My First Offical Jiu Jitsu Lessons

The day after I moved here, someone in the plaza near my house handed me two 3-day passes to a nearby gym so my roommate, Cris, and I decided to try it out.

The first day, we went to a yoga class and the teacher can be perfectly summed up with the word douche. Never have I had such an arrogant, unhelpful teacher and especially in a yoga class. Normally, teachers are patient and help you gain confidence by encouraging you. This guy was the opposite...and he was a dick right from the start.

Before the class started, we started talking and I warned him (all in Portuguese, of course) that my Portuguese isn't perfect so that if he asked me to do something during the class and I didn't do it, he would know that it was because I hadn't understood the directions. His response: "You're in Brazil. You need to learn Portuguese." He said it as if I'd just said I hated the language or something. "Right." I told him, "That's why I'm in this country. I'm learning Portuguese but I'm not perfect because it takes time." Idiot.

He then proceeded to speak English to me the entire class. ?!?! I didn't want him to since I'm trying to learn Portuguese but he seemed to be enjoying it a lot and never let up. I am not even shitting you when I say that, at one point, he came over to where I was doing a balancing posture and sat down beside me, leaning on the floor with one arm. No joke, this is what I heard: "I, uh, compose music in English. Yeah, I have a jazz band and I play x and y instruments (I forget) and this guy over here (pointing) plays the flute in my band." He kept talking for a while and I smiled politely and said things like "wow" and "cool" that you say to a little kid telling you something about their new toy.

This conversation, mind you, took place during a little break he took from walking around the room and being a complete douche to everyone else in the room as well. He walked around with his chest puffed out and his hands clasped behind his back like a military officer and dished out rude comments about people's non-perfect yoga. At one point he asked Cris if she would rather be at home sleeping and he snorted out a pretentious little chuckle every time someone wobbled a little or fell out of a posture.

Disclaimer for anyone who hasn't done yoga: He is literally the only teacher (person, for that matter) I've ever encountered in yoga who is like this. All the other people I've ever done yoga with were amazing. Just don't take a class with this particular guy and you should be good to go.

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BUT that was only our first day at the gym. The second day, we decided to try a jiu jitsu class. I'd done a little bit of jiu jitsu with Nico (my old roommate who is a jiu jitsu master in Peru) before but not a whole lot since we focused more on self-defense than anything else.

I'll never forget the first time Nico and I did jiu jitsu because I had no idea what is was actually about before we started. I'd just decided that I wanted to train in some sort of martial arts fighting sport because they look like fun. Well, for those of you who are in the same boat as I was, I'll explain.

We threw a mattress in the middle of the room and Nico told me to lock our door (remember, we shared a room in a house where a 5-person family and 14 other dudes who trained at his gym lived). He said that if someone walked in that it would look bad. I told him that it'd look worse if we were in there with the door locked and to quit being dramatic and start teaching me jiu jitsu. "Fine," he said, and he laid down on his back on the mattress and said "come on." I stood there looking at him before I hesitantly started to crouch down and he impatiently grabbed my body with his two legs wrapped around my torso and pulled me down.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is the normal position for jiu jitsu. Maybe you guys already knew this but I didn't. One of the goals is to get the opponent into this position so that you can control their entire body with just your legs. "Well damn!" I said, "Yeah, hang on...let me lock the door." It really would've looked bad had someone walked in.

So anyway, Cris and I went to a jiu jitsu lesson at this same gym and it was the opposite of what our yoga experience had been. No one at the yoga class had talked to us and the teacher had been a dick but, at the jiu jitsu class, no one was a pompous ass--literally everyone there was super nice to us.

It started with a warm-up which I liked because we did a lot of Insanity-type exercises. Then, for the main training, Cris and I went with two of the most advanced guys in the class so they could start to teach us some basics and the rest of the class learned other, more complicated moves on the other side of the room.

We basically spent the entire class in that main position I mentioned above. We had to control the other person with our legs, do one of the two maneuvers that we learned that night, flip the person over us and onto the floor and then land on top of them, sitting up. To them, it's just a sport, but to me it seemed like a mix of wrestling and some other stuff that I won't get into...which reminds me, these guys had incredible bodies and beautiful faces. Awkward. There was about to be a lot of nervous giggling on my part but they were all really professional and encouraging so they made it easy to learn.

I was picking up the moves and having way too much fun flipping these dudes onto the floor (like when I used to have such a blast boxing with Nico...I don't know why I enjoy these "violent" sports so much). The class ended with people partnering up and wrestling (I don't know if that's the right terminology for this particular sport...I'm still new) for a timed period. BOY is that a good workout! And it's freaking fun. It reminds me of back in the day when Brendan and I used to fight to the death over the tv remote and whatnot. Yes...good times.

The teacher and everyone in the class were really welcoming and told us to come back. ALSO, get this: the teacher dances. Wth?! He knows the dancing places that play kizomba around here where we live so, as soon as all the holiday festivities are over, it's ON.

I normally wouldn't pay money for a gym but I'm thinking about it now that I've taken one jiu jitsu class. There is literally no better country to learn in if I'm going to practice this sport so I feel like I should be taking advantage of my situation. YAY FOR NEW SPORTS!! :D

Cris and I have one free day left at this gym so I'll update again after!

The Brazilian Run-Around

After 4+ months of visa paperwork, headaches and "sorry, there's nothing I can do"s, I finally got my passport back and was able to come to Brazil where the bureaucratic mess continues. Once here, I had to register my visa which entailed making copies of every page of my passport, taking a third set of passport photos and fingerprints, filling out a bunch of paperwork online, printing the forms, taking them to a bank, paying the fees (another $100) and then making an appointment at the federal police office at the international airport and hour and a half (and two bus fares) away where I could register. That may sound easy, but when you're on foot and trying to find internet, a place to print and a place to make copies (all at different places), it's extremely time-consuming.

Amazingly, they accepted my registration the first day I went (that is the only time I've succeeded at something Brazilian-visa related on the first try). Am I done now? Not quite. I have to go back in 50 days to pick up my official ID or whatever it is. Then four months later I'll have to border-hop to come back in on my tourist visa if I want to stay. And should I choose to do that, I'll have to go back three months later to renew the visa to stay if I want to be here for the full year. Each of those simple steps will turn out to be nice and long.

Disclaimer: I realize that I have no right to complain because the visa process for people to come to the U.S. is much worse. Many people go through way more than that just to be denied. I'm just explaining in case people were wondering what it's like to get a visa here.

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The bureaucracy doesn't stop there, though. Everything in Brazil is such a lengthy process that it almost seems like a joke. I think I've commented before in my blogs about the insanely long lines at grocery stores and banks and whatnot. I need to put pictures in here at some point because it can be pretty incredible sometimes.

