Adventures/culture shock...

Rachel is a good friend of mine, we did the Children at Risk school together and she went home for 4 months and now has returned. Every Tuesday after my Portuguese lesson we meet up, eat some food and just hang out. It is so nice to develop my social life here. It makes me feel more 'normal' and realise that this is my life and not just a 'year out'....

I am no longer in the honeymoon phase of being here and I am passing through the phase of adjustment (there are many phases of culture shock - google if you want to know more about the different phases). So I am more familiar to things, I have developed a routine, and more relaxed with the differences in culture and the language, and can cope better with new things and experiences, and I can do more things on my own, and not always have to rely on someone to help me.

This really hit me today when I walked to where Rachel lives (about an hour from me) and we met up, and then bought some food and strolled to the park and had a picnic, and then I caught the 2 buses I need to take to get back to the Lighthouse....This is become my life, and it feels more normal :0)

Here is some photos of mine and Rachel's adventure today:

Yummy sandwiches!

The park, boating lake, a big scary spider that spins a golden web