shaking off the rust
I tend to pride myself on being more well-traveled, culturally aware, and fully prepared for international travel than the average US citizen.
Before starting my Fulbright journey to Latin America, I’d already seen 10 countries and three continents, and I’m hoping to add as many as four more to that tally in 2023.
That said, my first two days back abroad helped knock down my ego a couple of pegs; thankfully, they were two great opportunities to get my traveling mojo back before I ended up in my destination country of Bolivia.
To set the table a bit, Bolivia is a notoriously difficult country to travel to from the US. There’s no direct flight from the city I’m living in to any destination in the United States, and making the journey usually means spending 15-20 hours in the air and shelling out over $1,000 round-trip.
In my case, the easiest way to get to my home city for the next three months was a direct flight from Atlanta to Sao Paulo, Brazil, followed by a couple of easy regional flights on Bolivia’s flag carrier airline.
I wasn’t about to waste the opportunity to spend some time in Brazil, so I made plans to fly to the home of Samba and steak a few days early.
Good move on my part in more ways than one.
First, Brazil was incredible.
My view from Estadio Morumbi, the home of Sao Paulo FC and one of Brazil’s three most famous stadiums
The soccer nut in me was enamored by the “futebol” culture, and it was impossible not to love the food (yes, the steak is really that good).
More than all my great experiences in Sao Paulo, though, what made the trip more worthwhile than anything was how much I was able to prove to myself that I could navigate stressful situations abroad again.
There’s an imminent feeling of edge, if not quite danger, walking through such a massive city with so many people around. It had been years since I’d felt that, and I’ve honestly missed it ever since I had to bid it goodbye during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
If I’m honest, though, the first few moments when it hit me again were a bit fear-inducing, and I made a few rookie mistakes that I promised I wouldn’t beat myself up for.
In the midst of potential danger, a few untimely errors, and a significant language barrier (it shocked me how few people use Spanish in Sao Paulo), I found ways to survive and thrive in a foreign environment, and that felt really good to reflect on.
Realistically, I know my time in Bolivia won’t be free of issues, and it definitely won’t lack for errors on my end. Trusting myself to make things right when I need to, allow myself grace and space to grow, and lean into the strange moments will be the key, and Brazil helped me mentally unlock it to a large degree.
Next up, you’ll hear about the hills and valleys of my first week in a brand-new nation. There are some significant uncertainties to share as well as some of the most special experiences I’ve ever had, all packed into seven days of life. Hope you’re ready ;)
Until next time!
Danny
