Adventures Abroad: April 2016

Although this is about 2 months late, this post is over my incredible return to Brazil for Christmas Break.

Mesmo que isso foi quase dois meses atras, isso e sobre minha volta no Brasil.

For my last Winter Break I was given an opportunity to return to Brazil for a month, to visit with family and friends and experience a Brazilian summer. Not only was this trip a wonderful time to revist everyone I was able to get an understanding of the progress and problems that have occurred in Brasil since my departure. With that being said I am going to break up this post into two sections, first part just over my general trip, activities, and feelings I partook in/experienced, and part two over my experience as someone returning to a country that has drastically changed over the past two years.

Minha ultimas ferias eu tinha um chance de voltar no Brasil pelo um mês para visitar tudo mundo. Essa viagem nao so foi um tempo bom pra ver tudo mundo de novo, também me deu uma competência do progresso e dos problemas que ocorrerem no brasil desde quando eu fui embora. Mas para entender as duas coisas vou dividir os posts entre dos partes. Primeira vais ser sobre minha viagem em geral e o segundo parte de minha experiencia na volta e tal.

Part 1

A year and a half after I left a country that I considered a second home, a country where I created relationships that will last a life time, and a country that completely stole a part of my heart, I returned back to Brazil during winter holiday. My main goal of the trip was to visit my friends and family that I made during my year study abroad in Florianopolis, and to enjoy the summertime in Floripa.

Um tempinho atras eu fui embora dum pais que considerado como minha segunda casa, um pais onde criei relacionamentos que vai existir pela minha vida inteira. Eu finalmente voltei nesse dezembro passado.

During my first two week the weather was quite similar to that of Florida, sunny in the day and a short time of rain in the afternoon to cool down. Even with not the best of weather I still tried to enjoy every second I could. During my time I visted some of my favorite places, while also visiting new ones, and experiencing some of the new fads that were occurring during my visit.

Durante as primeiras duas semanas o tempo foi bem parecido de Florida, tipo da sol durante o dia mas a noite da um pouco de chuva. Mesmo que o tempo nao tava tao bom eu tentei de aproveitar cada minuto. Durante meu tempo em Floripa eu visitei alguns lugares que erem meus favoritos e no mesmo tempo visitei alguns lugares diferentes.

Upon arriving I was greeted by one of my best friends during my exchange. That evening we went to a local bar where I meet up with some other friends of mine. It was so great catching up with everyone and being able to see them after being a way for so long. For the first few days it was quite relaxing, as the weather was not the best even during the days. On evening I met up with a good friend of mine and we went to Lagoa for the evening. The following day I woke up bright and early to head out to Lagoinha do Leste. Which is my all time favorite location in Floripa, it is a beach that can only be reached by taking a trail, and not an easy one at that. I went with two of my good friends so it made the journey even funnier. That evening I went out with some other friends. The following day was Christmas Eve. And unlike in the USA where Christmas is celebrated on the 25th in Brazil the big festivities are on Christmas Eve at Midnight. That is the time that everyone goes to their families house to have dinner and open gifts. So since I was spending the holidays with a good friend of mine I went with them to their uncles house. It was a great time and I quite enjoyed experiencing a Brazilian Christmas, including the warm weather (as their seasons are opposite to ours). But the festivities did not stop there. The following day we returned back to my friend's uncle's to have lunch.

Quando cheguei um dos meus melhores amigos me busco. Naquele noite a gente foi num barzinho onde encontrei alguns outros amigos meus. Era um tempo bom que podia ver bastante pessoas. Pelos primeiros dias forem bem relaxados por causa do tempo mal. Numa noite eu e uma amiga minha fomos pela Lagoa. O próximo dia acordei bem cedinho para ir no Lagoinha do Leste. Que e meu lugar favorito em Floripa. Eu fui com duas amigas minha que ajudou muito com o tempo fazendo a trilha. Naquela noite sai com alguns outros amigos. O promixo dia foi véspera de Natal. Que e diferente por mim porque nos EUA a gente celebra no dia 25.

The following week started to turn around with the weather, although there still seemed to be weird days where it was super sunny and others where it was pure rain. On morning I woke up and it was beautiful outside I walked to the beach from my friends house and passed a little time there. After which I met with some other friends of mine and we returned back to the Campeche beach, but at a different friend's house. Once the rain ruined the laying on the beach time we decided to go and grab some Açaí, which is my all time favorite food from Brazil. One of the days it decided to rain, but since it was off and on my friends family and I took a trip around the island via car. The following day I returned to Lagoa with some friends for just a relaxing day. That evening was great as I was able to met up with some more friends whom I still had not seen since my arrival to Floripa. We ended up going to a place called Del Raiz, which is known for their forro and samba dancing. Although it was quite a blast, I learned I still greatly enjoy my Sertanejo. The company though I was with made the evening the best, as I was able to finally see some old faces and try something new. After an adventure trying forro the next day consisted of me going into Centro to have lunch with another good friend of mine. It was nice to walk downtown to see how much it stayed the same.

