Marcela Freitas, Brazil

"One funny thing is that during my first week in Abbotsford, all I wanted to do was go back home. I called my mom in desperation, cried and cried. At the end of the term, I cried a lot too, but only because I did not want to leave.... I cried because I loved my host family, I loved my school, I loved living in a place that was surrounded by snowy mountains, I loved the feeling of imagining to be in an American movie, and above all, I loved having had the opportunity to travel and get to know a new place, a new culture, and new people who I will never forget. Today I’m back in Brazil and I’m very happy to be with my friends and family again, but Abbotsford will always have a very special place in my heart."