Bought a One-Way Ticket to Florianópolis, Brazil!

There are so many emotions going through my head at the moment. I am overwhelmed, terrified, anxious and excited that my dream for over four years is finally manifesting. Ever since I went on my trip to Portugal for my medical internship in 2013, I dreamed of being a wanderlust traveler. I dreamed of grabbing my backpack and never looking back. Of exploring new countries, embracing new cultures, and learning new languages. Today, I am doing just that. I bought a one-way ticket to Florianópolis, Brazil where I will spend my first month attending a language school to learn Portuguese, volunteering in an orphanage, and staying with a host family that doesn't speak a word of English. After that, I leave up to the universe! 

Holy moly. I got this, but let me tell you it is a lot more nerve racking than I ever thought it would be. To think that no one is going to be waiting for me at the airport, let alone the fact that I don't know anyone in Florianópolis, nor do I speak the language, is uncomfortable. But I have a feeling this is going to be the wildest adventure yet.

They say, in order to grow you must overcome what scares you the most and follow your passion. When you look fear in the face and overcome it, you develop courage in your courageous acts. 

Let me back up and explain in more detail where this dream of mine stemmed from. Brazilian blood runs through my veins. My mom was born and raised in Brazil in a small country town called, Quirinópolis, which is in the state of Goiás. Throughout my whole life I have only been to Brazil twice (once when I was four years old and another when I was eighteen years old). I grew up understanding Portuguese but not speaking it. My mom did her best in instilling Brazilian customs in her American raised children. Growing up she taught my girl scout troop the Samba Dance and we would make Pão de Queijo (Cheese Bread) and Brigadeiro (Brazilian Fudge Balls) on a regular basis. However, there are still gaps that separate me from my Brazilian heritage. Which is why I feel that Brazil is tugging on my heart strings a little more than other desired countries on my bucket list. I must go.

I am very blessed and grateful for the way I was raised. My parents provided a beautiful life for me with an incredible education and ample amounts of opportunity to explore the world. I know my Grandma in Brazil is beyond proud. Proud of my mom for moving to the United States when she was 15 years old so she could work and send money back home, while at the same time making a beautiful life in the United States for herself. And I know she is proud to have educated and healthy American grandchildren. For we are her blood. 

My soul longs to find my own experience in Brazil and truly embrace the people, the language, and the culture. I believe that a passionate heart is what drives us and determines our fate. I don't just want to be a person confined of what society has molded me to be, who works for someone else's dreams, and doesn't ever give back or serve. I want to be a maverick, an adventurer, a rebel, and a dreamer at the same time. I want to ask questions, bend the rules, and take risks. I want to serve, give back, and find opportunities to help people along the way whether that be in the orphanage or with whatever life throws at me. I want to challenge myself, push myself to the edge, ride the lows, feel what sets my soul on fire, and with that be inspired by a greater purpose.

I'll leave you with this quote that I resonate with tremendously:

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” - Patanjali, an Indian teacher often called the Father of Yoga. 

There are times of doubt. Times where I ask myself, "Am I doing the right thing?". All I can say is to follow your heart. That is what I am trying to do. All you have to do is give it a chance or else one day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted to do.

So here I go. I'm winging it and hoping this will lead to something great.

Tchau for now. I'll be back soon with updates from Brazil!

Xx Beijos,

Erin