A proxima semana comecava de ter um tempo bom. Num dia acordei eu fui na praia que ta a lado da casa do meu amigo. Depois encontrei algumas amigas minhas para ir na Praia do Campeche. Depois que comecava de chover dai a gente foi para comer Acai, minha comida preferida! Num dia foi de chuva que comecou e parou e voltou de comecou mas mesmo assim eu fiz uma volta na ilha. O proximo dia eu voltei pra Lagoa por um dia relaxado. Naquela noite foi otimo porque combinei com algumas amigas que ainda nao vi desde quando cheguei na ilha. A gente saiu pra um lugar se chama Del Raiz, onde tem samba e forro. Mesmo que foi um tempo bom aprendei que ainda prefiro o sertanejo. O dia seguinte fui no centro para combinar com uma outra amiga e provar comida arabe.

After another great week the big, exciting festivities of the New Year arrived. In Brazil, unlike that of the USA, New Year's is it's own holiday. There is a belief that the year must be spent near the water, which is why every year hundreds of thousands of Brazilians flock to the oceanside. For me I decided to celebrate it at Praia Brava with some good friends of mine. Due to high traffic, and lack there of routes to Praia Brava my journey there began quite early. But after about an hour ride I made it to my friend's house. The afternoon we spent relaxing and getting ready for the evening. When evening arrived we all sat down and enjoyed a massive meal to celebrate the coming of the new year. Then about 5 minutes til Midnight we walked down onto the beach where we would be bringing in the new year. Upon the year beginning, and to keep with the tradition, my friends and I went into the water to jump 7 waves. Afterwards we spent the night walking on the beach and hanging out.

A proxima semana foi a semana de Ano novo. Para celebrar o novo ano eu fui na casa da minha amiga em praia Brava. Por causa do transito a gente saiu de casa bem cedinho para chegar na norte da ilha. Naquele tarde a gente passou na casa da minha amiga e arrumamos para celebrar o novo ano. Quase 5 minutos antes que o virou do ano a gente desceu e fomos na praia. E dai depois a gente andou na praia ate 4 e pouco da manha.

After an evening of experiencing the traditional Brazilian New Year I spent the next day resting up. That Saturday I headed out to Itapema, where another friend of mine lived. I decided to pass a few days with her. First when I arrived I had to deal with some waiting as I did not have access to a phone to inform her I had arrived. Finally after sometime she arrived and we headed to her house. The first evening was not the nicest out. But we did decided to take a walk on the beach. Sunday we decided to go Jetskiing along the city, which was a super great experience. Afterwards we headed to a beach in Balenario Camboriu called Brava where we met some of her friends and hung out for the evening. Monday was a day to drive around and visit the different beaches in the area. We also planned to go eat hamburgers in the area, however it was closed so we went to aother places close by, the food was excellent for sure. By Tuesday I had to say my goodbyes as I headed back to Floripa. It was a great few days though passing with them, even if the weather did not want to corroperate.

Depois uma noite aproveitando o ano novo no Brasil eu fiquei em casa o proximo dia para reocupar. No Sabado eu fui para Itapema para passar alguns dias com uma amiga la. Depois um tempinho de esperar encontrei minha amiga e a gente saiu pela casa. Por causa do chuva a gente nao fez muito na primeira noite, mas mesmo assim a gente andou um pouco na praia. Domingo a gente fez ski. Depois disso a gente foi pra praia Brava em Balenario Camboriu onde encontramos alguns amigos da minha amiga. Segunda a gente fez uma volta das praias em Balenario Camboriu. Porque precisava voltar na minha ilha na terca eu deus meu tchaus e fui embora de Itapema. Mas foi alguns dias ótimos.

