Me standing in front of a wall next door to my uncle's house in Rio.
The beautiful type is a rant written by a woman who lives in the neighborhood.
There's so much to say about my trip to Brazil. I've been back for a week and still processing everything I've done and seen. My time there was a bit of a roller coaster ride emotionally, mentally and physically. There were a lot of ups (family, good food, lots of love, etc.) and downs (exhaustion, getting sick, losing my ID, etc.) — but it was a wonderful experience.
Although I've visited many times before this visit was very different. I can't really articulate why, but there is something about this visit that has left a major impression on me. It made me feel more appreciative about the small things we (Americans) have and a little melancholy about the things we (my mother and I) don't — our family close by. The trip also made me fall in love with Rio and cariocas (residents of Rio) even more than ever. In a little/big, brother/sister way — they get on each other's nerves but you love them to death and will knock someone out if they talk about your sibling.
It also allowed me to understand my mom from a different perspective. This time I saw and understood how this city/country made her who she is in so many ways.
I took a lot of photos, most I have shared on Instagram, but wanted to share those and more here on Fly. From food, to beach-life, to street art, here's a little of what I saw during my three week stay.
Tons of goodies like coconut water, fruit juices, popcorn, fried sardines,
salty fried pastries, and sweets on the street made for good snacks on the go.
Copacabana Beach, Barra da Tijuca beach, and a delicious pool in
Recife helped with some vitamin D.
One of my favorite moments was seeing this beautiful work of art
called Escadaria Selarón located in Lapa, a historic district in Rio.
