When people find out that my family lives in Brazil, the first thing they ask is... "Are you Brazilian??" Nope. "Do you always go and visit??" No.
Sadly, I hadn't been to Brazil in years... 7 years to be exact. That's a long time. I don't know how so much time flew by without me visiting. But you know how life gets. First there's work, then there's school, then there's work again. There's all those other things that keep us busy on a daily basis and next thing you know, years have gone by in a blink. That's the number one reason to practice gratitude. If you stop, look around and be grateful for all the things you have in your day, you will experience your life and it won't feel like it flew by as quickly.
When I was planning my soul-searching self Ph.D. trip, I knew the best way to end it would be to go back to Brazil and see my entire family, all together for the first time in I don't remember how long. After 6 weeks alone, I knew I'd be ready to see the whole clan and that I'd welcome the hugs, the laughter and the togetherness I've always shared with my family. Whether I'm physically around them or not, my family is a HUGE source of love. I feel it all around me every day despite the thousands of miles between us, but I was so excited to be there with them, in the flesh. One of the hardest things about living in Chicago, and one of the reasons I had to leave, was because I was so out of the way that I could only see members of my family one at a time, only a few times a year, and never all together. For someone who is as close to their family as I am, that's just not how I wanted to continue.
Now this wasn't just any time to visit Brazil, this was THE time. As in World Cup time. As in this only happens once every 4 years and this wasn't just a host country. This is THE host country. Futebol isn't just a sport in Brazil. Ask anyone and they'll tell you it's a religion. So what better time to kill three birds with one stone, right? I get to go see my family, see Brazil, and see a World Cup match. WHY NOT?! Oh and did I mention my favorite cousin, Sahm and one of my best friends, Allie, were coming for a week of it? YUP, this was going to be the best grand finale to any trip, in the history of trips.
In the 15 days that I spent in Brazil, we did more and saw more than I can even put into words. Here are some of the highlights:
World Cup Match in Curitiba: Iran vs. Nigeria. Even though it ended in a 0-0 tie, we had the BEST time from our incredible 4th row seats. Yes, we were in the Nigeria section, but we still had an unforgettable time! My dad, Allie, Sahm and I all got to go. The stadium was electric. And even though I was obviously rooting for the homeland, just being there, no matter who won or lost, was something I'll always remember. And the best part? Getting to share it with some of my favorite people on the planet. Bullet list item: CHECKED!
And even though a huge fuss was made about the safety issues for natives and foreigners during the World Cup, I'm happy to say we didn't experience anything shady the whole time we were there. Brazil did a good job keeping it together!
Sadly, I hadn't been to Brazil in years... 7 years to be exact. That's a long time. I don't know how so much time flew by without me visiting. But you know how life gets. First there's work, then there's school, then there's work again. There's all those other things that keep us busy on a daily basis and next thing you know, years have gone by in a blink. That's the number one reason to practice gratitude. If you stop, look around and be grateful for all the things you have in your day, you will experience your life and it won't feel like it flew by as quickly.
When I was planning my soul-searching self Ph.D. trip, I knew the best way to end it would be to go back to Brazil and see my entire family, all together for the first time in I don't remember how long. After 6 weeks alone, I knew I'd be ready to see the whole clan and that I'd welcome the hugs, the laughter and the togetherness I've always shared with my family. Whether I'm physically around them or not, my family is a HUGE source of love. I feel it all around me every day despite the thousands of miles between us, but I was so excited to be there with them, in the flesh. One of the hardest things about living in Chicago, and one of the reasons I had to leave, was because I was so out of the way that I could only see members of my family one at a time, only a few times a year, and never all together. For someone who is as close to their family as I am, that's just not how I wanted to continue.
Now this wasn't just any time to visit Brazil, this was THE time. As in World Cup time. As in this only happens once every 4 years and this wasn't just a host country. This is THE host country. Futebol isn't just a sport in Brazil. Ask anyone and they'll tell you it's a religion. So what better time to kill three birds with one stone, right? I get to go see my family, see Brazil, and see a World Cup match. WHY NOT?! Oh and did I mention my favorite cousin, Sahm and one of my best friends, Allie, were coming for a week of it? YUP, this was going to be the best grand finale to any trip, in the history of trips.
In the 15 days that I spent in Brazil, we did more and saw more than I can even put into words. Here are some of the highlights:
World Cup Match in Curitiba: Iran vs. Nigeria. Even though it ended in a 0-0 tie, we had the BEST time from our incredible 4th row seats. Yes, we were in the Nigeria section, but we still had an unforgettable time! My dad, Allie, Sahm and I all got to go. The stadium was electric. And even though I was obviously rooting for the homeland, just being there, no matter who won or lost, was something I'll always remember. And the best part? Getting to share it with some of my favorite people on the planet. Bullet list item: CHECKED!
And even though a huge fuss was made about the safety issues for natives and foreigners during the World Cup, I'm happy to say we didn't experience anything shady the whole time we were there. Brazil did a good job keeping it together!
My uncle loves toys and for as long as I can remember I've listened to him say he was going to buy a helicopter. Well, this past year he finally did. And he also has a personal pilot to take him around in it. So, the brat that I am, much of my time spent in Brazil was spent in said helicopter. After a while, it just became totally normal. "What should we do today? Let's call Romolo (our pilot) and go fly around in the chopper." NO. BIG. DEAL. Is this real life? Apparently so. At least for 2 weeks it was... "Hey, you want to go land on that mountain over there?" "SURE!" Ahhhhh, life.
One of the seven wonders of the world is the Iguazu Falls, which is located on the border of Argentina and Brazil. Sorry, Canada, but it makes Niagara Falls look like amateur hour. We flew there in the helicopter, about 2.5 hours there and 2.5 hours back. And we stayed in the beautiful hotel located inside the national park where the falls are located. The water was higher than it's ever been because of all the recent rainfall and it was like a giant caramel fountain because of the mud. We climbed to the top of the trail and then grabbed plastic raincoats (that really didn't help one bit with keeping us dry) and walked across the bridge over the falls. It was INSANE.
No trip to Brazil is complete without stopping in Rio. So before the week was over, we took a day trip to spend the day there. This city is absolutely breathtaking. We took the tram up Sugar Loaf mountain for views of the city and it was AMAZING. Because of the World Cup craziness, we were sad we could only spend a day there, but we all knew we'd have to go back and spend some more time exploring the city and the famous beaches.
Some of the other highlights included a road trip to the beach for fresh fish and oysters, drinking wine on the lake at Park Barigui with my Allie and a lunchtime getaway with my cousin and (shirtless) uncle.
I really couldn't have asked for a better end to my trip and I'm so happy I got to spend time with my family and my friend. Of all the things I have done and seen during my two months away, Brazil holds a special place. Thank you to my family for making it feel like home. And thanks to Allie for being the only one of my friends who said she would come with me and actually DID! Love you all!