“Um sol pra cada um,” which translates to, “A sun for each one,” is a saying used by Brazilians to describe an extremely hot and sunny day. Not only was Saturday one of those very hot days to which this saying refers, the warmth of our host family’s welcome and Read more…
Our trip to the beach in Bertioga was absolutely perfect! It was hot and sunny, the water was a great temperature, and it was not too crowded. However, the experience that highlighted my beach day was the feeling of community between myself and other beachgoers. For example, many members of Read more…
No trip to Brazil is complete without a visit to one of the world famous Brazilian beaches. Today, we took a break from our educational program to embark on a trip to a beautiful beach in Bertioga. Even though it was a beach day doesn’t mean the learning stopped. Today Read more…
The culture of Brazil has proven to be very different from that of home but in some way it is inexplicably similar. The day has proved that music is one of those connections that the two cultures share. The group started the day with a capoeira workshop where the leaders Read more…
Here is the view from my Host Families house on the 24th floor Waking up to this view in the morning is breathtaking. It is very vibrant and allows me to see a lot of the city in just one little glimpse. Being able to stay on the 24th floor Read more…
Today was the first time that my roommate and I got to spend a full day entirely with our host family. After many early mornings and long classes, relaxing and spending the day with them was so lovely. After sleeping in a little, we ate breakfast and spent some time Read more…
To the uninitiated, a fractal is a mathematical term that describes a shape formed when a pattern (typically describable with a set of numbers) is allowed to repeat indefinitely. Most commonly, fractals are seen in spirals like the Fibonacci spiral (derived from the Fibonacci sequence) which is seen in pinecones, Read more…
While driving to campus yesterday, it felt as if my mind was going blank. It didn’t feel real that I was about to fly to a different continent and stay for three weeks. I expected this trip to be challenging, especially since I consider myself a “homebody” and I went Read more…
“Oui!” I said, nodding my head enthusiastically to the cashier’s question. She looked at me with a puzzled look, and any small hopes I had of at least pretending to look like I knew what was happening were completely shattered. Realizing my mistake, I corrected myself and responded with “sim,” Read more…
We are here! We are soaking up every moment of our trip so far. To be honest, I was having a really hard time saying goodbye to my boyfriend, family, and friends when we left for Toronto yesterday. I have never traveled without my family before, and I have never Read more…