This past week, I found myself marveling at the process involved stopping in a rest-stop along the highway to pee.
1. Upon entering building, press a button in front of a turnstile.
2. Take little re-useable plastic ticket-thing (damn, I really should've taken pictures) with a number and barcode on it.
3. Turnstile then allows you to walk through.
(Every time you want to buy something, whether from the store shelves, the self-serve hot food bar or at the counter with fresh bread and whatnot, they scan the plastic ticket thing and you hang onto it until you leave. You have to participate in this entire process even if you're not buying anything.
4. You may then use the bathroom.
5. Wait in line as all the people who are actually buying food from the self-service bar get their tickets scanned.
6. Get your ticket scanned and proceed to the convenience store-like other half of the building.
7. Walk all the way to the far end of the building, around a bunch of empty tables, in order to make a U-turn and come back to the check-out.
8. Wait in line again with all of the people who are actually buying things.
9. Have your ticket scanned so they can see you don't owe any money.
10. Finally leave.

And don't think that it was just this one place. This kind of process is Brazil's specialty.

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That bureaucracy is something that everyone here deals with on a daily basis (part of what I attribute Brazilians' overall patience to, though I don't know if that's really the cause). Foreigners, though, have some extra issues to deal with as well. The other day, I stopped to buy some grapes from this guy that always sells fruit right around the corner from my house and right outside the bakery where my friend Clarice (the one from the YouTube channel I mentioned in the last blog) works. I asked him how much and I thought I heard him say "três" meaning three (which is super cheap...less than $1) so I handed him three reals. He looked at me and enunciated "dez!" meaning ten. I guessed I'd misheard. Ten seemed a little expensive but I already had the grapes in my hand and everything so I just went with it. I like to support local vendors when I can so it's alright if it's a little more expensive.

Then I walked into the bakery and started to tell Clarice and she freaked out. "Did you pay 10 reals for those?! He charges me five." She stormed right out to the guy and told him that she'd sent me to buy the grapes for her and she wanted her change back--the same amount he always gives her. He had sort of a dumbstruck look on his face the entire time they were talking and he eventually gave me two reals back but still had three more than he should've. Yes, yes. Just like in Peru (and everywhere else), there's a price for the general population and there's a special price for gringos.

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Last but not least, if I'm going to have the word "run" in the title of this post, I have to mention some serious hustling that I witnessed just two days ago (and not for the first time).

I was in the street waiting for a bus and suddenly a bunch of people were yelling and chasing after a guy who'd just robbed someone. He'd run out into traffic to make it difficult for people to chase him but some did anyway. There was a cop car with two cops standing outside of it and we all watched from across the street as the thief ran by them, literally within an arm's reach. We watched in amazement as the cops did absolutely nothing about it. They stood and watched, the thief got away and then life eventually went on again.

If you treat your poor people poorly enough (Brazil doesn't do sh*t to take care of its poorest citizens) and have the rich people parade around with their expensive bags, jewelry and iPhones, this seems to be a pretty much guaranteed daily situation. Then the cycle spins out of control...the rich people get more scared of the poor people, the poor people are even less taken care of and they end up in even more dire situations and having to find more ways to get money. Then, boy, do they end up extremely skilled in darting across four lanes of moving traffic!

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Brazil is certainly an interesting place. Like anywhere else in the world, it has it's pros and cons; it has things that go along with my personality and things that don't. But it's teaching me patience with all it's rules and processes (we all know that patience is not a natural strength of mine) and the visa shenanigans and gringo problems are well worth the opportunity to learn this beautiful language, try new sports, make amazing new friends, spend long days on these incredible beaches with mountains all around, and enjoy the crap out of my life. Brazil, go ahead and continue just as you are. I'm obsessed with you either way and I'll see if there's anything I can do to help you while I'm here.

My First Week Back In Rio!! 8D

Guys, I know I've said this before but it literally couldn't get any better.
When I got to Rio, I took a bus to Laranjeiras, where I used to live, and went to see my old family (my precious 82-year-old Dona Maria and the entire fight club--the 15ish MMA fighters). I hadn't even walked 20 steps away from the bus and I noticed someone walking next to me. I looked over and it was Bernard, one of the first friends I made when I first moved to Rio! (He was one of the guys I met on the beach when I was out running and we all ended up playing soccer, going out dancing and playing capoeira together.) It was such a coincidence running into him there because he's not from that area of the city but it was so awesome. He took one of my bags and walked me all the way to my house.

There, I finally got to chat with Dona Maria (one of the people I credit for helping me learn Portuguese the first time I was here) and some of the guys. They even cooked for me! They're the sweetest.

Then I headed out to check out some apartments. I had five lined up to see but I ended up liking the first one enough that I decided to stay so I moved in that night. I'm living with a small family (mom, dad & 6-year-old son) and they rent out the rest of the rooms to girls around my age who are here studying or working. Right from the start, these girls have been awesome. There are four of us who have gotten close (the other ones are nice but we're never home at the same time so I don't really know them) and we've been hanging out, going dancing, going to the beach and whatever when we can. They're all super sweet and have been really helpful since the very first night, when my roommate, Chris walked with me to the store to show me where it was. They're seriously awesome!! One of the other girls, Clarice, who is particularly hilarious, just moved away from her family for the first time because she wanted to travel and make a life of her own that didn't quite follow the norm. She reminds me a lot of me when I was younger and I'm kind of obsessed with her. She started her own YouTube channel when she moved here and she let me be in the last one! (My Portuguese is horrible but it was fun anyway!) Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYd46W5-Fw

 The day after I got here, there was a Kizomba Congress (which I found through a friend of a friend that I stalked down on facebook once I saw the word "kizomba" in his profile picture) and I knew I had to go! Obviously, I had no one to go with so I went by myself. There was one other girl in there who wasn't either Brazilian or Angolan and became friends the instant we introduced ourselves. She's from Sweden and she's freaking AWESOME. We've been hanging out every day since, mostly living on the beach, and she's just as obsessed with dancing as I am so look out, Rio! Emilie and I are coming!

It gets better! I've just completed my first week of Portuguese classes and they've been incredible. They're really similar to the intensive Spanish courses I took in Mexico all those years ago and I'm loving it. There are eight students in my class and, including the teacher, we're from nine different countries (Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Holland, Hungary, Canada, Germany and, of course, Brazil and the U.S.). We're all different ages and from different backgrounds and professions, here learning Portuguese for a variety of reasons. All of our discussions have nine distinct perspectives and I love it! Pretty much everyone in the class already speaks English and Spanish (actually most of them speak like 5 or 6 languages...I'm trying very hard not to be jealous) but we do a pretty great job of speaking Portuguese when we're together on breaks and after the class.

