Al Final

Being in Miami is great! I am relearning things like using dollars and getting used to the safer drivers. It's unlike anythng else, being in the U.S after getting used to a whole different country. I amd actually very exited to be back here, but I guess I won't really know until I am back in Waupaca.

I'm just going to say a little thing to the special girls I left behind in Santa Cruz.

Claro que si llore, fue horrible, pero el segundo vez fue mas facil, gracias a Dios. Cuando camine a traves de la puerta, mi corazon se rompo un poquito. Nunca voy a olvidarte! Tengo un sueno cuando tenemos 60 años, y estoy muy rico y voy a enviar una carta a todas las chicas con un boleta para volver a Santa Cruz!! En serio yo se con todo mi alma que eso no fue "adios" solo "hasta pronto". Siempre en mi corazonsito, los Quiero!! <3

Trapped in Bolivia

I went to the airport the morning if June 10th with all the exchange students minus the 3 who had left. I checked in, we went upstairs, the girls threw tons of glitter on me, my parents gave me gifts. We cried as we said our final goodbyes. I walked away from the 15 people who have made this year so incredibly wondeful and who have helped me grow and change in so many ways. I went threw security crying and shedding glitter everywhere. I waited in line for about an hour, then showed the people my passport, papers and boarding pass. They showed me to a counter off to the side of the line where a man asked me for my parental consent papers, I gave them the one my real parents had signed last year, they barely glanced at it and just said "No". They asked me who was giving me persmission, I told them all of my parents. They said if I didn't have proof of that, I couldn't leave because I am under 18. I told them I dont know what kind of papers they want, they told me to call my dad to have him come back to the airport. After calling Kirsten to tell my dad to come back, they told me the doors were already closed and I coulnd't get on. I waited in a scary secluded staircase until someone came to take me to the main area of the airport. My host father, Kirsten, Charlotte, Matilde, Diego and Lou all came back and met me and helpedme with my bags, My father talked with the people to figure out why I couldn't leave. We went home. I called my real parents then slept all day. So now, after meeting with Rotary, Lawyers, Government officials, and signing things, we are almost all set for me to fly out Thursday.

It turns out this law was only made last month!! And no one knew!!

Nadie Puede Entender

Tengo miedo para volver. Voy a extranar las chicas aca, mi familia aca. Nadie puede entener como siento!! A veces estoy muy frustrado. Este...No solo voy a extranar, voy a tener un dolor mas fuerte del mundo en mi corazon! Mi corazon va a romper 2 mil veces para mi vida aca.

Lloro a Cualquier Momento

It has been a rough few days, Emily having gone already and I am the next. Everything I do I think it may be the last time I do it here. Its tough. I have a few tears at any moment when I think of being in the states without my girls, my wondeful host dad, and this gorgous city busstling with people.

A Beautiful Tragedy

Today was dooms day, the day the first of us leaves. Emily, the most vibrant, anigmatic, and outrageous of our group. She kinda held us together at times, she inspired us all. We went to her house in the evening. We stayed up all night. We laughed and cried. All the girls decided to give Emily a gift, we put little notes from each of us into a giant bag of magenta glitter, because all year we have been having fun with glitter every time we go out. She has inspired us to love glitter. Little did we know that she would throw all of the glitter on everyone. It turned into a glitter fight. Some people slept, some stayed up crying or talking. It was raining at 6:30 a.m. when we piled 14 people into two cars. On our way, a song came on, a song that Emily sings quite often, it was a very sad moment, but we had no idea what was to come. We waited around for the crying, sad looking Emily to check her bags and get her ticket.

We walked upstairs to where she would go through security. It all hit us then, this was it, we cant follow her into the next room, this is where we leave her. Slowly and quite painfully, we hugged her one by one, each one crying more than the last. I was near the end, I had held of crying until we hugged, and I lost it. I cried so much, everyone did. Once she had cried more than any of us thought possible, she walked into the next room, we all waved, and she was gone.

I mentioned to my friend Lou from France how beautiful we were, 12 crying girls, covered in glitter, saying goodbye to their best friend. I remember Emily once told me how she thinks sad things are so beautiful. And I was overwhelmed by how amazing I felt, despite the sadness. It truly a beautiful tragedy.

I would like to also write this in Spanish because it means a lot to me:

12 chicas alli estaban. Llorando, reindo, lleno de brillos, y todas con tanto tristeza. Estaban tan triste para la despedida de su amiga, uno de sus mejores amigas, su hermana. Una vez, Emily me dijo que ella le gusta cosas triste por que son hermosa. Cuando estabamos caminando, pense como hermosa es este tragadia. Esta cosa es muy cerca a mi corazon. El dolor es duro, pero la amistad es increible. Nunca voy a olvidar a ella o las otro chicas aca, o la experiencia que tenia aca.