BRAD
Fayetteville, AR to BOLIVIA

So this is when im supposed to tell you what I have done, how i have changed, what i have lived through? This past 10 months have really changed me up as a person and as an adult. I see the world from a different perspective now. I have made some life long friend that i will have to come back and see. I have learned another language that will help me in the future. I´ve done something with my life i never could of dreamed i would of done. Coming here to Bolivia was the best decision i have ever made. I needed to see if i could live outside the norm by myself. Writing this is really hard for me. Knowing that its the last time i will use this computer, the last time i will eat lunch with my family, the last time to wake up in my bed. Change is tough and i know this but its always a kick in the face. I am so excited to see all of you again but so sad to leave everything i have made here. I have yet to get started packing cause everytime i do someone comes in my room and starts crying. I am ready but still feel ill prepared. Tommarow i come home. Tommarow. November 4th, 10 at night. Back to the ville, back to arkansas. I´d never thought i would leave. The days have really flown by here. I can´t remember when i had a month left, or 2 or 3. Seems like i have been sleeping for 4 months and i just woke up. Incredible how fast this trip has flown by. But i just want to thank everyone who made this trip possible for me. Who pushed me to take the change. You all know who you are. Everyone i am writing this letter to means the world to me and thats the truth or you wouldnt be on this list.haha. Thanks you for all your suppost through everything. Santa cruz will always be a part of me i can replace but now its time to come home. I have had my fun and im ready to come back. Put your party hats on boys and girls. IM COMING HOME!!!!!!!!

Everyone back home,

      Looks like I will be seeing you all so soon. Time has really flown by here. I just got a month left. I stay up late here having trouble to sleep thinking about leaving. I really didnt expect it to be this hard. Lately things have been so good here. My friend have planned things for me everyweek until i leave. They are some good guys. I went to this international fair the last week with the lady friend and ended up finding the president of Bolivia in the crowd and i shook his hand. It was so cool. Man what about those Hogs. I think i might have to stay here for the rest of the season cause apparently i am good luck charm when i am far away. We went down to Peru and Brazil about a week ago. So much fun. Jebus did i get eatin up by mosquitos. We had a flat tire one time and i had to get out and fix it cause these other bolivians didnt know how. I am at a internet cafe right now writing. Sorry mom and dad for not writing in a while. My com puter at home is having problems. We have a rotary trip this weekend to a little town about 7 hours away called Concepcion. Should be cool. We have a soccer game tonight too. Busy Busy Busy but im loving every minute of it. I won most popular student in my school about 2 weeks ago. I am the first exchange student to win in santa cruz history. Theres one for the books. I knew voting for myself would help out. ( jk ). It is gettin sooooooooo hot here now. Man the humidy is insane. Everyone sweats all day in school. Kinda gross. My band is playing this up coming weekend and we are gonna be on TV again. Its so funny cause some people recognize me on the streets and ask me to sing or take a picture. Pretty cool huh? Im gonna take advantage of all the attention while i have it theres short 30 days. Well i gots to run got alot of stuff i need to get done today and I not gonna last in this heat. Take care all of you guys and ill see all of you real soon.

chau

brad

Hello arkansas

 Seems like everyday here gets better and better. My soccer team is doing good but not as good as they should be doing. My whole family is here now and now its tough to get some bathroom time. Its hard living with 2 sisters in the house. There is always something happening. About 90% of the other exchange students have gone back home to the states or  other parts of the world. More come in august so i get to be the old guy. Not like I am already being 19 and all when everyone else is 17. Its really cold here now. I actually had to break out a jacket for the past 2 days. Its a different kind of cold here too. The humidy is really weird. Im past the halfway mark with less than 4 months to go. Im starting to get the idea that i dont want to leave. Never thought that would happen when I left. Santa cruz has become a home that i never thought i would embrace. I grew out a beard for about a month. My mom here hated it and made me shave it. Wish i had it back now cause the weather. We are on a 2 week vacation know with half to go. School is great. I feel like a celebrity there. There is always someone wanted to talk to me or go do something on the weekend. Family couldnt be better here. All the other exchange students said i have the best family. I think so too. I dont think it would be possible to find a better family for me.  dvds are like 20bs here or 3 dollers. Probly gonna buy alot before i leave. Well im out. My toes are freezing. Hope everyone is having fun back home. Take care you guys and thanks for everything.

 

brad

Happy 5th of july. We really didnt do anything here for the 4th (odviously) but suprisingly everyone here knew that it was the 4th of july for the states. Pretty weird to me.

 Spanish is real easy now. I have no problems communicating. I hope everything is going alright at home. I have been thinking alot of college and high school here and i have been talking with dad here and in the states.

And i learn alot more spanish in high school with my friends. Oh yea i almost forgot. We toke this huge test over all subjects a couple days ago. Its really important to the school and everyone gets real worried about it. I finished in the middle of my class. I was so suprised. Ofcourse aced math and english. But everyone was real suprised to see my name in the middle. Pretty cool huh. Anyways ill let ya go. gots to go eat. Im on my winter vacation now and its gonna be a lot of the gym and alot of sleeping.  chau

 

brad

To the fathers. HAPPY FATHES DAY & CONGRATULATIONS.

Most of you have become like 2nd fathers to me and i appriciate everything you have done for me. Just wanted to let you know that i really admire all you guys and hope that in the future i can be as cool as you guys are and still keep the up the fatherly duties. thanks to all.

brad

Whats up everyone.

    Some of you i talk to often and some i havnet talk to once. So if you don´t know im In santa cruz bolivia in near my 5th month here. Things are going amazingly well here. I thought that summer would be hard for me cause everyone is back in the states but now i dont even really think about it. I got too much stuff to do here. Spanish is like a reflex now. Its so amazingly easy to talk to people. The only problem i have is with one of my teachers who has like 6 teeth and his accent is hard to follow. The weekdays are very typical for me here. Gym in the morning for an hour and half, walk the streets for an hour, lunch with the fam, school, (sometimes a soccer game), then sleep. The weekends however are a differnt story. Always changing. I have so many good stories to tell ya when i get back and im gonna make you hear them all. So far i have meet so many people from so many different places and le arned to accept every cultureal value.Time seems to be flying now and i know its all downhill from here. I could talk some more but i got to get ready for lunch. We got our new 7th maid here cause my mom keeps fireing them. Im ready to see how well she can cook. Well i hope you guys are doing alright and having a good summer. Halla back when you want and ill talk to ya lta. And to Tim and Matt, thanks for the inspiration to do this trip man, its been great to me and i have you guys to thank for it. Have fun back in the ville.

chau todos

brad