That reminds me...after the class! Listen to this routine. Wake up, four hours studying this ridiculously beautiful language with a group of wonderful people, then a few of us always go for lunch (usually sushi), and then we head to the beach, meeting up with other friends a lot of the time. Afterwards, Emilie and I buy a liter of fresh coconut water each and head home together. Some days I go teach for a couple of hours afterwards (but not much right now since a lot of people are traveling) and other days I stick around to watch the sun set. Then I get home and hang out with all the awesome people in my house, speaking in Portuguese the entire time, telling stories and joking around. Seriously. I can't believe this is my life. I couldn't make it better if I tried.

Some particular highlights of the last few days:
1) We were assigned to teach something to the rest of the class at the end of last week (we were studying the imperative verb tense) so I taught my class how to read and write in Korean (just some basics since I only had like 10 minutes), all in Portuguese. It was awesome!
2) Two of my housemates & I went salsa dancing on Thursday and we were out til 6 a.m. There were some amazing dancers there and I got to dance with them a bunch! (I just need to get some non-flipflops for the next time I go...there was a lot of my shoes sticking to the floor and coming off...not ideal.)
3) Tonight my friend and I took a free Jiu Jitsu class (somebody handed me free 3-day passes the other day when my other housemate and I were walking through the main plaza over here and stumbled on a free zumba class that we decided to partake in) and it was awesome. Besides that, it turns out the teacher dances too and he had info for me on where I can find dancing around where I'm living now. Why is everything so perfect?!?

I have my first trip coming up soon so I'll keep everyone updated! :)

New York Thanksgiving

I'd always wondered what it was that people loved so much about New York but I've now realized it's the same thing we all loved about Seoul--it has everything you could possibly want, no matter who you are. Pretty much all I need to be happy in life is to be able to dance, go on adventures, hear (& speak) other languages and to spend time outside. I was able to do all those things in New York and it was great. I was super impressed by the Bachateame party at Cache and had a blast every time I went to dance at the Copacabana as well. There were some great dancers (no surprise there) and I loved every minute of it!

I also, obviously, had a blast staying with my Lizzy & Christian who graciously let me live with them for 5 weeks of the time that I spent in the U.S. 'What was the best part?' you may ask. It was most definitely the Puerto Rican Thanksgiving I got to attend!

Friends becoming family is one of the most beautiful phenomena in this life and Christian and Lizzy sharing their wonderful families with me has provided me with some of the best moments from the last few years. For Thanksgiving this year, Christian let me come to his family's house and it was incredible. Of course, there was that "You're family from the second you walk in the door" attitude that had his grandma, mom, aunts, uncles and cousins all making me feel right at home. Then there was the amazing food that his mom had cooked for us. And then, yes then, there was the salsa. Salsa music played in the background from the moment we walked in the door, all during our meal, and all the way until we left. After we finished eating, people broke out into dancing and it was beautiful. That joy, that passion, that beauty is something I want in my life every day. I'm thankful this year for too many things to count, but certainly for the wonderful people in my life, for music & dancing and for happiness. <3

Minimizing Stuff & Maximizing Experience

Probably the most productive thing I did while at my parents' house in Ohio was get rid stuff. I now have a plastic bin of clothes in their basement, two drawers of photos and paperwork and a shelf of scrapbooks I've made from my travels. Other than that, I have my 65-liter backpack here with me and that's all I own.

My old room last year,
before we left to backpack Peru
(Photo featuring Lizzy Turner)

My old room now (that shelf is all travel scrapbooks)

 All my life, I've heard those inspirational quotes about how money and material possessions aren't as valuable as we often act like they are--that they're not the part of this life people really care about once they reach the end of it. Hearing this advice though, I've simultaneously experienced all the marketing--the commercials, sales, coupons & so on everywhere I look. We all insist on buying the newest iPhones and an absurd amount of clothes and useless junk.

I know not everyone is the same but, from my experience, for me, those non-materialistic quotes definitely seem like the advice to follow. You know...

"If you don't have many possessions, then you don't need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself." ― Jose Mujica

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants."

“No level of pleasure from any material possession compares to the feeling of unconditional happiness.” ― Edmond Mbiaka

I believe these things to be true but I don't just want to walk around saying them; I actually want to live them out.

Why have I come to really believe this way to bring greater happiness? Because I've had the average amount of stuff and now I have a lot less. The less I have, the happier I feel--the lighter and the freer I feel. If I want to move houses tomorrow, I can. If I want to switch countries tomorrow, I can. Nothing is tying me down anywhere. I feel better knowing that the things I used to have on shelves or in boxes that I wasn't using are being used by someone now. The 9 inches of hair that I just chopped off is going to someone who will make wonderful use of it, too. Everywhere I go, I have what I need and people share with me so I want to do the same.

I think normally it's hard for us to make those moves, though. People who have houses feel like they should fill them because that's just what you do. You generally buy the biggest (most comfortable) house you can afford for your family and then you fill it with stuff. It's normal. But I really wonder if that's causing unnecessary stress for people. It certainly causes unnecessary work for them and now I truly doubt that it makes anyone any happier. I think some people even feel somewhat trapped by the amount of stuff they have and yet it's hard to let go of it. Well here are a couple of tips, then...

Tips: For whatever reason, it always feels like you shouldn't get rid of things because you might use them later. I don't know why this is so deeply ingrained in us (maybe it comes from the time of our evolution when we had to stockpile a bunch of crap because it was such hard work to get it in the first place? I have no idea) but I have the urge to hang on to things, too. The goal is to let your logic take over instead of your feelings here. If you haven't worn a clothing article in over a year, donate it. Don't hold on to it just in case...give it to someone that will actually use it. If you have stuff that you don't actually use on a regular basis, give it away to someone who will.

One thing that taught me just how little I need was trying to fit everything I wanted into my backpack the first time. I spent a year traveling Peru and Brazil and felt like I had way too much stuff. When I went back to my parents' house this time then, I knew to get rid of almost everything I had that wouldn't fit in that bag. I did and it felt great! I'm in Brazil again now and I still know that I have more than I need. If you want to try to get rid of things (shirts, for example), decide on a small space to use for measurement and force yourself to get rid of whatever doesn't fit...it could be a backpack too or anything else!

Don't fill your house with stuff just because you have space and you can. Keep only what you really need and use. Trust me: the more you get rid of, the better you'll feel! (...and don't buy other stuff to replace what you get rid of! Just enjoy the freedom!)

