going to return a colorful expression of different cultures, life experiences, and good memories...hopefully

-Paz y Amor,
Samuel

P.S. For all you non-Spanish speakers, that's peace and love in Spanish.