My Arrival ~ Minha Chegada

     Hey there! I am beyond excited to say that I am writing this post from the couch in my current home in Brazil! 

     Saying goodbye to my Colorado friends and family was difficult, but we made light of the situation like we always do (making funny faces while crying). My flight to Chicago was pretty quick and painless, but then I got to the gate for my connecting flight to São Paulo. I showed up sporting a USA t-shirt and a very pale complexion... I immediately stood out among the 100+ Brazilians waiting for the flight! That was my first taste of the culture shock I was about to experience. On the ten hour flight, I sat with a young girl and her grandma, (Brazilians) neither of them knew any English. We still got along just fine with the few words I was able to say to them in Portuguese. Flying over São Paulo was the most AMAZING experience. I've never seen or even imagined such a big city! However, that meant the airport was quite an adventure. I was fortunate enough to start a conversation with this nice, young American man in line for baggage check behind me. He and I happened to have flights near the same time and the same gate, so we found our way around the shuttles and terminals together. The flight to Curitiba lasted about 40 minutes, and at this point I was thrilled to be done with airplanes!
     I grabbed my bags, walked out of the baggage claim area, and I was quickly swept into tons of hugs and kisses! My first and third host families were there, along with my very good friend Kadu and his family. Everyone was so kind and understanding when all I could say was "Desculpa, não entendo!" (Sorry, I don't understand!). Kadu and two of my host brothers (Luca and Thiago) were able to help me communicate with the adults who didn't speak English. However, I didn't need to understand them to know how much we already love each other.
     We left after talking for a bit to go to a restaurant. I went with my two host families to a buffet-style seafood restaurant. There were also waiters coming around to each table with different cuts of meat that they would slice right on to the plate. It was beautiful chaos and everything was delicious! Mom and Luca took me home and gave me some time to unpack my things and rest.
     I've already learned so much in the one day I've been here and I'm so in love with all of it. I can have short conversations with my mom in Portuguese (both of us always have our phones nearby for Google Translate) and I talk to Luca equal amounts in English and Portuguese. I talk to Mike (the dog, pronounced Mikey) in both English and Portuguese as well. He is the love of my life. I am so lucky to live this amazing life and I'm so excited to continue my adventures!