Saudade

Saudade: "The love that remains after someone or something is gone. The recollection of feelings, experiences, places, or events that once brought excitement and pleasure which now triggers the senses and makes one live again." -Sarah Wilson

Saudade is a Portuguese word that does not have an exact English translation. It is more emotional and strong than just nostalgia or missing something. It is looking back and feeling a fondness towards a time in your life where you felt immense joy somewhere or with someone, but is also the feeling of knowing that time is over and hoping that you will be reunited in the future. This is the word that sums up how I am feeling about my time in Brazil coming to a close.

Since this was my second time in Brazil, I came into this program thinking that I would know roughly what to expect even though I would be in a new city. I was hoping to improve my Portuguese  and learn more about what it is like to conduct research in Brazil. However, I gained so much more from this summer than I could have imagined. I did improve my Portuguese even though I am far from fluent. I also experienced what it is like to conduct research in Brazil. There were a lot of moments where I saw how frustrating it can be. Things often took longer than I expected them too, and materials were extremely expensive so ordering was very complicated to try and get the cheapest price. However, I also witnessed extremely hard working researchers who were innovative and collaborated well. There are a lot of lessons that I will take with me in my future work.

I also gained a new sense of independence and a deeper love and understanding of Brazil. Navigating alone at times in a city where most people don’t speak English has really taught me that I can rely on myself, even with my horrible sense of direction. Curitiba is a very different city from São Paulo (which is where I studied last year), but has it’s own charm. The people are kind, proud of their city, and always willing to help. Everyone was also very quick to teach me about their history, and I really enjoyed talking about politics with my friends and coworkers. I have created  so many amazing experiences, firsts, and friendships in this eight weeks. I am so thankful for everyone that I have met and that has taken time to help me, and most importantly for the MHIRT program. So Brazil, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later! Can’t wait to see you all!!!