For
my last conversation with Giovanka, we met at Union Grounds (as per usual).
Because of some communication/planning problems throughout the year, we had to
have this conversation during dead days so, of course, I was DEAD. We started
off by discussing her finals in her classes. She told me that they were really
hard and she doesn’t think she did that well, but I can’t imagine her doing
poorly in English because she is actually really proficient. For Giovanka’s
finals, she barely had to study for some reason. She told me how bored she was
all week and how she didn’t know what she was going to do with herself. All I
could think of was how much I wish that that was my problem rather than how in
the world I was going to cram all of that biology and chemistry into my brain
before my tests. She told me that she planned on going shopping, out to eat, to
lots of parties, and watching all her favorite TV shows before she left.
Although I was unbelievably envious, I was so glad she got to spend her last
days in the U.S. just relaxing and having fun.
My
favorite thing to talk to Giovanka about is the culture shocks that she
constantly receives while in America. The cultural differences between her
upbringing and mine are numerous, but we still seem to see eye to eye on
practically everything. It is amazing how cultures can differ so much but
people are people and there will be all kinds of people no matter where you
are.
Giovanka is leaving for Brazil on Sunday and she is so excited! She said
she is sad to leave TCU because she loves all the great friends she has made
and the shopping and food in America, but she can’t wait to see her family and
her little puppy. As we had our last conversation, we kind of re-capped the
semester. We reminisced our first meeting where she was accidentally texting
the wrong Natalie in her phone so we couldn’t find each other. We just talked
like old friends—telling stories about our semester, talking about highs and
lows, and cool things we’ve learned.
As I hugged Giovanka goodbye, I thanked her for being the best
conversation partner ever, told her that if she ever needed help studying for
her sciences next year to call me, and made her promise to grab lunch with me
next semester. All in all, I think that having a conversation partner has been
a really good experience. I have really gotten to meet a great girl and have
learned a lot of extremely interesting things about life outside America
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