Upon returning back to Floripa I meet up with my host family for an evening. It was so great seeing them and being able to pass sometime with them, even if for only a short time. The following day I went to another dear friend of mine's house to stay with her for a few days. The first day we went to praia mole where I met with some friends of mine. I also enjoyed having some Acai. That evening we went to an all you can eat sushi bar, which was super good. Following day we went to dinner with my friend's parents. When the weather cleared up we went to Lagoinha do Leste for the day. It was an incredible experience. Especially considering I took a trail to an overview of the beach, which was quite intense, but well worth the trip. That evening I went to Fields, the sertenejo dance hall. I went with some friends of mine to see a national band. It was a wonderful experience. The following morning I went with my friend to Lagoa de Peri where we just hung out. We ended up meeting a couple that over heard us speaking some Italian. They were amazing to listen to. After spending a while with them I met with another friend to go to the showw of Gabriel, who is a famous singer in Brasil. After such a busy weekend Sunday I met with a friend to say goodbye before she headed home to Sao Paulo, and we met up with the couple we met at Lagoa Peri. It is amazing how Brazilian culture is where you met someone one day and the next day they invite you to their house for dinner.

Na minha volta pela ilha eu fui na casa de minha host family para passar uma noite com eles. Foi muito bom de ver eles e ter um tempinho com meu bebezinho que cresceu muito. O primeiro dia que passei na casa duma outra amiga a gente foi para praia mole onde achei outros amigos meus. Tambem eu comei Acai. Por o tempo foi otimo o proximo dia a gente foi pra Lagoinha do Leste. Foi uma experiencia incrível especialmente porque a gente subiu 240 metros para ter uma vista de Lagoinha do Leste. Naquela noite fui no Fields, uma balada serteneja. A gente foi para ver um show nacional. E como sempre amei o tempo. Depois um tempo la minha amiga me buscou e a gente foi direto pelo sul da ilha. A gente quis ir pra ilha do campeche. Mas nao deu certo dai a gente foi pelo Lagoa do Peri onde acabemos de encontrar um casal e passamos o tempo inteiro com eles. Eles foram muito legais. Depois fui na casa duma amiga para a gente sair num show do Gabriel Pensador. O proximo dia foi muito tranquilo. Encontrei uma amiga para dar tchau a gente saiu para jantar com o casal que conhecemos o dia antes.

Monday was spent heading to Barra de Lagoa and just enjoyed some time at the beach. In the evening my friend's Italian boyfriend made us Bolognese for dinner. The following morning began early as I headed out to met with my friends to go to Ilha do Campeche, which is an island off the island. It was an incredible experience as I finally was able to visit the island and it is so beautiful. We even took a trail to see the other side of the island. It was so preserved, which is quite incredible. The following morning another friend picked me up and we went to Guarda do Embau for the day. It is so pretty there, especially since you cannot get to the beach section without taking a boat. That evening I went and met with some friends for the evening. On Friday I headed to praia Campeche with my friend. While there I meet up with my host family and played with my host brother for a little on the beach. It was such a nice time. That evening I held my going away party which started at a like pub type area. Afterwards I went with some friends to a disco for the evening. Following morning I went to a friend's house to have dinner with their family before leaving. That Sunday I went to the beach with my friend as a way to celebrate my time in Brasil. That evening I went to say goodbye to some other friends. The following morning I woke up bright and early to catch my flight back to the states. Before though I went to watch the sunrise and then said my final goodbyes and headed to the airport.

Minha ultima semana no Brasil foi tao cansativo muito por causa boa. Na segunda eu fui por Barra de Lagoa para aproveitar um tempinho na praia. A tarde o namorado italiano da minha amigo cozinhou bolognese pra gente e foi muito bom. O promixo dia sai bem cedinho para ir na ilha do campeche com algumas amigas minhas. A ilha era tao linda e amei que foi bem preservada. No dia seguinte minha amiga me buscou e a gente foi para Guarda do Embau, que tambem e um lugar tao lindo. Naquela noite encontrei uma outra amiga minha e passei um tempinho com ela num barzinho. Sexta a gente foi pela praia de Campeche onde encontrei minha familia tambem. E passei um tempinho brincando com meu host brother. A noite me arrumei e sai para minha despedida. Para comecar a gente foi num barzinho. Dai depois a gente saiu para uma balada. O proximo dia fui na casa dum amigo para almocar com a familia dele e dar meus tchaus. Naquela noite sai para Fields de novo para celebrar o anniversario da minha amiga. Domingo foi o jeito mais perfeito para terminar meu tempo no Brasil. Durante o dia eu fui na praia. Dai depois encontrei algumas amigas e a gente foi num barzinho. Mas antes que peguei meu voo na segunda eu e minha amiga fomos para ver o nascer do sol. Era uma experiencia.

My time in Brazil was incredible. I am quite happy that I was able to visit with my friends and family. It reminded me why I love the Brazilian culture and fell in love with the country the first time I lived there.

Meu tempo no Brazil foi tao otimo. To bem feliz que podia ver tudo mundo. Tambem me deu lembranca porque eu ainda amo a cultura Brasileira.

Below are just a handful of pictures from my trip.