Update

Hello. How are y'all doing today? Me? Well, I'm doing quite well. I'm relaxed, and extremely content. The warm weather has finally come, and the rainy weather of the past two weeks is now gone. And so, everyone's moods here have lightened up. We've been hanging out making use of the first really good weather of the season everyday over the past week, and Friday we took our first jumps into the pool here in the backyard. And it felt great. Honestly, I have not been this content and relaxed in a long time. And I love it.
Anyway, right now I'm sitting on the terrace that overhangs the backyard of my house here in Soto. And, since I don't really have anything else to do, I thought I might as well update on y'all about what I have been up to over the past couple of weeks. So...
The biggest thing that happened since my last post was that my mom came to visit. Which was great, but also quite weird. I mean, it was great seeing her, and having her meet my host family, and just catching up about everything, but at the same time it almost felt like an invasion. I mean, I have been fairly disconnected from being in the States, and in general have really separated my life there from my life here. So when part of my old life and home comes to be present in my new life and home, it is kind of scary, and the truth is that it really threw me off. I mean, when I was waiting for her outside of her hotel, I was quite nervous. I was almost as nervous to see her as I was to meet my host family for the first time. But I am quite glad she came. It was quite nice seeing her for the first time in 8 months, and I had a great time with her. It is weird though, because before she came I hadn't really realized how much I had alienated myself from the States. I thought that I had kept my two lives intertwined fairly well. But I haven't. But I'm glad I haven't. Because my life here is just so different from the one I had before leaving that it wouldn't be worth the effort trying to keep them intertwined. And anyway, I don't really think I want to keep my old life that close. You see, this whole year I have reinvented myself, and me now wouldn't fit into my old life very well. So next year will be interesting. It will almost be like this year all over again. And I'm going to treat it that way. Because if I treat it that way, it will hopefully be almost as good as this year. After my year here ends, I'll be moving to a new place again, and I will once again have to create new social ties. And like the first few months here, the few first months when I return will be hard, but if I do it right, just like here, the last months will be incredible. And that really is the mindset with which I will be returning next year. And I am quite scared to have to return, and will really hate leaving here, but that is how life works. You can't hang onto every good moment you have, and you have to keep moving on, moving forward. And so, just like this year, I will remember the past, but I will have to live in the present and hope for the best and make the most of every opportunity I am given or I make. But, luckily, I don't have to worry about that for another two months.
Anyway, before I go back to living in the present, I will finish updating y'all on the past few weeks. Other than my mom visiting, nothing much has gone on. My basketball team won our matchups in the quater and semifinals, so next weekend we have the finals. School is normal. And all the social stuff is going good. Other than that there really is nothing I can think of.
So, since there is nothing more to write, I'm going to finish my drink, go take a shower, and then get ready to go to the football game that my host brother and I are going to with his grandpa this afternoon. So, till next time.