Até mais, Fortaleza

Nine and a half months after I first arrived in Brazil to begin what turned out to be an incredible year working abroad, today marked the end of my Fogarty Fellowship year. The year was different than I expected in many ways, but was an incredible experience in so many ways. Today was bittersweet as I said farewell to some great friends, while packing and preparing to head home to see many friends and family in the States who I have missed durign this year abroad. Much of my day was spent on one of my least favorite tasks... packing. I always seem to wait until the final day to pack, and this trip was no exception. Fortunately, I was able to fit all of my things into the three suitcases that I had available. After a day of packing, I joined two of my friends Andrêssa and Neto for dinner at a rodízio, Boi Preto. There I ate far too much, and followed dinner with a final trip to 50 Sabores, the best ice cream place in Fortaleza. After ice cream, I said farewell to two of my closest friends in Brazil. Currently, I sit in my apartment packing the last few things into my suitcases, with only ten hours before my flight is scheduled to depart from Fortaleza. I know I will leave Brazil tomorrow with some sadness, as Brazil has become home to me during this past year, but I also will depart with great anticipation for catching up with many friends and family in the US. This will likely be my last post from Brazil, and perhaps my last blog post for a while. I started this blog as a way to keep up with friends and family in the US while abroad, and now that I will be back in the US, it would seem to have served its purpose. I may post photos and news from time to time, but this will mark the end of the account of my year in Brazil. Many thanks to all who have read this and stayed in touch this year, and I do look forward to seeing everyone back in the US! Até mais tarde de Fortaleza!