6 Weeks in Brazil: I'm in LOVE

Forró. Caipirinhas. bacana vibes. Brasil é demais.

Here are a few quick highlights…

I spent my first five days in the Northern Part of Florianópolis, called Jurerê International. Jurerê is incredible, I couldn’t have picked a better hostel to start my journey. I stayed in a hostel called, Jurerê Art Hostel, which is owned by the sweetest Uruguayan/ Brazilian lady, Illenia) who truly took me in to her family and showed me many Brazilian customs including; Samba and Cachaça (Brazilian vodka). Which is really all you need right? With the little Portuguese that I knew, it was so sweet to have her patience and feel her warm energy.

My first few weeks in Brazil were tough and lonely sometimes, but the challenge is what makes it amazing. Everything takes more effort and is a little bit more uncomfortable because you are learning the language, trying to fit in, and learning the rules of a new country. Ordering coffee, going to the gym, going to the bank, getting an Uber, the small things that you usually consider normal are all of a sudden new, different, exciting, and exhausting all at the same time. You are starting from square one and growing.

I’ve been taking Portuguese classes at Step 1 Idiomas, a language school here in the center of Florianópolis, close to UFSC. This language school has been amazing, I have classes for three hours per day Monday through Friday. It is intensive but I feel that after 6 weeks with them, I am now a butterfly that can fly free in Brazil! Step 1 is an awesome organization and school if you are looking to learn Portuguese in Brazil. I highly recommend them. They have amazing teachers, placed me with an awesome host family, and even found amazing volunteer opportunities for me here in Florianópolis.

Chris arrives on Monday and we are spending one more week in Florianópolis surfing, kiting, and enjoying all that Brazil has to offer; forró, samba, funk, caipirinhas, feijoada, churrascos, everything! Then we are headed to the continent to explore more of Brazil!

If you care to read more, I have opened up my mind and shared my feelings and challenges about solo-travel and learning a new language. But most importantly, I share the beauty of this journey and of realizing a dream that I’ve had for so long.

Get inside my head

As you may know, coming to Brazil and learning Portuguese has been a goal of mine for over 6 years. Actually it has been my dream for my entire life because it has always bothered me that I am half Brazilian but don’t speak Portuguese.

So, in January, I made the decision that this was going to be my year to manifest this dream of mine and connect with my heritage. I remember thinking to myself one night, “If I don’t go now, I never will”. I would just keep working, buy a house, get married, have kids, and every day for the rest of my life I would live in regret, saying to my mom and my family, “Man, I really wish that I went to Brazil when I was in my twenties, to learn a new language, experience a new culture, and just LIVE.”

I left everything. I left my family, my job, my boyfriend. I don’t have a “home”. I left all of my belongings with Chris in Hawaii, bought a one-way ticket, and haven’t looked back. At first, there were times that were really hard and confusing, I was doubting my decision because it was really hard to leave my comfortable life in The United States. But I realized that just like everything else in life, there is never going to be the “right” time. There is no way to know when the “right” time is. You just have to go for it. You will feel it in your heart.

So here I am. 6 weeks in Brazil and thriving.

My emotions are flowing, there will be random moments throughout the day where I will be listening to a Brazilian song or just thinking of a recent memory in Brazil and either start laughing to myself or crying of happiness, it’s like I’m falling in love all over again, but this time with a new country.

This trip is transforming me in ways I didn’t know could be possible. I’ve NEVER been so present and so content with where I am in the world or with what I am doing. It feels good to activate this part of my brain and challenge myself again, to expand my comfort zone, and to break down walls of insecurities. Above all, one of my favorite things about this trip is the time I am spending with myself. It is a beautiful, selfish gift that I am giving to myself; understanding and discovering the way I perceive the world and how the world perceives me through new people and faces that I am greeted by every single day, which is one of the most humbling experiences. It is so raw, so naked. But we all know I like being naked. ;)

My soul has been longing for this; for culture, for adventure, for a new window to look through, new eyes, and a new mind. It’s not always comfortable but I think that is the beauty in it. You surprise yourself when you problem solve or overcome an situation that you haven’t encountered before. The journey is what changes you and it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You have memories that are only your memories, that only you share with the people that you encounter on your journey. And hopefully, in the end, you leave something good and beautiful behind.

Thank you Brazil, for this experience. It's crazy to think that the adventure has just begun.