Learning, Making Friends & Making The Most Of A Situation

The reason I have so much trouble not traveling is because I need to be learning at all times. It's a fine way to be since no matter how much I learn, I'll always have way more than actually possible on my to-learn list and I know how to keep this need-to-learn satisfied at all times, simply by living abroad.

Every moment of every day is filled with learning vocabulary in new languages, learning how to correctly and creatively put sentences together, learning how to better pronounce the sounds and pick up more of the native intonation, learning directions and how to get around in the new city/country, learning how to behave according to the culture I'm living in, learning new dances, sports and activities, learning to see from someone else's perspective, learning more about how the whole world works, learning how to make new foods, learning how to be creative, and the list goes on and on.

Being in the States for the past four months, I could've gotten bored out of my mind--not because the U.S. is a boring place, but simply because I've already spent more than 18 years in this country and the rate of learning here is much slower for me than it is when I'm in a new country. Four months was an unexpected amount of time for me to be here but I feel like I was able to make it pretty productive. In addition to getting to hang out in-person with some awesome people, I spent a lot of time taking four courses on Coursera.org and it was really a great experience (totally recommended to anyone who wants to learn for free!). I also found a whole bunch of books I wanted to read and came up with ideas for projects that I could start in the next year or so.

Of course, reading books, studying and imagining my future travel plans are not the same as actually going out into the world and doing. That kind of education cannot be replaced for me. For that reason, I can't feel entirely productive here but it was the best I could do and it was enough to keep my brain occupied.

Another great part of this trip was the little bit of moving around I got to do. Heading back and forth between Pennsylvania and New York a couple of times, I got to take the Greyhound and Megabus and I ended up meeting some really great people. On one of my trips, I met a mother and her daughter from India. The daughter was here studying abroad and her mom had come to visit. On another trip, I met an 18-year-old boy from Mexico who was backpacking through the U.S. on his own and I was really impressed by that. I certainly didn't have the balls to do that at age 18...or the brain to even come up with the idea. On my last trip here to New York, I met yet another 18ish-year-old Mexican boy studying abroad here and a beautiful girl, Nawal, from Syria, a medical student, who is now a good friend of mine.

It seems the next best thing to traveling is meeting travelers when I'm here, giving me the opportunity to be friendly to them just as everyone has been to me when I've been in other countries. It gives me the chance to reciprocate all the friendly smiles, the help with directions and communication, the creation of a warm, welcoming environment and the comfort and excitement of having a new friend to talk to. People have been amazing to me all over the world...much more so than I ever could've imagined based on what I grew up learning and hearing from the society around me.

Nawal and I talked pretty much the entire trip from Cleveland to New York and have been in touch since. I feel so lucky to meet such incredible people and it puts my heart at ease whenever a traveler in the U.S. tells me that they have been treated well by Americans (so far that has generally been the case). Anyone who reads this, whether you travel or not, continue being friendly to travelers. They're alone and happy to meet new, friendly people so they can share different perspectives, swap fun stories and make new friends. Life's an adventure for all of us and I want everyone's adventures to be as beautiful as mine have been!

"Health" in the U.S.

I haven't had regular access to a TV in years so I don't usually pay attention to what's on anymore or what commercials are playing. Being in the States for the past four months, though, I've spent plenty of time in front of TVs.

I swear, every commercial break had at least one commercial devoted to a pill which had a side effects list that took up probably 2/3 of the commercial. Then it would almost always be followed by a commercial for some either fast food or some other kind of processed food sold in grocery stores that are certainly contributors to the diseases all these pills were trying to fix in the first place.

It was such a natural cycle for each of the different channels we were watching. Eat junk. Take pills to lose weight. Eat junk. Take pills for your depression and sluggishness. Eat junk. Take pills for your heart disease. It all seems just a little insane....and a little too close to the Capitol's idea of eating (& then taking pills to vomit) in the Hunger Games.

It's not just the TV, though. This is our actual attitude in the U.S. and most of us like it. Granted, most people have only lived in this sort of environment so it's normal and comfortable for us, but it seems like absolute insanity when you really step back and look at it. I know lots of people with health issues that continue to eat complete junk, possibly because they don't know how bad it is but mostly because they don't care. Multiple people with health issues that could be helped by diet have told me they'd rather "die happy" than have to "ruin their lives by eating healthy food". That is actually the attitude of a lot of people (though I definitely think more guys than girls think that way).

This takes me back to the first time I came back to the States after being in Korea for 2.5 years. I remember sitting in the airport on my layover in Michigan, my mouth gaping as I watched people walk by. Every man over the age of 35(ish) had a "beer gut." Obese person after obese person strode by and many rolled by in electronic wheelchairs. It was especially jarring having come from Korea where everyone is super thin (I think a mix a natural body build and all-around much healthier diets). I was also just telling my friend yesterday that while I was outside reading at the beach, a group of 15 middle school-aged kids came out to play football and six of them were very overweight as well. Middle School!! It's no news that people tend to gain weight as they get older but middle school is so young to have that issue.

As usual, I'm sure this kind of contrast wouldn't have hit me so hard had I not left (and had I been watching TV for the past four years) but it was really quite shocking. Everyone living this way says they're happy so to each his own, I suppose. In the meantime, since I can choose how I live, I'm going to do my best to try to find healthier ways of living.

Learning How to Learn

(Translation in English below)

 Eu sempre admirei as pessoas que são dedicados a aprendizagem, especialmente aquelas que eu menos espero ser assim. Na Coréia, eu tinha uma aluna de 50 e poucos anos que, quando eu perguntei por que ela estava estudando o Inglês, ela me disse que a cada poucos anos, ela muda para um novo assunto para estudar. A alguns anos atrás ela já tinha tido aulas de piano e aulas de tênis, entre outras coisas e, naquele momento, ela já estava no periodo de Inglês. Para alguém em uma idade em que seria muito confortável e mais fácil ficar fazendo seus passatempos que tanto gosta, eu achei que era supreendente que ela continuava a desafiar sua mente e corpo em novas formas. Incrível.

Depois, no meu caminho de volta para os Estados Unidos da Coréia, sentei-me ao lado de um homem maravilhoso da Suécia. Ele me disse que sempre foi naturalmente dotado na área de linguagem e, por causa disso, decidiu estudar engenharia na faculdade, a fim de melhorar o que não foi naturalmente fácil para ele. Isso, misturado com o fato de que ele tinha passado sua vida vivendo em tantos países quanto possível, o transformou um homem bem informado, extremamente inteligente, com ideias interessantes, e sempre buscando aprender mais. Na verdade, essas pessoas tão dedicadas a aprender mais, mesmo já estando com uma idade um pouco avançada, enquanto a maioria não se preocupa em aprender coisas novas, são os meus verdadeiros heróis.

