solo traveller - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-29T10:50:07Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/solo+travellerSuggestions for Solo Touristhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/suggestions-for-solo-tourist2022-06-07T06:14:55.000Z2022-06-07T06:14:55.000ZHappyEasyGohttps://tripatini.com/members/HappyEasyGo<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10545004252?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Travelling comes with responsibility, and if we talk about the solo traveller, it's about to self-concern. Tourists should be aware of the availabilities of services and things, and it asks you to collect knowledge before planning a trip. One should have some clue regarding culture, lifestyle, local areas, etc., to have a better experience. Planning a journey needs specific advice to take initiates to live it. In this article, you can get helpful suggestions for solo tourists. Find detailed information about the tips below.</p><p> </p><p>Get proper information regarding the destination to keep your security in your hand. It is one of the main parts of proper planning, and this gives you an idea of the things and services the city offers you as a tourist. Where you get your nourishable and tasty meals, what attracts you, in which area of the destination you can find affordable accommodation options and soon.</p><p> </p><p>Remember to carry all the essential items of yours like confidential documents, medicines, etc. This step will make you feel secure and comfortable on your journey. Moreover, it's another important piece of advice for the solo traveller.</p><p> </p><p>Keep updating your family regarding what you are doing or what you will do next. It will help you feel safe and secure, and if you meet any uncertainty, your loved ones can save you this way. Be mindful and beware, enjoy with open eyes, keep your eyes on, and get a clue about the surroundings and ambience. It will give you the best and most secure journey experience, that's assured.</p><p> </p><p>May this article help you to enjoy yourself securely. These basic suggestions are only to make you aware. Don't get panic, plan before packing bags and book destination <strong><a href="https://www.happyeasygo.com/hotel/" target="_blank">hotels</a> </strong>and<strong> <a href="https://www.happyeasygo.com/flight/" target="_blank">flights</a></strong>. You will get the best time with your loved one by following these tips while properly planning your journey.</p></div>The Art of Learning a New Languagehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-art-of-learning-a-new-language2017-07-29T14:00:00.000Z2017-07-29T14:00:00.000Zlauren quinnhttps://tripatini.com/members/laurenquinn<div><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-dcefbb2b8fcd4a60f42c"><div class="sqs-block-content"><h1 class="text-align-center"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009176869,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="171" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009176869,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9009176869?profile=original" /></a></h1><p>Sitting on the beach in a Brazilian bikini with the vocabulary of an infant, I could not help but feel like the epitome of a contradiction. At the age of 33, I was not thrilled to feel like a toddler again. <br /> <br /> I loved to fantasize about myself at a fabulous Rio rooftop bar,<b> </b>making a charming joke about a local cultural nuance. But the agony of the years that stood between me and this image was overwhelming. This was definitely not the first time that I was trying to manifest the magazine image in real life. There was the café in Paris with the croissant, the cigarette and the red lipstick. There was that 2 am at an old bar in downtown Buenos Aires, dancing with a new stranger. There was yoga class at an Ashram in the Himalayas, drinking mango lassi in my colorful ashtanga ensemble. All so real in my head, and all much more awkward in person. I had tried learning three other languages, but what was propelling this fourth dive into a new one? As intimidating as the process is, it always stays on my list of life’s must-do's!<br /></p><p>But there I was, all over again thinking that I could start from scratch, doing what everyone around me had been doing since they were born. It is all a bit ridiculous really. We are all so impressed by someone who can speak a second, third, fourth language; but, the humbling process of reverting to the intelligence of a little kid can be brutal. To re-learn the fundamentals of life, such as names of colors, numbers and animals, is to take yourself out of your charming, silver-tongued, interesting former adult self and enter back into mindset of the dependent, simple, child you once were. Only this time mix in a little embarrassment of a limited lexicon and a strong accent, and you have yourself a foreign-language student. </p><p></p></div></div><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1488649298993_43109"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500989849314_100"><div class="image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500989849314_99"><div class="intrinsic" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500989849314_98"><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500989849314_97"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009176891,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="640" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009176891,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009176891?profile=original" /></a></div><blockquote><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio"><span class="font-size-1">My Portuguese -language guru: teacher Fernando</span></div></blockquote><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio"></div><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1488649298993_46763"><div class="sqs-block-content"><h3 class="text-align-center"><strong>First Step Toward Learning a New Language</strong></h3><p><br /> The first moment you decide to embark on the learning journey and download Google Translate and Duolingo, you are rushed with the feeling of accomplishment. ‘I always thought about doing this and now it is actually happening!’ That quickly turns to annoyance five minutes later when you realize there are many months between you and the day you can actually use more than just the words ‘I am happy’ to describe a feeling. <br /> <br /> There is no formula for continued success, except for TO NOT BE AFRAID. Speak as if you have always spoken that language…as if everyone understands you…as if you understand yourself! You must loose every ounce of shame and force a conversation with anyone who will give you the time of day. It does not matter if that is a lifeguard at the <strong><a href="https://bromeliario.com/guide-to-ipanema-rio/" target="_blank">beach</a></strong>, your pineapple street vendor or that crazy guy from the neighborhood. The entire country is your classroom. In Brazil, there is less value put on time and more value put on human exchange. That is why when every Brazilian tries to boost your self worth by saying that Portuguese is so much harder than English, I always rebuttal. Portuguese is a million times easier, because in Brazil most people adore a chat with a stranger who brings along a foreign story and way of being that throws a different color onto their day.</p><p></p><h3 class="text-align-center"><strong>Learning a New Language is Hard</strong></h3><p><br /> Learning a new language is lonely. We are deep, thoughtful individuals who enjoy verbal exchange. But without words, you are alone in your own head. And even as your new language unfolds, there are still different cultural references and different expressions that can contribute to your feeling of loneliness. In many countries, the spoken word is the only respectable form of communication. To spend time with someone and not share a common spoken word is uncomfortable and leads to insecurity about not being able to describe who you are or what are your needs. <br /> <br /> In an English-speaking country, perfection is the ideal. In Brazil, good energy and feeling is the ideal; so body language becomes an essential part of dialogue, because it does not matter if you use ‘take’ instead of ‘bring’, they can get your intention. In the English-speaking world, we have strayed so far from placing value on this, that we forget there is more to than just the exchange of sounds in discourse. In Brazil: No words, no problem! A Brazilian will invite you to join in a juice, a dance, a lifetime, without thinking less of you that the way you speak is not perfect. This experience rapidly breaks down the habit of feeling isolated and not being good enough. </p></div></div><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1488649298993_49644"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500989849314_126"><div class="image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500989849314_125"><div class="intrinsic" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500989849314_124"><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009177283,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009177283,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009177283?profile=original" /></a></div><blockquote><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio"><span class="font-size-1">No matter where you are in the world, you are you...the good, the bad & the ugly!</span></div><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio"></div></blockquote><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1488649298993_53076"><div class="sqs-block-content"><p>The only true way to know a culture, is to enter its language. Language shapes culture. The way we describe things, is not universal. Example: in Portuguese, when a woman gives birth she literally "gives light." This highlights the beauty of her gift of a child to the world. In English, she simply "has a baby." This is of course much more direct, and practical. Portuguese tends to be a more emotional language, while English tends to be more rational and direct. So if you have fallen in love with that tropical chaotic place half way across the world, the only real way to penetrate it is to enter its syntax, its grammar, its expressions.</p><p>So why would anyone ever want to learn a language? It humbles you. It opens your eyes to how someone else sees the world. It reminds you that your basic needs are the same as those of your taxi driver. It puts into perspective what is really going on inside of you when you slow down and simplify. It allows you to hear your own self, when it is not clouded with the habit of your own language. Whether its the humbling process, the new friends you make, or the perspective gained, you become a little better with every new word remembered. <br /></p><p></p></div></div></div>Best Spa in Rio de Janeiro - the Fasano Spahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-best-spa-in-rio-de-janeiro-renata-de-abreu-spa-at-the-fasano2017-05-29T11:30:00.000Z2017-05-29T11:30:00.000Zlauren quinnhttps://tripatini.com/members/laurenquinn<div><p class="p1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009162900,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009162900,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009162900?profile=original" /></a></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /> Hidden deep inside another one of French designer Phillipe Stark’s hotels is the Spa at the Fasano Hotel. This hotel, built with core materials such as wood, glass and marble overlooks life-guard stand Posto 8 on Ipanema Beach. With its spirit of sophisticated casualness- in Havaiana flip-flips or Kenzo espadrilles- you will fit in no matter what your footwear. </span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Albeit it is a warm 77F (25C), autumn is full swing here in Rio de Janeiro. I enter the lobby of this beachfront property after a morning of boutique shopping around the colorful streets of Ipanema. Ipanema is much more than just a trendy beach it is a neighborhood of surfers, professionals, foreigners and designers. </span></p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009163661,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009163661,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" class="align-full" alt="9009163661?