Highlights
Thursdays were the best because I got to dance with these girls.
Learning Portuguese– I slowly began to see the change in my Portuguese ability as my time in Rio continued. I was able to understand the people speaking to me more often, but my responses were frustratingly slow. I was very determined and made so many mistakes, but that’s the only way I’ll learn.
Improving my Spanish– Strangely enough, my Spanish began to improve in Rio. This wasn’t something I noticed right away though. It was pointed out to me by my Spanish speaking friends because I could hold conversations longer and engage in deeper conversations. It made me realize that when you do something over and over again consistently you will begin to improve and you may not notice it at first, but others will so don’t give up.
Watching the sunset from Arpoador– I had always been told to watch the sunset from Arpoador, and I finally had a chance to do it right as the sun was going down. It was crowded with people, but it was well worth it. There was also a swarm of cats hanging out on the rocks which made the visit extra special.
Watching the sunrise from an apartment building– I was lucky enough to have a Brazilian friend who knew of a spot where I could take a picture of the sun rising. It was early, but I started to form a schedule where my camera was immediately available and if I couldn’t sleep, I would wake up early enough to see the photo which I’ve posted below. That’s a 5:45 in the morning picture. I watched that sunrise on multiple accounts and every time I was in awe at just how beautiful it was. It definitely keeps me motivated to start waking up early and searching for those sunrises more often.
Waking up early was worth it for this photo
Going Home– I had bought my ticket home back in March, but on April 17th was when I stepped onto that plane and made the 17-hour journey all the way home to California. It was nice to speak English again and see my friends and familiar faces again. Sometimes not traveling can be really nice.