Bem, para aqueles que sentem da mesma maneira sobre a aprendizagem, eu acabei de fazer uma aula impressionante em Coursera.org (https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprender/home/welcome), que se chama Aprendendo a Aprender, e gostaria de compartilhar algumas das coisas que eu aprendi para aqueles de vocês que estão interessados mas que não têm tempo para fazer o curso (ou como uma prévia no caso de qualquer um de vocês quiser fazer-lo). O curso é essencialmente uma introdução básica à neurociencia; os professores explicam diferentes funções do cérebro e, com esse conhecimento, dá-nos toneladas de dicas e idéias sobre como usar nossos cérebros tão eficazmente quanto possível. A informação é útil para qualquer pessoa interessada em assuntos acadêmicos, em melhorar suas vidas diárias, ou apenas em aprender algo interessante.

Vou dar alguns exemplos das coisas que aprendi. (Mas vocês devem lembrar...eu vou explicar da melhor maneira que posso mas tudo é nas minhas próprias palavras, através da minha própria compreensão limitada e tenho certeza que vocês vâo ganhar uma compreensão muito melhor ao fazer a aula vocês mesmos.

TEMA I: Dois modos de pensar

Aprendemos sobre dois dos modos que nossos cérebros usam: focado e difuso. O modo focado é a nossa memória de trabalho, que é estimada para ter uma média de mais ou menos quatro faixas horárias em que podemos reter informações enquanto nós estamos concentrados em alguma coisa (se nós estamos tentando resolver um problema, responder a uma pergunta, escrever um artigo, etc...). O modo difuso é o que nós usamos enquanto não estamos nos concentrando em nada em particular (quando estamos exercitando, andando para trabalhar, sonhando acordado, etc...). É um modo de pensar mais relaxado e que vem de uma perspectiva maior.

Eu pensava anteriormente que todo o meu aprendizado e os pequenos pedaços de criatividade que produzia tinham surgido como resultado dos estudos e práticas bem focadas e a repetição; mas agora percebi que isso realmente é só uma parte. A outra parte (e é uma parte tão importante) é quando damos o nosso modo focado uma pausa e permitimos que o nosso modo difuso assuma o controle naturalmente ao longo de tempo, abrindo ‘espaço’ para que sejamos criativos e entender de verdade os novos conceitos que tentamos aprender.

Desde que aprendi isso e comecei seguir algumas das dicas dos professores, posso dizer que já melhorei a produtividade desses dois modos no meu próprio cérebro. A consciência do fato de que nossos cérebros precisam de ambos modos para trabalhar em conjunto naturalmente, a fim de que o cérebro faça conexões neurais para a gente começar entender bem as coisas. Um exemplo? Ao ir para uma corrida, caminhar para o trabalho ou ir de metrô, sempre pensava que se não estivesse lendo um livro ou algo, deveria estar focada em outra coisa...mas bem focada (por exemplo, focada num problema que tinha ou na pessoa que ia ver, etc..). Porém, agora permito que minha mente corra livre naqueles momentos e fico com o meu telefone perto de mim para poder escrever as novas ideias que me vem ou as conexões que meu cérebro fez pela primeira vez. O resultado? Qualquer um dos meus amigos mais próximos diria que eu os chamei ao longo das últimas semanas com muitas mais ideias e reflexões mais do que o normal.

TEMA II: O Efeito de Einstellung

Eu achei isto muito fascinante e extremamente importante de saber. É um efeito pelo qual um padrão neural que você já tem formado e fortalecido literalmenteimpede que você pense em novas ou melhores idéias ou soluções. Ou seja, a idéia de que você originalmente teve ou já tinha antes (ou seu primeiro instinto) geralmente não é a melhor resposta para o problema que você está tentando resolver. Você está emperrado, pensando no mesmo padrão neural a que você está acostumado, enchendo sua memória de trabalho (e pensamento do modo focado), com a idéia de que você se recusa a deixar. Isso dificulta a sua capacidade para achar a melhor solução ou a solução mais criativa que seria em outro lugar em seu cérebro. Esta parte da lição terminou com o lembrete de que muitas vezes a gente tem que desaprender antes de ser realmente capazes de aprender (e isto atravessa mesmo em reinos físicos; por exemplo, se você chutasse uma bola de futebol de uma maneira que é de alguma maneira não perfeita, você teria que desaprender e reaprender as habilidades da melhor maneira). Eu amei essa parte!

TEMA III: Intercalando sua Aprendizagem

Aprender alguma coisa exige muito, inclusive o estudo focado, a prática e a repetição. No entanto, muita prática/repetição pode levar ao efeito Einstellung mencionado acima. Como evitar isso? A intercalação. Quando começamos a aprender algo, chegamos a compreender o “como” e o “porquê” por trás do conceito, mas também precisamos aprender o “quando” (ou seja quando usa-lo).

Exemplos: Se você estivesse estudando matemática e tivesse passado 20 minutos trabalhando nas perguntas do capítulo 6 e começasse se sentir que mandasse bem o material, você deveria, em seguida, começar a saltar para trás e para a frente revendo diferentes tipos de problemas de todos capítulos que vocé tivesse estudado até o momento. Você deveria tentar resolver diferentes tipos de problemas que exigem abordagens e estratégias diferentes. Depois, você deveria dar mais um passo adiante; uma vez que você tivesse misturado problemas de matemática de vários tipos, você deveria tentar misturar outras disciplinas.

Isto parecia um pouco louco para mim, até que ouvi a explicação. Quando a gente faz isto com os problemas de matemática, por exemplo, começamos entender melhor quando usar os conceitos que a gente está aprendendo. Assim chegamos a pensar de uma maneira mais criativa e flexível dentro do campo da matemática. O mesmo acontece quando intercalamos entre discliplinas diferentes. Começamos fazer conexões importantes e usar informações de um campo para resolver problemas de uma maneira mais criativa em outro campo não relacionado. É assim, então, que aprendemos usar nossos cérebros de uma forma criativa e flexível.

Uma nota adicional: já entendemos então que estudar mais do que uma disciplina vai fazer você uma pessoa bem informada, enquanto especializar-se em apenas uma disciplina vai fazer você um especialista. Bem, os benefícios de intercalação têm provado que há mais uma razão para tentar aprender coisas em uma ampla variedade de áreas: se não fizer isso, e só especializar-se em uma determinada área, você está se preparando para o efeito de Einstellung, o qual impede as suas habilidades criativas e sua capacidade para resolver novos e diferentes tipos de problemas dos quais os que você já está acostumado e já tinha praticado muitas vezes.