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Ipanema also hosts some of the city’s most unique Brazilian boutique shops. Specializing in swimwear, post-sun cocktail attire and flirty dinner wear, shopping here will take you directly into that tropical spirit. Brazilian designers are known for their use of color and light fabrics. But this does not mean that they skimp on quality of fabric or a high level of design. The look and feel of these high-end boho shops mirrors an afternoon spent shopping in Santa Monica, Le Marais or Soho. </span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The lobby is grounding, with its heavy woods and bouquets of tropical flowers. I hesitate for a minute to grab the essential late-morning vacation cocktail at the sea facing bar, before heading up the the first floor for my deep-tissue massage. But I resolve to wait until post-rejuvenation for that well deserved drink at the roof-top bar.</span></p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009163867,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009163867,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009163867?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Spa at the Fasano blends seamlessly a touch of the Orient with the classic sophistication of 1960s Copacabana. As I enter, I am greeted at the reception by a large smiling Buddha statue and a reception host eager to please. She calls me by my name, as if they have been expecting me (always a good touch!), and shows me the dressing room to put on my robe and slippers.</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Upon changing, I am offered a tea in the waiting lounge and asked to choose the scent of my massage oil and the type of music that I would like playing. The lounge feels like a high designed living room, with leather chairs, architectural books and large bronze vases holding dried eucalyptus. I opt for chamomile, lavender and mantras (in that exact order) and enjoy the moment until I am called in.</span></p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009164262,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009164262,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009164262?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The massage room has all the essentials an experienced spa go-er looks for: clean luxurious sheets, a comfortable face rest, a strong leg bolster, candlelight and calm feel. My masseuse entered and kept one hand on me at all times, clearly trained in the art of deep tissue. The 50 minutes passed all too quickly, as it always does. And at the end, I was invited to take my time getting up and getting ready. </span></p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009165683,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009165683,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009165683?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">There are a variety of services available. Although I tried only one, I mentally penciled in a future Ayurvedic massage and a hydrotreatment on the hotel’s rooftop in the exclusive vichy shower room. One detail to be adored that truly makes this spa stand out, is its commitment to sustainability. It works with the environment, which is not the case in most Brazilian establishments. Its use of bamboo fiber uniforms and recycled plastic Havana flip-flips are just a small example.</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Feeling fresh, surprisingly light and full of energy, I rode up to the roof top on the 8th floor. Next to the infinity pool, is your quintessential upscale beach bar. Think: blue and white striped outdoor sofas, a wooden bar with shiny barstools, a view over the entire beach and VIP seats for the famous sunset behind the iconic Dois Irmãos mountain range. </span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">I waffled between a crisp cold coconut water, served directly in the coconut and a glass of champagne. I once read in the <em>New York Times</em> that one must stay hydrated after a massage to clear the lactic acid in the muscles, so who I am not to order both?</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009166057,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009166057,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009166057?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />The hotel staff came over to see how I had enjoyed my massage. These are the little details that truly proves why the Fasano is the choice hotel for guests such as Madonna, Beyoncé and Rihanna. As I took a minute to enjoy the vibrant view, I noticed French Vogue was also there that day and was doing a small photo shoot. The energy on that rooftop felt like you were both a part of something interesting and yet your personal space was not impeded in any way.