After three weeks of working in Brazil and 8 days of traveling up the wondorous coast, I can say, that I mistakingly left a piece of my heart amongst the wonders of Brazil. We have all heard of Brazil, the South American country that pop culture would promote as having "the best beaches in the world", the exotic rainforest and of course, the best fruits. When you actually go to Brazil you witness a different level of preconception and reality. Before my travels to Brazil, I heard throughout the streets of Buenos Aires about this wondrous country that seems a world away in all aspects to Argentina. Brazil was a distant vision, a far-off land even though it rests right next to the South American country I live in, a false fairy-tale. Then, I got the opportunity to go.
For three weeks I worked with Concordia Language Villages teaching kids English in an English immersion camp. There were 11 counselors. Half from the States and half from Brazil.The camp was located in the mountains of Brazil with red dirt roads, green grass, and the nearest town requiring a two hour preparation time to figure out how to get there! What an interesting experience, to now live in South America then go and work for your own culture in a completely different world. Our daily schedule consisted of waking up at 7 and working activities with the kids until 10:30 at night. Yes, it is exhausting but so rewarding. All the counselors result in running off of pure energy from the kids. If we give them more, than they give us more and we can make it through the two weeks! Exhausting but obviously so rewarding to make these connections and see their English language progression.
After saying goodbye to the kids and the staff of Hometown Brazil, I put on my backpack and headed a little north where the weather was warmer and the beaches were calling. After a four hour bus ride (which is nothing compared to what I am used to in this huge continent!) I arrived in beautiful Buzios. A small beach town on the coast of Brazil. When I arrived I found a hostel that seemed more like a hotel with amazing character. This hostel was right on the beach and I passed 8 days in Buzios meeting new people (altough I travel alone alot, I dont think there was one night I was alone this whole year), walking on the beach with new friends and travelers, cooking in the outside kitchen, running on the beach at night, and falling asleep to the waves of a South American turqoise ocean.
Amongst this, I also met someone that held a heart that belonged to another. But he moved around me for 8 days in his daily manner. I watched as he connected to this beautiful part of the world that he was brought up in, laughed with him as we jumped in the water and he acted as if it was his first time in the ocean of his homeland, took notes as he taught me about natural remedies to cure someone when they are sick, connected to his actions as we cooked together, observed as he was open to everyone, took into consideration the confusion that I was causing him by being in each other intense presence when his heart is committed to someone else, and contemplated as he walked with a center of gravity that held a sensual flow. Things are all about timing and it was just a touch of something higher.....but you better believe....I won't forget Brazil.