OUTRAS DICAS:

Se eu tentasse escrever tudo o que tinha aprendido nessa aula, seria um blog de mais de 20 páginas. Então eu não vou, mas vou mencionar algumas das outras coisas interessantes (para mim) que foram abrangidas na aula.

• A importância do exercício e do sono para uma pessoa poder aprender; eu sei que todos já tem escutado isto, mas foi fascinante aprender sobre o porquê disso e em detalhes fascinantes ...  (foi suficiente para eu começar o programa “Insanity” outra vez e começar contar e gravar minhas horas de sono).

• Como mover de forma eficiente o que você está aprendendo com a sua memória de trabalho para a memória de longo prazo

• As causas da procrastinação e como superá-los

Esta aula, além de ser extremamente interessante, já está me ajudando em várias maneiras e eu acho que vou virar uma melhor professora, agora que eu entendi um pouco mais de como o cérebro funciona.

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I've always admired people who are dedicating to learning, especially those you least expect to be that way. I had a 50-something year old student in Korea, when I asked why she was studying English, told me that every few years, she switches to a new subject to study. She'd already taken a few years of piano lessons and tennis lessons, among other things, and now she was on English! For someone at an age where it would be really comfortable and easy to just stick with what you know and the hobbies you'd already gotten good at, I found it amazing that she continued to challenge her mind and body in new ways. Hero.

Then, on my way back to the States from Korea, I sat next to a wonderful man from Sweden. He told me he'd always been naturally gifted in the language area so he'd decided to study engineering in college in order to get better at what he wasn't naturally good at. This, mixed with the fact that he'd spent his life living in as many different countries as he could, left him an extremely intelligent, well-rounded man, filled with information and interesting thoughts, and always looking to learn more. Really...these people, so dedicated to educating themselves in as many areas as possible and at ages when most others don't care about learning new subjects, are my heroes.

Well, for those of you who feel the same way about learning, I just took on awesome course on Coursera.org (https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprender/home/welcome) and I figured I'd share a few things with those of you who are interested but don't have time to take the whole class (or as a preview in case any of you want to take it!). The class was essentially a very basic introduction to neuroscience; the professors explain different functions of the brain and, in light of this knowledge, give us tons of tips and ideas on how to use our brains as effectively as possible. The information is useful to anyone interested in academics, improving their daily lives or just learning something interesting.

I'll give you some examples of the kinds of things we learned. (Disclaimer: I'll do my best but I'm explaining this in my own words, through my own limited understanding and I'm sure you'd gain a much better understanding if you explored this material yourself.)

TOPIC ONE: Two Modes of Thinking
We learned about two of the modes that our brains use: focused & diffuse. The focused mode is our working memory which is estimated to have an average of about four slots in which we can hold information while we're concentrating on something (whether we're trying to solve a problem, answer a question, write a paper, etc...). The diffuse mode is what we slip into when we're not concentrating on anything in particular (when we're exercising, walking to work, daydreaming, etc...). It's more relaxed, bigger-picture mode of thinking.

I'd previously thought that all of my learning and whatever little bits of creativity I have came about as a result of my focused, concentrated studying and practice/repetition, but it turns out that that's really only a part of it. The other just-as-important part is when we give our focused mode a break and allow our diffuse mode to naturally take over, opening up 'space' for us to be creative and to come to truly understand the new concepts are were trying to learn.

Since learning this and following some of the tips the instructors gave us afterwards, I can say from personal experience that I am already a little better at maximizing the productivity of these two modes in my own brain. The awareness of the fact that our brains need both of these modes to work together naturally in order to 'put things together' for us has already been a big help to me. One example? While going for a run, walking to work or riding the train, even if I'm not reading or texting a friend, I've always thought I should be focusing on whatever I'm thinking about (a problem I have, someone I'm going to see, etc...). Now, though, I'm allowing my mind to run freely at these times and keeping my phone nearby in case connections are made or new ideas pop into my head so I can write them down. Result? Any of my close friends would say that I've called them with way more new ideas and reflections than normal over the last few weeks.

 TOPIC TWO: The Einstellung Principle
I found this fascinating and extremely important to be aware of. This is an effect by which a neural pattern that you've already formed and strengthened literally blocks you from thinking of new or better ideas or solutions. In other words, the idea that you originally have or already had...your first (or gut) instinct...is usually not the best answer to the problem you are trying to solve. You're stuck thinking in the same neural pattern that you're used to, filling your working memory (and focused mode thinking) with the idea that you can't 'let go of.' This impedes your ability to find a better/more creative solution which would be 'elsewhere' in your brain. This part of the lesson ended with the reminder that we oftentimes have to unlearn before we are actually able to learn (and this crosses even into physical realms; for example, if you shoot a soccer ball in a way that is somehow sub-optimal, you would have to unlearn those skills and relearn in the better way). I loved that part!

TOPIC THREE: Interleaving your Learning
A lot goes into learning something, including focused study and practice/repetition. However, too much practice/repetition can sometimes lead to the Einstellung effect mentioned above. How to avoid this? Interleaving. When we first learn something, we come to understand the 'how' and 'why' behind the concept but we also need to learn the 'when'.

Examples: If you're studying math and have just spent 20 minutes on the problems in chapter 6 and feel like you've gotten the hang of it, you should then start to jump back and forth, solving different types of problems from all the chapters you've studied so far. You should try to solve all different kinds of problems that require different approaches and strategies. This even goes a step further; once you've mixed in different types of problems within one field, you should try to jump back and forth between subjects. This seemed a little crazy to me until I heard the explanation. Just like when you do so with math problems, switching your focused learning and practice between subjects will develop creativity and flexibility in your brain. It helps you to figure out when to use each of the ways of thinking that you've learned from your different studies.

A side note to add onto that: we already know that studying more than one subject will make you a more well-rounded person while specializing in just one subject will make you a specialist. Well, the benefits of interleaving have proven that there is more reason to try to learn things in a wide variety of areas: without doing this...with studying and specializing in a particular area...you are setting yourself up for the Einstellung effect to block your creative abilities and your capacity to solve new and different types of problems than you're used to and have already practiced solving many times.

 OTHER TIPS:
If I tried to write everything I'd learned, this would be a 20+ page blog, so I won't, but an idea of some of the other things covered in the class that were most interesting to me were:

• how important exercise and sleep are for learning (I know we all know that but it was fascinating to learn about why and in detail...fascinating enough that I started the Insanity Program and tracking my hours of sleep again)
• how to efficiently move what you're learning from your short-term memory to your long-term memory
• what causes procrastination and how to overcome it


This class, besides being extremely interesting, is already helping me in a number of ways and I think I'll be a better teacher, now that I understand a little more about how the brain works.