</span></p><p><span class="s1"> </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">I felt carefree after my delightful afternoon at the Fasano Day Spa. I most definitely will return. </span></p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"><em><span class="s1">For more on luxury Brazil travel, contact <strong><a href="http://www.bromeliario.com" target="_blank">BROMELIA - A RIO TRAVEL CONCIERGE</a></strong></span></em></p><p class="p1"></p></div>I'm Not Running Away - I'm Travelinghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/i-m-not-running-away-i-m-traveling2017-05-18T14:00:00.000Z2017-05-18T14:00:00.000Zlauren quinnhttps://tripatini.com/members/laurenquinn<div><div class="sqs-layout sqs-grid-12 columns-12" id="item-58e04f0a29687f5bed143653"><div class="row sqs-row" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1492957696383_95"><div class="col sqs-col-12 span-12" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1492957696383_94"><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-44f866fe06b6787cd2cf"><div class="sqs-block-content"><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009146671,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="640" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009146671,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009146671?profile=original" /></a><br /> I have been traveling for the good portion of a decade and a half. Often I traveled alone, sometimes with friends, sometimes the partners, but always with a passion for the road. You can say back 15 years ago, the gypsy wandering lifestyle was much less trendy. This is before the start of travel blogs and at the time when people still bought actual books about countries to learn where to go. We went to internet cafés to send emails to our parents, took photos with film, and bought plane tickets at travel agencies.</p><p><br /> The first time I left the country whose passport I possessed, I was 20 and had a socially accepted plan of spending one year studying in Europe. When after one year I realized it just wasn't nearly enough, I decided not to go back to my expected trajectory and instead I just kept on going. From then on, I was asked so many times what I was running from that I began to believe it myself.</p><p><br /> At that time the planet wasn't as connected virtually, and I did not know anybody else who was living abroad for the sake of living abroad. Yes, I had many friends who traveled or did short-term international projects, but none with whom I could identify. But I had an unquenchable wanderlust and just felt better when I was on the road or setting up shop in a foreign land. I always follow my heart. <br /></p></div></div><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1491096193208_23486"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1492957696383_93"><div class="image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1492957696383_92"><div class="intrinsic" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1492957696383_91"><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1492957696383_90"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009147454,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009147454,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009147454?profile=original" /></a></div><div class="image-caption-wrapper"><div class="image-caption"><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>Enjoying a cappuccino & lemon tart on a solo journey</em></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1491096193208_23766"><div class="sqs-block-content"><p><br /> I wasn't lost.<br /> <br /> I wasn't avoiding "real life.”<br /> <br /> I wasn't searching for something.<br /> <br /> I wasn't afraid to have that "nine-to-five job.”<br /> <br /> I wasn't wasting valuable education.<br /> <br /> I wasn't running from anything.<br /> <br /> Fifteen years on, with the extensive travel experience, people no longer judge. Or if they do, I simply don’t hear it anymore. I think it has less to do with the fact that I have a proven track record of returning home in one piece, and more with the fact that now I'm confident about something I always felt was right. <br /> <br /> This life lived out of the normal "comfort zone” isn't without consequences. But like anything, one must make a choice on what's most important to them. The false sense of security that came with a predictable monthly income, standing Thursday night dinners with friends, or the corner store clerk that knows your name… didn't make me feel more stable. In fact, it made me feel trapped. <br /> <br /> I accept now that you don't always have to have a plan, nor a direction for you to have purpose. However, you have to do what feels good. And despite all the warnings that the world gives you, like you will loose your friends or it will be too late to start a career, life can be incredibly fulfilling. I wish I could go back and tell myself now just how deep friendships can be despite not meeting up for that weekly cup of coffee or that a career would've made my life miserable. <br /> <br /> Travelers do make choices, they choose to be happy. I'm not running. This is my life.</p><p></p><p>For more about living abroad & Brazil lifestyle, <strong><a href="https://bromeliario.com/rio-de-janeiro-blog/" target="_blank">Read here</a></strong>!