10 A.M. Plane to Chicago and 1 P.M. Plane to Miami and 12:00 A.M. Plane to Sao Paulo

I'm on the plane now, but we're still on the ground. The flight attendant has just taught us to fasten our seat belts. Apparently, I've been doing it wrong for many years. My goodness, I'm going to miss my bed.

The plane is taking off! I'm in the clouds! Soaring! Just like a bird! A bird whose ears are popping and that has a headache. Typical of many species of lesser known birds.

The exchange people told me that once I'm in the air, I'm supposed to suddenly be struck with the excitement and realization of leaving the United States for a year. No such luck. Am instead mindlessly clicking my pen and thinking about cloud formation.

I'm sitting right on the other side of the first class barrier. Look at them in their comfy chairs with spacious leg room. Eat the rich.

Plane to Miami

My daddy wrote me a letter which I've just finished reading, so now I've just finished crying and my nose is stuffy and I have no tissues. I hope mom and dad will be okay. I'll just try not to think about how much I'm going to miss them. I can't stop crying and it's making the man beside me uncomfortable. I feel bad for him. I can't be his ideal seat mate - a crying, 16-year-old.

Back from bathroom
Quick thought: how do people have sex in an airplane bathroom? I was just in there and it looks tricky.

Plane to Sao Paulo 12 a.m.

I am so tired. They won't turn out the lights. I need sleep and food I can recognize.

4:40 am (Brazil time)

We should be landing in less than an hour. I got a little sleep. Some of the exchange students on this plane were running around purposefully waking people up so my fellow passengers and I were forced to kill them. No, unfortunately, not really. They are still alive, but I did glare menacingly at them a lot. I played a two hour game of war with a boy named Nick, so that helped to pass the time.

The TV keeps speaking in Portuguese. Not good since I can't understand Portuguese.

Sao Paulo Airport

I've never felt more out of place in my entire life. I feel so stupid and alone. Everyone is speaking Portuguese. I've only been on the ground in Brazil for 3 hours and I'm already overwhelmed, not to mention insanely tired. I think I've only slept 2 or 3 hours in the last 25 hours or so.

How was learning Portuguese supposed to work again? Osmosis was the plan, I think. The foreign exchange kids were so lost. We got off the plane and waited in line for customs for an hour and a half only to find out that since we all had Visas we didn't actually have to wait.

They're saying something on the loud speaker, but I have no idea what. Maybe I'd cry if I wasn't so tired. I'm still optimistic that once I'm with my host family everything will be alright. I guess I'll find out in another couple hours. Portuguese does sound neat though.