Dreams that you dare to dream...

I have been reduced to tears (usually not my favorite thing but tonight I've decided to let it slide). I called Lizzy, so excited to tell someone who has both future dreams and a ridiculous past so similar to mine, all about my time here in Pennsylvania.

I'm staying with Becca, the girl who was randomly paired with me to be roommates our freshman year at Seton Hill University. An unlikely pair--we discovered after-the-fact that we'd both made fun of the other after hanging up from our first pre-semester phone call, so we were both obviously a bit apprehensive about meeting in person--but we very quickly became close friends. I've now met the two girls who were placed in Becca's room after I transferred schools for my junior year and they are incredible...generous, hilarious and some of the biggest-hearted people I know. As tough as it was to leave SHU, I'm glad I did because it was the right life choice for me and because Becca otherwise might not have gotten to meet these amazing women.

A few days ago, I got to spend time with Judith, my first college Spanish professor and the one who led me on my first trip to study abroad. From my first day in her class, she encouraged me in a way that no other teacher had before, inspiring me to learn everything I could and giving me the courage to take necessary risks. Under her guidance, I decided to go to Mexico, which (in large part, because of my host family, professors and classmates) changed my life completely. After that, it was two full semesters abroad in Mexico, two in Ohio and one in Italy. Then AmeriCorps for a year in Califoria, three years teaching English in South Korea and a year of backpacking through Peru and Brazil.

Fall 2015 and I'm in the U.S. for two weddings, a new niece and a visa renewal. Absolutely honored, I accepted Judith's invitation to speak to five of her Spanish and Italian classes about my travels. I found myself in Maura Hall, where I used to live, the cafeteria where I used to every day with my soccer teammates, Judith's same office where I visited her for academic advising, and sitting in the same classrooms and desks I'd sat in eight years before. This time, though, was different.

This time I was completely fluent in a language that I'd only been okay at the last time I was there. This time I knew so much more about the world and all the amazing opportunities available. This time I wasn't scared to talk in front of people or shy about introducing myself. This time I could prove that, if we actually follow the inspirational quotes we typically hear (and ignore), that dreams really do come true and that they're better than anything we can imagine. This time, finally, I was able to give something, small as it may be, back to this beautiful community.

Fresh out of high school and in my first semester of college, I hadn't yet truly discovered a single one of my dreams. I didn't know the opportunities that were available and the idea of a traveling sort of lifestyle had never occurred to me. I didn't know it was possible for a few years of work in Korea to pay for my entire four years of college and then some. I didn't know I could learn to surf and ski in Asia and to rock climb and practice capoeira in South America. I didn't know I could work in hostels or teach English in companies or at the Olympic Committee. I didn't know I could travel by myself and meet amazing people from all over the world, couch surfing, volunteering and working along my way.

Reflecting back on how much I've gotten to do in the past eight years was incredible and I was left tonight, bawling tears of happiness, pride and gratitude for each one of these years and each of the people who has helped me and inspired me along the way. I credit Becca for being there with me and helping me through it as my mind first started to open, a scary time for someone who had led a very sheltered life. Judith gave me the confidence and inspiration to study what I was passionate about, rather than what would give me the "best" career.

As small as today was in the grand scheme of things, it meant so much to me. Like the kid who sat next to me in my first Seton Hill Spanish class and suggested that I go on the Mexico trip...and like Judith who led me to discover and follow my dreams, I hope that I was able to encourage someone today, too. I hope the kids that were there who have even the smallest interest in studying/living/working/volunteering/backpacking/you-name-it abroad take that plunge that so many are too scared to take. At the risk of sounding egotistical, yet wanting to honestly experience and express all of these emotions, I feel proud of myself for following in Judith's footsteps: opening my mind, valuing education and traveling, sharing what I can with others, and encouraging anyone I can to follow their passions and discover what they were born to do.

Today I'm humbled by the smallness of my own existence and what I choose to do with my life and amazed and proud to be a part of something so much bigger--this life-long learning process and the chance to float through life, accepting and loving the ups and downs it hands me; this incredible experience of being human and being a part of the billions of beautiful and inspirational people that share this world.

A Traveler's Homesickness

My 100th blog post! :)

Becca, my college roommate and one of the most wonderful people I've ever met in my life, finally had her first chance to go abroad. She went on a paid, week-long business trip to China and loved every minute of it. One of the texts I got from her that week was:

"I thought I'd be homesick but I'm not at all."

At first, I was surprised that anyone would even think to worry about homesickness for a time period of as short as a week but I quickly reminded myself that I shouldn't judge because homesickness is a feeling I've never had and, therefore, am probably not capable of fully understanding. Still, I know that my not understanding doesn't make it any less real to the people who do feel it and I've watched a lot of friends go through it. I believe it's my job to try to understand other people and to try to empathize with them, even if I can't ever understand exactly how they're feeling.

Over the next few days, I continued reflecting on homesickness and what it must feel like...as well as wondering why it had never happened to me.

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A few days later, Becca and I were discussing my plans to head to Pennsylvania to stay with her for a few weeks. An image of me settling into my seat on yet another bus flashed through my mind and I suddenly felt a pang of longing. Yes. Oddly enough, the idea of a Greyhound bus taking me just across the state border set that off. Weird, right? I certainly thought so. It brought me back to something I'd written the last time I was on a bus:

"I find myself reflecting on the stability in my life...the exact thing that must look to others like instability: traveling. Tucked into my own row, back leaned against the window, legs stretched across the seat next to me, feet perched on the arm rest; my music, a mix of my favorite languages and rhythms from the places I've been, is playing through my headphones as I take in the beauty outside my window, feeling more at-home than ever. I belong on the road. My job is to float, to move, both in and outside of my comfort zone, from country to country, through different states, cities and communities, to learn, to see, to conocer, to be grateful and to love."

Reading this, I realized for the first time that I actually do experience homesickness. It's just different than other people's.

My heart fluttered as I pictured myself sitting on a bus or a plane, one bag to my name, reading or chatting with the person next to me, excited to overcome future obstacles, opening my mind and heart to whoever I met, learning whatever I could and having amazing and unexpected adventures the whole way. I realized that that is my home and that I truly do miss it when I'm away. I miss the comfort of the excitement and uncertainty. I miss the wisdom behind the realization that I'm not in control. I miss the peace that comes with freedom. I miss being my real, authentic self, something I feel I can't fully be--something I can't fully express--when I'm stuck somewhere away from home, away from my heart.