</p></div></div></div></div></div><p><span class="sqs-simple-like"><span class="like-count"> </span></span></p></div>Why I Visited Brazil - and Came Back to Livehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/brazil-expatriate-life2017-04-03T14:30:00.000Z2017-04-03T14:30:00.000Zlauren quinnhttps://tripatini.com/members/laurenquinn<div><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-2339dd17e92c60f1a3c0"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_681"></div></div><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready"><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready"><div class="sqs-block-content"><div class="image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline"><div class="intrinsic"><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_315"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img class="thumb-image loaded align-center" alt="Mari and I in Morro de São Paulo" src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5621c48fe4b092a567c0a7cd/t/587251979de4bbf0b38c2772/1483887001626/IMG_1249.jpg?format=750w" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_706" name="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_706" /></span></div><div class="image-caption-wrapper"><div class="image-caption"><p id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_703" style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>My friend Mari and me in Morro de São Paulo</em></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1483886104126_28853"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_318"><div class="image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_317"><div class="intrinsic" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_316"><div class="image-caption-wrapper" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_705"><div class="image-caption" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_704"><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I came to Brazil for the first time alone in 2014. I love to learn languages and I had made several attempts at Spanish that never furnished the skills I had hoped for. So, I filled a backpack and headed to South America for a six-month trip. I had a rough idea of where I wanted to go, but the overall idea was to be alone so that I could be immersed in Spanish and return home with the capability of being charming at a dinner party in Mexico City (if that occasion every arose). At the last minute, I added Brazil to my route because I felt I should check that box. I thought, let’s get it over with, I mean I am down there anyways. A week to São Paulo to visit an old friend I knew during the London years, turn into a month that included Bahia, Florianopolis and Rio de Janeiro. <br /> <br /> I often compare Rio to India. They are nothing alike and have everything in common. What I am referring to here, is the feeling you get when you step off that plane. You get hit in the face by a thick hot air, that doesn’t smell very good and there is a lot of noise and people everywhere. You head to customs, where the agents are more interested in talking to you about what you will be doing tonight then where you are going or what you are running from. You proceed through the airport- an important government structure of any major city and there are loose live wires, holes in the walls, florescent lighting, happy music playing, paint done by someone who doesn’t stay in the lines and a lot, I mean a lot of tacky marble. And for some reason, you have never felt so happy in your life. You experience a joy so pure and so simple, it is as if you stepped off that airplane and an energy entered your toes. You know you aren’t home, but you feel like you want to stay.</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I was apprehensive to travel Brazil alone. I thought that my basic Spanish skills would get me further than they did. But they didn’t….at all. But the lack of a common language ended up being the best gift of all. It was on a two-hour boat trip from Salvador, the capital of Bahia, to Morro de São Paulo that I let Brazil in. I was sitting alone on the small commuter boat, listening to music, drinking a Brahma. A smiley woman approached me and began to speak. I responded in Spanish and she looked perplexed, but she didn’t stop speaking to me. In fact she started talking faster. She spoke to me as if I understood all that she was saying. I felt her good energy and was enjoying our interaction despite the lack of comprehension. Somehow I figured out she wanted me to have a drink with her and her friends later that night. I nodded ‘sure’ and figured we would never run into each other. Obviously on a car-less island, we did and ended up spending the next 3 days straight together. There was no Google Translate, there was no dictionary, there was nothing but laughter! We had such a beautiful time together that when it came time for me to leave the island, everyone had misty eyes. <br /> <br /> On the commuter boat back to the shores of Salvador that afternoon, I knew something had changed. I went on to travel to the Galapagos islands, Machu Picchu, even the Amazon….but nothing was Brazil. I returned to my home at the time in San Francisco and gave myself six months. If I still felt so strongly at the end of my given timescale, then I would just return with the intentions to build a new life. If I only knew then what I know now…wink wink!</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When I speak of Brazil, I am speaking mostly form experience in Rio de Janeiro. The country is so large and so diverse it might as well be many different countries and not just a single place. Every neighborhood, city, and state has its own culture, slang ‘<i>giria’,</i> even different fruits. But this article will generalize about common threads of Brazilian culture. And it needs to be added, that there are 2 sides to every coin and the picture I am about to paint also has many other sub stories. But the focus is the answer to… Why Brazil?