A couple weeks ago I had the great pleasure of showing a little bit of Brasil to my family! Our family typically takes a couple different trips throughout the year to reconnect, rest and simply enjoy one another. Over the years, our vacations have taken us a variety of different locations, and this year we …
Nationals 2019: Brasil Edition
I've just wrapped up a wonderful week of vacation my beloved family after having not seen them in 5 very long months. But before the vacay pics go up, I wanted to share a few more details about the karate tournament I had the honor of participating in last month! On July 13 and 14th, …
Thanksgiving in June
Hello all! Finals week is over and I'm currently camped out in the Belo Horizonte airport waiting for my flight to Cuiabá. Although they've been absolutely crazy, these last few days have been the perfect conclusion to my semester at UFSJ in São João del Rei. Earlier this semester, I decided I was going to …
Adulting, Modern Technology & Saudades de Casa
Hello all! We are nearly 4 months into the program here in Brasil. Finals season is nearly upon us and excitement is building for phase 2 of our stay, the internships! A lot of things have happened over these last few months aside from cultural trips. This post is a bit of an information download …
Continue reading Adulting, Modern Technology & Saudades de Casa
City Sights in São Paulo
The 3rd of our extended cultural trips, visiting São Paulo did not disappoint! São Paulo has a population of over 12 million people--that is over double the size of Atlanta, and larger than any city in the United States. Including the metro area, the city takes up roughly 3000 square miles of the Brazilian State …
Snapshots from Salvador
Earlier this month, we had our second long cultural trip to Salvador, Bahia. This capital city is considerably smaller than Rio de Janeiro, but still larger than São João del Rei with a population of nearly 2.5 million people. The city has some really lovely views and is historically significant for the black population in …
Reflections on Rio
Hello all! It's been awhile since I last posted; there's been so much going on here. Between classes, traveling, and my never ending karate shenanigans, the month of March has passed far too quickly. As I've mentioned before, the Flagship Program provides many opportunities for us to travel around Brasil on cultural trips. Our first …
Let’s go camping!
Our first cultural trip was a camping excursion to the Serra Cerrado, which is a large mountain in the neighboring city of Prados. Throughout the semester, the Flagship Program sends us on a variety of trips to explore Brasil. The local trips are open to all current exchange students. This first trip to the mountain …
Carnaval 2 ways
Way #1 - Traditional Carnaval Carnaval is a nationwide celebration that usually happens in February. Although the actual holiday is a single day, the festivities here in Brasil last for an entire week or more. The tradition of Carnaval originated from the Christian religion in Europe during the 1600s as an opportunity to let loose …
Back to School…Brasil Style
Classes have been in session for two weeks now. As usual, these first few days have been a blur of getting lost, forgetting to eat properly, and feeling sufficiently overwhelmed as my brain shifts back into school mode. Just like any other semester at UGA, these weeks are some of the hardest as I transition …
Brasil 2019 