I guess it really is true what they say: home is where the heart is. And my heart is forever on the move, forever learning and growing from the new experiences and people around me.

<3 I'll be back on the road soon. <3

50 Amazing Moments & Lessons From My Travels

My mom sent me an article of 50 travelers saying why they loved the world so I decided to put together 50 of my top moments and lessons from traveling in the last few years (though I wouldn't have no problem hitting 2,000).

Please excuse the obnoxious format and order....this website sucks!

The sheer ridiculousness of adventures with Tiffany Winston

The Art of Living - life-changing course
with a brilliant group of people

Being able to casually say, "Yeah, we go to Rome on the weekends."

Between my three housemates in Italy & I, we spoke seven languages & had been to more than a dozen countries. It was never-ending learning, laughter & mind-opening

Learning to speak other languages and thereby connect with
an entire continent of people
(Soccer game in Mexico City - Mexico vs. U.S.A.)

Taking part in an ancient ceremony; growing closer with the universe and understanding more about yourself and your connection to it - Sharing the most beautiful meal with the most beautiful people at the top of a mountain in Peru
-The magical energy of Cuzco-

Getting to dance with Jorjet, Troy & Lee Rios
Bachata Festivals - Seoul, Korea

Trekking, rock climbing, hiking, swimming & running in Latin
America, the most beautiful nature I have ever experienced

Using chopsticks, sitting on the floor and eating live
octopus in Korea.
Sitting in a loud family's house, elbows on the table,
eating an eight-course meal in Italy.
Washing down a delicious, home-made lunch
with tequila with our 80-year-old parents in Mexico.

Exploring small, unique cities near our home in Viterbo, Italy
(Not to mention Florence)

Standing on the O'Brien Bridge
& later passing the Shannon River 
-Ireland-

Spending birthdays in different countries each year, participating in the traditions of that country--even if it means getting
your face shoved into a cake

Trusting in life and your circumstances, making the
most of every experience and being grateful for
the friends who become family
-My angel, Renata, with me in the hospital in Korea-

Getting to know a family in their home in Korea

Strolling with friends through the parks and famous landmarks of
London, Dublin, Galway, Madrid, Córdoba, & Almería

Visiting Alcazaba Castellanos and the beautiful beaches of
Almeria,Spain -a country with cities so different that
each place is a whole, new adventure

Ancient palaces in Korea, colorful & keeping a unique culture alive

Taking a week to do nothing but relax with friends

Growing in courage, confidence and independence by living outside your comfort zone
Giving someone a way into another culture,
Sharing what you've learned, even if it's the smallest of lessons

The hospitality shown by friends, acquaintances and strangers alike
(Família Perez-Brito, Bruce & Shworm, Janette, Karla, Anaii, Ali, Chelsea, Bruno, Jessy, Verenice, Jenny, Nico & countless others)
-Roadtrip from Sao Paolo to Trindade with my new friend, Bruno-

Trindade - outdoor yoga in the mornings, tropical fruit breakfasts & exploring beautiful beaches

Learning to ski on the same mountain where the 2018 Olympics will be held
YongPyong, Korea

The ability to see beyond the boundaries that hold the majority in tiny bubbles, afraid to meet their neighbors or explore the outside world - Forming incredible networks of friends and overcoming challenges and goals together
-Spartan Race with Tania (Peru) & Choi (Korea)-

Whether it's a mud beach, one of the deepest canyons or
highest peaks in the world; covered in snow or 110 degrees, nature is
unique and astounding everywhere you go
-Boryeong Mud Festival, Korea-

Proving to men from many countries that women really can play soccer
-Men's soccer league for foreigners in Seoul, Korea-

Learning that material items are just as
unimportant as we're taught they are

Taking part in an ancient tradition that celebrates freedom,
dance, strength and respect: capoeira

Running four half-marathons along the Han River in Seoul

The joy of connecting so perfectly with another human in celebration
and pure joy, becoming close friends and only realizing years later that you
don't even speak the same language and that your friendship was created without words

Surfing on the aftermath of a typhoon the day my first nephew was born,
feeling the freedom and joy I want all my nieces and nephews to experience

Being accepted into new families everywhere I go
-Govinda Lila's in Cuzco, Peru-

Exploring ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico and Incan ruins Peru
(Machu Picchu)

Being a real U.S. ambassador by being average - my friends get to know real people
rather than the image we put out through our media and Hollywood films

Sunrises, sunsets, beaches, forests, the view of stars from inside a canyon,
The world is generous and I will forever take advantage
-Paraty, Brazil-`

Loving someone that you just met with your whole heart
A family from a favela on Copacabana Beach, Someone you just met in the airport,
Someone you help or who helps you in the street

The building of friendships that defy all rules of time and distance
(Bridget, Renata, Becca, Jacqui, Chelsea, Tortilini, Shworm,
Renata, Jooyeon,Tiffany, Allie, Liz, Pollo, Phil & Jessica,
Katlego, Lizzy & Christian, Raquel, Emiliano, Nico,
Tania, Franz, Vere, Erin to name a very small few)

Walking around the border of North & South Korea,
one of the most unique places in the world,
where my grandfather fought 60 years before,
coming to understand the devastating truths of war

Making such an important friend, loving someone so dearly,
learning everything you can from that person;
"We must've known each other in another life." - Dona Maria

Living in Copacabana, looking over arguably the greatest city in
the world from above, running or playing on the beaches, enjoying live
music and the sounds of the beautiful language being spoken around you

The chance to walk into someone else's life (via
shared hostel room) just for a short moment in time,to share a conversation that they say was "just what they needed," and then let go

Rock climbing in the Andes, learning the importance
of controlling my own mind and not giving in to fear

Couch Surfing
Putting your trust in others, teaching & learning,
sharing, cultural exchange - meeting more family

Starting a new tradition the hostel I worked at:
giving the leftover bread from breakfast away to the people in the streets, a trend that they continued after I left.

Spending time with friends, old & new,
traveling and exploring new activities together

Learning humility and what it means to have the support of a friend
-Trekking: Colca Canyon, Peru-

Wind, Ocean, Sun, Animals, Friends
  -Islas Bailenas: Paracas, Peru-

Twilight salsa dancing in Lima, Peru
(Not to mention in Houston, San Fran, Seoul & New York)

The excitement of looking out the window of a bus or plane and knowing you're going somewhere you've never been

The world guiding you from passion to passion, place to place,
relationship to relationship, down the most human and beautiful path
you could ever hope to be a part of

At the end of every day, every single person on this planet is the SAME...worthy of love, inclusion, education, health & happiness.