its finally happening...

I can't believe that I'm just over a week away from leaving for three months. It seems like this trip to Brasil has been very elusive: always in the planning stages, but no plans made. It seems like I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I hasn't felt like it was going to happen until now.
Next Sunday, April 9th, Palm Sunday, I leave for Brasil, for what could be some of the best months of my life. I'll be there for three months. I plan to stay until mid-july, but that, like everything else, is also open to change. I want to learn how to speak portuguese "competently", meaning that I can speak and understand anyone, not necessarily "fluent" but good enough to get around, to converse and to get to know people, especially my family. I want to get plugged into a church, a volunteer position, and a private tutor. I've been told that it won't be hard for me to do this, but realizing that I have so much to do right when I get there I don't know how easy it actually will be. There are also things to deal with like transportation (do I buy a mo-ped? a bike? or get my drivers license and drive my uncle's car? or just bus it everywhere?), communication (how often will I be able to get to the internet? How cheap would a calling card be? what about a cell phone?), paperwork (do I need brasilian identification other than a passport to volunteer, or even possibly get a job?) and community (will I get along with my cousin? do I trust him and his friends enough to hang out? can i find my own friends and how do I judge if they are alright people if I can't understand them?).
Yes, difficult, challenging and wonderful things await me. Hopefully, I'll have the patience to take it in stride, not get upset when things aren't perfect and rely on God as my traveling companion, my only friend who can speak my language, and my guide as I travel to new and exciting places...