Viva Brasil

I wanted to post again when I reached Brazil yesterday, but with next to no sleep on the overnight flight to São Paulo, I decided that I would refrain from sharing any sleep-deprived mumblings I might have. 

When I reached São Paulo, I made it through customs in about five minutes- a strong contrast to the hour or so I waited when I flew here in 2010. I made it to the gates rather quickly. The gate changed twice- once right after I reached my first one, and once right before takeoff. I can't say I am very good at Portuguese, but I am good enough to make sure they know why I am giving tem a blank stare. (Eu não entendo Portugués muito bem.) This helped, and any request for directions was then pointed out on the map I had brought. 

I was incredibly relieved to finally reach Fortaleza. To be quite honest, if my butt ever resembled a pancake, it likely did then. I was very pleased with United Airlines, but the seats were economy, and as expected, not comfortable.

I don't know if it is the delirium that follows a near 26 hours of no sleep, or just the excitement of finally making it to your destination, but there is something really magical about that very last descent. It was evening when I arrived, and the sun had set on land, despite being able to see it above the clouds.

 Faint outlines of ghostly mountains shifted into view, and I could only hold my breath as millions of lights encrusted the landscape in gold and silver stars. I could see where the land ended, seemingly the dropping off into the edge of a flat world, though I knew it was kissing the waves of the ocean, whose edge bled into a musky skyline of navy. We lowered closer, and the stars became streetlights, and the headlights and taillights of vehicles created pulsing veins of light- a vivacious city filled to the brim with people living their everyday lives, going home to enjoy dinner with their families.

If cameras had been permitted at that point, I would have taken a photo to share. 

As of now, I am relaxing in 86 degrees of still, wet air. The fan keeps me comfortable. Later, my host and I will go to greet his mother, and we will go to the store to gather the things I left out of my bags, but will be needing in the upcoming week.

Read more

Hello, Texas!

My first plan of action upon arriving at IAH was to find medicine for nausea and a migraine. After a quick ride to my terminal, I tracked down Advil and Dramamine. Followed by some iced coffee from the Starbucks across the way. Aside from my motion sickness, the flight was pleasant enough. The typical complaints about riding economy, but I was expecting that. I got into the plane very quickly, which is fantastic.

My neighbor on the plane was friendly and quiet during the flight. 

My personal item is a laptop bag given to my grandmother, who has a passion for Chihuahuas. The bag is covered in chihuahua print and was awarded with a long, amused stare from my roomie. She laughed at me after I told her about my grandmother, and she said I was going to find a person in my travels that will be in love with it, and tell me all about their army of small dogs.

Congratulations, Rachel- you were right. The bag ended up being a conversation starter for my neighbor, who proudly named off the breeds of her five dogs, and told me she also had horses and cats. I have no chihuahua, but I was at least able to relate to her by telling her about my (very much adored) cat, Mucha, and about how I aspire to have a beagle as a companion some day also.

On that note, I will leave you for now, and will see you on the other side of the Americas!

Read more

Morning Thunderstorms

I woke up this morning to very loud thunder. I would usually love to sleep in a little longer to the clouds' rumbling heartbeats, but this morning it sent me to my go-to weather app, Intellicast, to make sure that the biggest storms will clear by my takeoff time. 

I am much better about flights these days, but there are still few things I hate more than stormy lift offs or rough flying conditions - not that anyone really enjoys them. It removes any sense of control you feel about where you are, which is really where most phobias originate. 

The next few hours will be busy. One last run-through of my luggage. I found out that I could not print my boarding pass ahead of time, as they need to check my passport at the airport prior to my receiving one. I remember that from last time now. 

Well, I had better get started. The storms have cleared already. All that remains is the electricity of my own excitement.

The above image shows my parents' backyard post-storm. A pretty sight first thing in the morning.

Read more

Trip to Brazil

Tomorrow's the day. 

My excitement has been building for the last two weeks for my trip to Brazil. Today, I am tingling with energy and my mind feels alert and hyper-sensitive to every noise around me, yet I am also partially checked out of my surroundings. It is a strange sensation; I am noticing everything around me in great detail, yet am focused on the trip. It reminds me a bit of meditation- clearing your mind and focusing, hearing everything in surprising detail, with a river of consciousness rushing past you. Sometimes thoughts drift toward you, and you pick them up, gaze at them, but then gently give them back to the river, where they flow somewhere downstream. It is slightly more restless than meditation, however. Some worries loop in the river, revisiting me frequently: "Did I forget anything?"

I am nervously watching flights to see whether they are generally on-time or delayed, kindling that fierce love-hate relationship I have for flying and airports. I've always been afraid of heights. The first time I was on a plane, I had a panic attack before take-off. Now I dare my fears by always taking a window seat and forcing myself to look out the window. It's not so bad, and I've grown to like watching the clouds and "tiny big cities" below me. Mammoths reduced to anthills. Now all that scares me are international airports and flight delays, which all become more easy to swallow once you have been through it a few times.

One thing I can say to first-time travelers is this: Don't be so afraid that it stops you. It's natural to be nervous, but route that nervous energy in a positive and helpful way. Use it to ignite your awareness. Never leave bags unattended. Watch your pockets. Do not, under any circumstances, agree to take packages from strangers to transport to one of their "friends" in a city you are going to. Do not accept gifts from strangers. Be smart with your money and where you store it- maybe keep a $20 bill in your pocket and hide the rest in your sock, bra, and/or a security belt.

Another thing: I do not, by any means, make lots of money that I can just throw around on plane tickets. What I do have is willpower to save, especially when there is a goal I'm trying to make. Friends in the destination country also makes a massive difference in price to you. I feel lucky to know so many people abroad. It reduces the cost from several thousand, to just a little more than the price of your plane ticket, as room and board can be just as expensive or more expensive than the flight, depending on how long you stay and where. Don't let your dreams be dashed. If you can save $10/week, you will have $520 saved in a year. If you can save $20/week and have someone to stay with in your destination country, you can be there in a year or so. If you can only do $10/wk, you can still make a dream vacation in a couple of years, and it is something to look forward to.

I have only added a couple of entries to this blog thus far, but it's about to flesh out. If there is one thing I love, it's sharing the experiences, thrills, and new knowledge that comes with international travel. I hope that you will join me as I make my trip. I hope that I am able to update from the airports and/or on board the planes. If not, I'll see you there!

Read more