The Experience in Brazil, Part 3
This blog post is Part 3, the ‘exclamation point’ of them all, to the sequel The Experience in Brazil, Part 1, where I chose Brazil as my COVID destination - expected to stay three months and ended up staying for six, and Brazil Part 2 for an additional three months because Part 1 blew me away so I decided to relive it.
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What to Expect in this Blog Post
Highlights of Brazil Part 3. The trip was short, efficient, and exciting
“Looking Back” - The holistic experience of Brazil:
Part 1 (Oct 2020 - Apr 2021)
Part 2 (Dec 2021 - Apr 2022)
Part 3 (Nov 2023 - Jan 2024)
Why there will likely be no Part 4
Why I enjoyed Brazil - Explained
Top Memories of Brazil Part 3
On November 26, 2023, I landed in Rio de Janeiro and the switch was flipped. The mentality of “I’m not here for a long time, I’m here for a good time” begun 😉
Best Birthday I’ve Ever Celebrated
We were off to a strong start with Brazil Part 3 in Floripa. Without a doubt my favorite memory of this trip was the birthday party I celebrated with Vitor and Ciro. It took months of coordination and planning.
I’m not sure if I will have another birthday as incredible as this one, but I will always remember this birthday as an incredibly special one. I dedicated an entire post to this event.
New Years
Another top memory was New Years Eve in Preá in the northeast. Aleksander is the reason why I made the spontaneous decision to join him in Preá, and he is also the reason why I became friends with everybody here.
It was a week long struggle of attending parties and figuring out how I can still remain as productive as possible at work.
Jalapão
I promised myself I would do “one cool, adventurous thing”. I had a list of potential places, and that list included places like Alter do Chão and Bonito, but in the end I chose Jalapão. This trip felt like vintage Wilson, where I went by myself, had to maneuver around with my broken Portuguese (nobody spoke English…), and enjoyed the nature.
Jalapão also blew me away because of the geographic uniqueness. When I was researching on Jalapão, I was primarily drawn to pictures of Pedra Furada, but the Fervedouro unexpectedly became my favorite part. They are unique to that region in central Brazil.
American Friends in Brazil
Over time, I have gotten the reputation among my friends in the US that I like Brazil. Some of them had aligned their dates in Brazil with mine, and it was a goal of mine to meet up with them. (Jay/Wilson #2, Ian/Yas/Rachel)
And that’s it for Part 3 summary. I told you it was short and efficient :)
When I look back on the experiences in Brazil…
I will always remember that Brazil allowed me to make it my own, and specifically the…
The Language
During Brazil Part 1, I picked up Portuguese (after learning Spanish) to where it was more than enough to get around. Learning this language had a profound impact.
The producers of Friends initially had Phoebe play advanced guitar songs but then started having her “make it her own” by deliberately playing songs poorly because that became a huge part of her humor, charm, and uniqueness.
The part where “I made it my own” with Portuguese was my thick accent and a conscious decision to keep it endearing.
The Fact I Became Friends with Brazilians
Part of what made Brazil Parts 1, 2, and 3 great were the friends that I made. People like Ciro and Vitor were recurring characters for all three parts.
I made a huge effort to immerse myself into the culture, required myself to manipulate the Spotify machine learning algorithms into believing that my favorite genres were pagode, sertanejo, and piseiro. I also entered many WhatsApp group chats with Brazilians where I picked up slang.
Turning Point of it all - Pipa.
The one experience and place that single-handedly “won me over” Brazil was Pipa during Part 1 when I went with Ciro in March 2021. This was my fifth month in Brazil and it blew me away with the fun atmosphere, safety, beaches, and hiking trails.
The feeling of dancing unapologetically under the stars on the Rio Grande de Norte beaches at night was incomparable to anything else.
Part 2 - The High Point
December 2021 was one of the best times of my life and Brazil Part 2 had a role in contributing to that feeling. I had a new job, my portfolio was still on it’s COVID high (heh), USD-BRL exchange rate was at it’s peak, and I knew exactly where I wanted to go to start Part 2 - Fernando de Noronha.
Safety - Never an Issue
The number of times I was robbed during Brazil Parts 1, 2, and 3 combined: Zero
I think there is one explanation for this.
I’m not the one in danger. I am the danger 😉
But really, I think Rio is very dangerous so I was very careful.
Reranking Top 10 Favorite Places in Brazil
Fernando de Noronha
Pipa
Jericoacoara / Preá
Florianópolis
Jalapão
Chapada Dos Veadeiros
Rio de Janeiro
Itacaré
Foz de Iguaçu
Balneário Camboriú
Why / What Do I Like About Brazil?
Reason #1
The number one thing I like most about Brazil is the people.
I was discussing with Vitor and Ciro about possible destinations for a potential December 2024 birthday celebration. We were flirting with the idea of Costa Rica and Mexico, but Vitor vouched to keep the setting in Brazil, because “what makes the party fun are the Brazilians”.
I sat there and thought about it and I understood his point. There is an aura that Brazilians have where the spirit of having fun is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Friends in NYC always asked me if I ever feel lonely while traveling solo, and I do at times around different parts of the world. But I never felt that way in Brazil because it was easy for me to connect with the people.
Reason #2
The second thing I like most about Brazil is the excitement + ease of domestic traveling. It feels like countries within the country with different cultures and incredible nature. It’s very affordable to travel on a USD salary.
a) Beach Culture - Brazil almost has a triangular-type shape where the coastline is really long. The water is warm and blue in many parts of the Northeast and it gives me a major sense of comfort
b) Notable nature landmarks - This was also explained above in Jalapão section. There are a lot of places to do hikes and a lot of places with mesmerizing waterfalls. I didn’t even get to experience Lençóis Maranhenses nor the Amazons, which are gorgeous regions of Brazil.
Brazil Gets Credit for…
I give a lot of credit to Brazil Parts 1-3 for bringing out the ambitious, spontaneous, and adventurous side in me. Brazil pushed me over the fence to ensure that I 10x everything that I do.
I look forward to the day when I can cement those things into all aspects of my life, including my professional one — one where I truly “make it my own”. I’ve been inspired to turn something small and unexpected into something impactful; the desire to persist when something is going well; itching to be on the field rather than being on the sidelines; being open-minded to not knowing what’s next and loving the thrill of that feeling.
Will There be a Brazil Part 4?
I do not intend to come back to Brazil. The Lord of the Rings only had 3 volumes. Friends would’ve been overkill with an 11th season. Jordan would've loved to have a 7th ring, but the story we will pass on for generations remains that he had 6 with the Bulls. Leaving on a high note is important.
It’s time to explore other regions in this world. Thank you Brazil for everything you’ve taught me and for allowing me to have an undisputed favorite country in the world. I hope I can discover more beautiful and unique cultures like this in this whirlwind of an adventure that we call life.
As for What’s Next…
I am uncertain about many things ahead, but there is one exciting thing that is certain as we kick off the rest of this year.
The tapes for New York City, Year 2 will start rolling soon.