</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Brazil has an enormous army, but has never been to battle (ok, very rarely). It has nearly no enemies, except for the Argentinians in futebol, but that is all in jest. So why prepare for warfare? The government does not support nor protect the common folk. So when you have nothing to count on, you look to those around you for support. The typical Brazilian family rallies together to the end. I have met families that even physically fought each other and then scrubbed the kitchen floor side by side that same afternoon. Because of this the Brazilian family is tight and strong. If you aren’t getting a pension to take care of you when you are older, or health services when you have dengue fever, or a good local school to send your kindergartner to, you turn to those who can provide instant hep and support. My best friend earns about 500Reais a month, which at the time I wrote this is a bit less than $200 US dollars. She is the sole bread winner for a family of six, cleans the house all on her own and still goes out dancing till dawn. She is not bitter, nor expects any help or pity. I once asked her why, and she replied simply, because it is my family. </span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a common dialogue in Brazil about "positive thinking." The idea is that if you put out positive energy, you will then attract it. Of course, things will not always go the way you want, but when that happens ‘acceptance hurts less’. This is the vernacular wheel that propels Brazilians to smile every time you see them and constantly give thanks out loud for what they do have good. This could be one of the most sad countries on the planet. They have enough natural resources to be a first world nation, few natural disasters and wonderful weather, yet their poverty and crime rate is unbelievable high. Everyone I know has at least one tragic death in the family and no one I know earns more than a few hundred US dollars a week. But you swim in happiness in Brazil. There is little time wasted, because every day is a reason to celebrate. Life is good, even when it isn’t.</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">What the majority of the "developed world" strives for through yoga classes, plans for retirement, and conclusions we make on holiday is what Brazilians have been doing for generations. In fact it is so engrained, that they don’t even realize they are doing it. Their definition of what brings them happiness is the enjoyment of life’s little pleasures. It is the importance of a unexpected moment with an old friend or a beer with a new friend, the importance of empathy, celebration of your family, dinners with your cousins, cleaning your aunt’s home, being late to work because you were making love to your wife, helping your neighbor til midnight because they are good people, staying up extra late because the music you have heard a thousand times is still ever so beautiful or enjoying an extra helping of your mother’s pipping hot, garlicky beans that you have eaten everyday for 40 years and will eat every day for 40 more if you could. None of this is defined as embracing life’s greatest pleasures, in Brazil, this is just life. I had a client tell me recently that he went to a samba and had so much fun he stayed out tim dawn. I smiled to myself on the inside and thought, here this is just called "I met a few friends on Saturday." Brazilians are limitless.</span></p><p class="p1"></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1483886104126_33387"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_710"></div></div><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1483886104126_44487"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_343"><div class="image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_342"><div class="intrinsic" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_341"><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio" id="yui_3_17_2_6_1490450202847_340"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img class="thumb-image loaded align-center" alt="Delicious Brazilian Street Food" src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5621c48fe4b092a567c0a7cd/t/58725238f7e0ab8a6749d34a/1483887173087/Delicious+Brazilian+Street+Food?format=750w" /></span></div><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio" style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-1" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Delicious Bahian food</em></span></div><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio" style="text-align:center;"></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1483886104126_47853"><div class="sqs-block-content"><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Brazilians can not understand why i would trade my life in the states for a life in Brazil. Nothing works here. Everything is disorganized. There is so much corruption. It is so expensive here. You can’t make any money. But when asked how they feel about Brazil, without thinking they smile large and begin an hour rant about how gorgeous life is here. It is a country of contradictions. Everything they say, both positive and negative is accurate. But at the end of the day, I prefer my daily interactions to be with those who operate from their heart strings. I prefer those who choose to love life and not pity themselves. I prefer those who value the dance more than the dollar. I love a bbq, a cold beer and a bright yellow dress even if it is in the setting of a concrete backyard.</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p class="p1"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are looking for a very simple and extremely complicated life, then this is for you. Brazil is not always pretty. It definitely is not the postcard the world paints of it. But you will make real friends. You will feel very supported and love. You will slow down. You will be forever changed. And you might just very well be the happiest you have ever been.</span></p><p class="p2"></p><p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">For more info on Rio and accessing local culture, Check out </span><strong><a href="http://www.bromeliario.com" target="_blank">Bromelia Rio Travel & Tours</a></strong></p></div></div></div>