Diego Gonçalves

2008-09 Inbound from Brazil

Hometown: Araguaina, Tocantins, Brazil

Sponsor: Araguaina Rotary Club, District 4530, Brazil

Host: Ocala Southwest Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida, USA

School: West Port High School, Ocala, FL

Bio

Diego's Bio

Hi everybody. My name is Diego. I'm from Brazil, my district in brazil is 4530. I am 17 years old.

I am enjoying of my life in Florida. I live in Ocala, arrived here in August 8. I study in West Port High School. I am in 12 grade. I like my school here - is very different of my school in Brazil. I have 6 disciplines - photography, American government, physics, Spanish, English and beginning weight training. I like everybody teacher. My favorite class is American government. I was very confused in the beginning but now I am better because I have learned more English here.

Xauuu everybody, have a good day.

October 22 Journal

Hi everybody!

Now I have been here more than two months. I am enjoying it here - everything is different to me, everything is new to me, food, clothes, American people and somethings more.

I have here every day soccer practice and I think when you play sports in America you have a very good time, you enjoy more you know more people you make more friends and you are best known in your school. My day here after I start my soccer practice is very busy. I play every day after school and I need go to the church every Wednesday and Sundays and I like that, my host family is very nice with me always.

Sometimes it seems that I'm in my house in Brazil - I’m having a wonderful time in this house. And the last weekend I had a wonderful time with my friends exchange students in St Augustine. I really enjoy this city and I loved walk from boat and see dolphins is so nice. I arrived there Friday I guess 6 o’clock and I go to the house with a wonderful couple. It was me and another student, Kris from Lithuania, and we go to the beach Friday with our host Dad and host Mum and in the night go to the restaurant and we eat Mexican food and Saturday we walked in St Augustine and after go to the beach and play soccer and volleyball. And Sunday go to the alligators park and after walking from boat. WONDERFUL TIME my best weekend in Florida.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH ROTARY. I’m anxious to go to the Disney in December. Thank you for your attention.

January 27 Journal

My Disney World weekend ...

Hi everyone!

I’m here again for talk a little bit about my weekend in Disney, this weekend was awesome. I had a very good time with my exchange students friends. I had opportunity to meet new exchange students from Wisconsin and Tennessee, and some ones from Brazil. I think the exchange program is just amazing. It is wonderful to meet people from other countries, learn other languages, and see the difference between your country and America.

Disney for me is just an amazing thing. I never have seen nothing like that. I enjoyed so much with my friends. I’m sure everyone had a wonderful time with everyone and I just want to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH to my Rotary club for giving me this amazing trip.

I enjoyed and I want to put here with journal my favorite picture in this weekend - this picture was in the second day when we was there at the pool. I was so freezing but I didn’t care. I was so busy with my friends and I didn’t worry about it and I loved to see Mickey mouse by myself haha lol Now I can tell my friends in Brazil that.

I just want to say thank you for the Rotarians for this opportunity - everything was perfect! I wanted go back in time and live it again, again, and again. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

My New Year 2009

I’m here for talking about my trip. I went to Washington DC and New York City with my host family for the holidays. We rode in the car to Washington. I saw the Thomas Jefferson memorial, White House, Lincoln Memorial. I was walking around at the streets there, I went to some museums there. Was amazing. I really liked it. I loved to learn a little bit more about the history of this fantastic country. I saw the first airplane to go from the United States to England, and I saw the Capitol building. And I saw the first restaurant in Washington DC! I saw the military cemetery and after that I went to New York City.

This city is just amazing. I met so many people from other country. I went to Statue of Liberty and New York was really cold - was snowing there - it was amazing for me because I had never seen snow in my life. I went to Central Park, Times Square at night - it’s amazing so many lights and many people walking around. I rode the subway - It was always full. I went to first pizza restaurant in New York City - it was one of the best pizza I had in my life!

I really enjoyed this city - is too many people there, a lot stuff to see. I stayed in a hotel in the city central so I had opportunity to see a lot stuff.

I just want to say thank you to my host parents for this opportunity to see these amazing places in United States. It was the best trip I did in my life and the cold experience I had in my life and I go back to Florida in January 1 at night but I really had a good time I think everybody come to America have to go to this place because it’s fantastic. Bye everybody.

Seacamp

Hey guys I'm here to talk about my awesome weekend in the Keys and Key West. This weekend was amazing for me. I had the opportunity to meet more people and talk about our life in America. And go to the water and was really cold when I remember how cold the water was man I was freezing. I really like to see the coral, the fish, and all this stuff. I had never seen that before and the party Friday was awesome - was so fun dance with all the exchange students and dance some Brazilians songs and Spanish songs and see how the people from other countries dance - it’s just fabulous.

I hope everyone learned more about preservation and what we do affects everything about the nature of some form. I'm sure everyone will take care with everything we will do.

Key West is just a amazing place. I had the best weekend ever and forever in my life. I was so sad when I go back home because I cannot imagine I won’t see all the exchange students together anymore because I feel like everyone is part of my family.

I really liked to spend my time with the guys - we played some football, some basketball. I felt like totally American and it was really cool to see everyone for the last time. I think I never will forget it. I will remember this weekend forever. I meet friends here and I think that’s the best part of the life, guys. I just want to tell everyone I love you guys and I will remember you forever.

Thank you Rotarians for this opportunity - it was so special for me. My year here will change my life forever.