Saying good bye – going home

All adventures have an end and I have eventually arrived at this one. I’m going home in the middle of the Easter holidays. I will have one part of Easter at each side of the ocean, departing on Friday night 6^th and arriving Saturday night 7^th. In Brazil they eat all kinds of fish and sea fruits during this time of year so this will be my good by meal, and in Sweden there will be eggs.

I have said good by to all my colleagues at my internship, managed through my last day, acquired an Internship Certificate and brought candy and flowers. I don’t like goodbyes… it is difficult and sad, even more when it is divided - in happiness for going back to a place I long for, and sadness of having to leave newfound friends so soon.

For some reason all ends seems to come to soon and some how at the most inconvenient moments. Just when you are starting too feel secure, at home, found your place. The funny thing is that it dos not matter if it is an end that comes two or six months after the beginning.

I miss home a lot, I miss knowing my territory, I miss being able to do things I cannot do here, I miss family and friends I even miss the climate, the landscape and everything ells about Sweden. I guess I have a very strong sense of home, and that’s a part of me.

Any way, I am happy to have lived through a very good and rich experience. I dove deep in to the Brazilian society, culture and every day life, deeper than I have done before, and even though it has been hard at times I leave now, feeling that I have learned a lot, not only about my subject but also about my self and what I am capable of.

I have also received a lot of appreciation and admiration from colleagues that I am now leaving - words that means a lot after having spent the last half year trying very hard, without any chance of knowing how many times a day I (the intern/the gringo) have been more of a burden than a help, said something stupid with my Scandinavian Portuguese accent, broken an unwritten cultural code… or what ever.

The final evaluation is that I have done very well and this is coming for someone strictly self-critical. But the final part is not over yet – coming months will be spent in front of the computer – finalizing my thesis – bringing some order in to it all – summing it all up in to words, analysis and conclusions.

Coming home will give me the strength to conclude it all.