Nature Invigorates The Soul

It has been approximately two and half weeks since I landed by plane in Curitiba, Brasil. I have found Curitiba to be a bustling city full of tall buildings, parks, and malls that remind me somewhat of Chicago, Illinois. Curitiba is actually the eight largest city in Brasil.  

The City Of Curitiba

After the first day of being in Brasil, my roommate, Chloe and I decided to take a mini-tour of the city. Chloe has already visited Curitiba before, so it was exciting to have my very own personal tour guide (lol!) that speaks really good Portuguese. Anyways, what I discovered was that on Sunday, every one stays at home, for the most part. Hardly any businesses were open. The only place that seemed to be open for business was the mall.  We decided to end our brief tour of the city by eating dinner at the mall and catch the movie, "Branca de Neve eo Caçador" or should I say “Snow White and the Huntsman”.  The movie was amazing. And if you were wondering, the movie was in English and had Portuguese subtitles. At the mall, I had a variety of food to choose from. I found it interesting to see that almost every meal comes with a side of fries….or may I say fritas! A typical Brasilian dish includes a meat, rice, beans, and fritas!  I was really looking to have some fish so my first meal in Brasil was tilapia, mixed vegetables, and rice. It was really good!

My first meal in Brasil. Yummy!

When the work week began, it was then that I had to readjust my by body to the cold weather. Right now in the US there are ripples of heat waves, however during my first week in Curitiba there was nothing else but frigid cold and rain. After the first week, the damper of the rain prompted Chloe and I to pursue a trip to a much warmer climate for the weekend. We decided on taking a bus to visit Sam and Liz in Florianopolis. Once on the bus ride to Florianopolis, I was able to witness the lushness of the Brazilian landscape. An array of dense green trees and plants gave way to mounds of protruding hills that seem to penetrate the sky. Have you ever seen hills touch the clouds? I have! For me it was such a phenomenal moment. 

View of the landscape on the way to Florianopolis

 Our weekend in Florianopolis was filled with adventure. Chloe, Sam, Liz, and I experienced a rough and treacherous hike up a hill that gave way to an absolutely beautiful and breath taking scenery once at the top as well as the rising and variable hills of sand when we took on the physical activity of dune surfing! 

Chloe and I enjoying the beautiful scenery after  hiking

Dune Surfing

The weekend in Florianopolis was just what we needed. Nature surely does invigorate the soul. I can only imagine what the next 7 weeks will be like for me in Brasil. I am sure that I will be challenged further and my own perspective on life will be re-created. I look forward to fully embracing the change within. 

Until next time, Tchao folks!