Ashley’s Journals

June 7, 2026

Until We Meet Again

These last few months passed by in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, I was already packing my suitcases and saying goodbye to all my friends and family. I knew that one day I would be getting back on a plane and heading home, but I never realized that this would be the hardest part of the exchange: the goodbyes. The tears, the hugs, counting each "last" moment. "Last time using the metro," "last time eating this food," "last day with the exchange students." Once you realize that time is always moving forward, every moment becomes that much more special. If exchange has taught me one thing, it's that nothing lasts forever, and because of that, I've learned to cherish every moment, knowing that life is always changing.

So, here's how I spent my last months in Brazil. For my 16th birthday, I celebrated with a small party with my host family and some friends, and I also went to an escape room for the first time. We managed to beat the puzzle with five minutes left on the clock. In March, we went on a trip to Downtown Santos with Rotex, where we took a boat ride and had some time to explore the city. In April, I went to the last Rotex event, which was at a waterpark, and it was really fun. During March and April, most of my days consisted of going out as much as I could by spending time with friends at the mall, going to the movies, visiting cafés, and just trying to experience as many places as possible before leaving. At the end of March, I also switched to my last host family.

In May, I went to a concert with my two best friends from school, and it was so much fun! I remember losing my voice from screaming so much. I also went to many birthday parties, and by the end of the month, we had our last inbound event. It took place at Águas de Lindóia, where we attended Rotary conferences, and the city even had a park with capybaras. Next, we went to a different city and had a mini Festa Junina celebration with dancing, food, and we finished it off by roasting marshmallows over a bonfire. We also read the letters we had written to ourselves at the beginning of our exchange, and it was such an emotional moment, saying goodbye to each other.

During the last couple of weeks of May, I went out for hotpot a few times with the other exchange students. I also spent time with my friend who was leaving and accompanied her to the airport. During my final week, I hung out with my school friends one last time. We walked around Paulista and had ramen at a famous spot. I also went to SampaSky with my first host mom and grandma. I said goodbye to my school, my teachers, and attended my last Rotary club meeting. On Sunday, I had brunch with both of my host families before we all headed to the airport together. It didn't feel real that I was going back home. It really is just like everyone says, it feels like leaving home to go back home. My Rotary club counselor said something to me that has really stayed with me: the friendships we make and the people we grow close to during exchange are forever. We'll meet again. We'll see each other again.

Thank you, Rotary, for making this possible. Thank you, Brazil, for all these wonderful memories. And thank you to the families and friends I've made during my exchange. You will forever hold a special place in my heart.