Right now, I'm waiting for Elif to finish writing nice things for me so I can put them in my suitcase and finish packing. I'm in Facebook, typing up a despedida and I'm talking to a few AFS friends. I'm also receiving a handful of noticiations from my college's freshman class Facebook page.
These people seem so American to me! Even though I understand everything perfectly, it sounds so foreign! Reassimilation is going to be a fun process, I can already smell the roses. I notice bits of this whenever I watched an American movie or read an American novel here, but this time, for whatever reason, it's plainly obvious to me. The United States is so different.
Am I actually from the United States? Does that happen? I was thinking about the odds of that. One out of every six persons lives in India. Just India. What are the odds of being born into a middle-class family in the United States, have parents working in fields with scary-good financial security, and be able to go on exchange? Answer: Not a lot.
Sometimes it's good to see these things in perspective. Or just to realize that there is perspective.
While throwing together our things, I've realized that there are a few must-do things when packing to go home. AFS has so much information on what to pack when going over, but what do you pack when you go home? Do people leave stuff?
Actually, yes. We leave a lot of stuff. Here are a few tips that I've gathered from my experience:
1. Pack the Heavy Things First. Books. Presents. Computer. Jeans. These things should go in first. Once you have your base and have a solid idea of how much more weigh you can put in each back, you'll be able to mix and match the lighter stuff until it works.
2. If You Don't Need it, Leave it. I am leaving, and this list is not comprehensive, the suitcase with which I arrived, a duffle bag, clothes which I rarely wear, school notebooks (I tore out the pages I wanted), books I've read, dictionaries, writing materials, shampoo, sunscreen, my tennis shoes, and my cell phone. My host parents are donating my school uniform back to the school. And turn the things you leave into presents - I gave away a lot of books as presents. My cell phone is going to somebody who doesn't have one. Trust me - your host family will want as many sentimental objects as possible.
3. Eat Well Before Leaving. No heavy foods. You never know what your body's reaction to stress is going to be, so it's best to play it safe. Unless you have a stomach of steel and have never thrown up, except for the baby years, like me, heed this. Eat all of that cheese and cake before leaving. Avoid really acidic things - orange juice. Açaí.
4. Pack Early. Corollary to number two. If you pack a week, two weeks in advance, and go about your normal activites with less stuff to bog you down, you'll realize that you don't never half of the things you packed. This opens up a lot of space/weight for presents and other things. Seriously, try it. And be sure to set aside clothes in which to travel, with your passport.
5. Get More Stuff! Now that your bags are free of clutter, it's time to make use of those extra 10 kilos and buy some presents. I went today - got a bunch of small stuff, plus presents for Elif, who wasn't feeling well yesterday (see number three), and a few items I've been needing to get, such as a Portuguese dictionary (a mini one). It's also important to leave some space for presents that you might receive - people may give you a going-away present, and the last you anybody wants is for you to be inconvenienced. Also, get your host family a small gift! If you have no ideas, or you have an unconventional end (like me - my host parents went to Europe on the 16th) leave them a letter, and then send them a gift from your home country.
Elif and I bought the same dictionary and gave it to each other as presents. It was fun, especially since we made it into a very formal occasion.
6. Put the Heaviest Things in your Carry-On Bag. My bookbag is heavier than my smaller suitcase. Hopefully, I'll be able to take both of them on the plane - the backpack on my back, and the suitcase in my hand. Just be sure you have a really sturdy backpack. Otherwise, it might break in the airport....and that's not fun.
7. Have People Write for You. Similar to what Elif is doing right now - she just finished writing in two books, and now she's writing a longer letter - get a notebook, and tell people to write their goodbyes in it. Ask for letters. Ask for emails and Facebook accounts and addresses. Some people like to get a flag and have people write on that - I think writing on flags is kind of difficult and unnecessary. (I'm a bit of a purist - I don't like writing on things that weren't meant to be written on.) A light notebook works fine. Pass around some papers at school - it goes faster if there are more pieces.
8. Trade Things. If you ever stay the night in the house of another exchange student, bring your computer and your camera. And trade things! I've gotten almost all of Elif's photos (and she got almost all of mine...which is a lot) and I now officially have enough Turkish music on my computer to keep me busy for a couple of years. You can put these things in a separate hard drive once you get home, if you're like me and running a computer with little free space.
9. Do not Pack Anything Resembling Drugs. This is not a joke. I wanted to bring back tapioca - until I realized that it's a white powder. Somebody might mistake it for cocaine, and although that would be a hilarious story after the fact, I'm pretty keen on avoiding it.
10. Avoid Having Things. I know I just told you to get more stuff, but hear me out. When you pack to come over, ask yourself how much you're going to be using that item. I brought a yearbook and a photo album - guess how many times I used each? Twice. I have pictures on Facebook. This is unnecessary space and weight. Similarly, getting important mail from college? While it may be torture to do it, have them send it all to your parents in your home country, otherwise you'll have a large stack of papers and forms amassed in your suitcase. Which is fun. Except not really.
Elif is still writing. I wrote a lot for other people - I wrote in all of the books, on Elif's flag, on Facebook, in my journal (pieces of this will inevitably make it onto this blog), and in various other places. You can never write too much - writing makes connections in your brain, and by writing, you're saving a bit of yourself for somebody else. Keep a journal and write like crazy. Write it all down. Keep a notepad with you at all times and record your thoughts. Keep all of it.
Good-night Brazil.Tomorrow, I shall wake up a it after the sun rises. I shall take a shower, eat cake and pão de coco, drink juice, and leave for the Fortaleza airport. Then I'll go to São Paulo, eat lunch, and watch everybody leave. Alice and I are literally the last ones to fly back.I think there are a few kids from Thailand that leave after us, but everybody else goes before. It's gonna be a rough six hours.
And then, hello USA. I'd like for us to become reaquainted.
Until then,
~ Jake
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