Starting to sink in

I was the kind of exchange student that left their home country without the teary goodbyes and the crying yourself to sleep in your host country every night. For the longest time I thought that there was something wrong with me because even though I was sad that I had to say goodbye to my friends and family, there was no emotional breakdowns nor depressions, not anything. I have still not cried a single tear since getting here, not even when I left.
I've been waiting for this experience to "hit me" for me to realize all that I have left and that Im here in Bolivia. I've been waiting for the breakdown and the fallout but nothing has come and I am starting to think that it might not be at all what I thought would come! Over the course of the last few days I have really been seeing the changes in myself and I really do think that the whole "me being in Bolivia" thing, is sinking in...but its nothing like I expected it to be! I thought it would be a sad, depressing, teary moment but instead it has been a feeling of pride and excitement!

It all started 2 days ago when I met a 49 year old man from the USA who was asking ME for help with Spanish; since when do I know Spanish?! It got me thinking about how much I have learned, how different I think, how I do things and how I am! That was the first shock to the system. Then came yesterday, I was at the movies watching "viaje 2" It is an american movie but we were watching it in Spanish, at first I didn't even realize that it was in Spanish, then I caught myself thinking "why isn't anyone being polite and greeting eachother with ' besos' (kisses on the cheek)"?  Then again I realized that it was not a Bolivian movie and that in america saying hello is greeting enough!

Ever since these moments I have been really thinking and reflecting and pondering all that I have accomplished over my exchange and how much I have grown, I am now excited to Skype my parents where as before I was all "whatever", I am different and I am in Bolivia and it is strange but it is hitting home now and its all coming into perspective!

Who would have thought that it would take over half the year for the fact that I am here to sink in? And who knows what the rest of the year will show?