6 days away!

Wow time has flown.  Six days from now, I will be on a plane headed for Brazil.  I recently purchased a book on Brazil and thought I would share some of the interesting facts that I learned.

• Brazil is the fifth largest nation on the planet.  The total landmass is 3, 285, 618 square miles.  In comparison the US is 3.79 million square miles in size.
• The population is over 192 million people.  (The US is estimated to be over 312 million people.)
• Brazil was discovered in 1500 by Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral. 
• Salvador is the first capital city of Brazil, starting in approximately 1549.
• Rio de Janerio is made the capital city in 1763.
• Brazil achieves independence from Portugal in 1822.
• Brazil was the only Latin American county to take an active part in World War II.
• Brasilia was inaugurated as the capital of Brazil in 1960.
• Brazil contains 26 states and one federal district. 
• Roman Catholicism is the predomenient religion with ~75% of the population.
• Salvador is the third largest city in Brazil (behind Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) with approximately 2.7 million people.
• Poverty in Brazil is high.  According to this book that was written in 2000, about 20 million people (out of the 62 million economically active population) earn less than $70 US a month.  Approximately half the Brazilian population can not afford their children a decent upbringing.

I learned that my volunteer placement will be at Madre Teresa.  It is a place that has elderly women live there, who have been left by their families, and children ages 1-3 who come during the day (or stay overnight Monday-Friday) from the nearby favelas.  I will have the opportunity to do crafts with the elderly women, paint their nails, and give them massages.  And with the children, I have been told it is basically just giving them attention and being a referee to break up any fights.  It should be interesting.

16 days and Counting - A Range of Emotions

As my title says, I only have 16 days left until I embark on my journey to Salvador Brazil.  As it gets closer my emotions are all over the place.

Excited - I am excited for the opportunity and excited about meeting the other volunteers that I have only talked to through email or phone.  It appears that there are 7 of us going from Lilly (interestingly all women), and then at least 1 other starting on the same day that is non-Lilly.  Our CCS contact will also be joining us on our trip, so that will be great!

Curious - I have been following the other Lilly volunteers in Brazil and they speak of their emotions.  They talk about being happy to help at their placements, frustrated about the language barrier, and sad when they see the poverty in areas of the city.  I am curious as to how I will react to the surroundings, how I will potentially react to not being able to communicate with words to the people at the placement, etc.

Stressed - I am stressed about packing for the trip.  I have a list started on what I want to bring, but the thought of actually starting getting things together in a suitcase is very stressful.  What if I forget something important??  Also stressed about all the items I want to get done before leaving.

Happy - I am happy that my visa came today.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the visa process like I was, you actually send your passport away and the visa is attached on a page in your passport.  I sent my passport in about 1 month ago.  You have to have an extra passport photo to send in with the paperwork, which of course is ugly since you can't smile. I now have a 10 year visa in which I can stay in Brazil for 90 days at a time but can not stay more than 180 days each year.   We liked that the nationality is listed as "Norte-Americano".

Thankful - Thankful that Lilly has given me this opportunity.  Thankful that when I changed jobs in July, my new boss was on board with me going on the trip.  Thankful to my colleagues who will take my share of the work while I am away for 2 weeks!

Sad - I am sad about what I will be leaving at home while I am gone.  Recently married, this will be the first time my husband and I are apart for this length of time.  Actually since we met in 2008, the longest time we have gone without seeing each other I believe was a little over a 1 week, and that was back in 2008.  We also have 2 cats, Tux and Dash.  I have had them since 2004, and anytime I go away they are not happy.  I am glad that Rob will be home to take care of them, and it will be interesting to hear how they do without me around.

Interested - I am interested in what my volunteer assignment will be.  Will I be working with small children in Orphanages, working with the Elderly, helping older children with English, working with children with HIV/AIDS?

Delighted - I am delighted about the weather in Salvador.  It is never too cold there, but the months of Dec, Jan, Feb is their summer since they are south of the equator.   As it gets colder and colder here in Indiana, I look forward to some warmth!

There are definitely other emotions as it gets closer to leaving for Brazil, but those are the big ones.

More to come as the trip gets closer....