By Jolene FarleyBrazilian exchange student Sophia Gontijo, 17, arrived in the United States Aug. 28.Gontijo, who is staying with Marilyn Nelson, is adjusting to life in Hills after living in a city of 2.4 million people. She marvels about how everybody knows everybody in the community.She is also adjusting to cultural differences. "In Brazil when you meet your friends, you kiss and hug," she said.Gontijo lives in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with her parents and two younger brothers. Many extended family members live within blocks of her. Her father is an ophthalmologist."We (family members) go out together all Sundays," she said.She decided to come to the United States in part to learn fluent English. Speaking English makes finding a job easier in Brazil, according to Gontijo. She also wanted to experience life in another country."I wanted to see how it would be in another city," she said.She will return to Brazil in February to start her senior year in high school. To attend college, Gontijo needs to complete her education in Brazil.In her country, the public school system is considered substandard, so graduates don’t continue on to college, according to Gontijo. Her family pays $500 per month per student for her and her brothers to attend a private school.Gontijo hasn’t experienced anything like a Minnesota winter yet. Temperatures in the area of Brazil that she is from never dip below the current Minnesota temperatures."I’ll probably freeze," she said.Gontijo will take many memories of her host family and friends she’s made in Hills back to Brazil. Nelson said she enjoys having the Brazilian as a guest. "I just love having her here. I don’t think I could have gotten a better girl," Nelson said. "It’s a really great experience and I think more people should take a chance and do it."