Four Flights Later, I was in Brazil Baby

After a day & a half of travel, I finally made it. Seems unreal to be in Rio de Janeiro! Technology is continuously proving the world to be more connected than ever. A plane ride is the only thing separating our two worlds.

Lets back up to how I got here. Starting in Denver, I took the red-eye to Miami Tuesday night, followed by a flight to Bogota, Columbia. The airport honestly wasn’t much, but I was impressed with the service on Avianca. My bags were complimentary on both domestic and international flights in comparison to American Airlines which was cramped and lacked air conditioning. Where are we now? Awe yes, after consuming the worst excuse for a pizza in my life, I boarded the longest of the four flights to Sao Paulo.

Upon exiting customs, I had 10 hours to kill for my final flight to Rio. Shoutout to Starbucks for the free wifi while I waited what felt like an eternity to check-in and finish the traveling. October 5th, I finally landed at SDU Airport and I was promptly greeted by my mate Chelsea. I was flooded with flashbacks to our college shenanigans as I grabbed my bags, and hopped in her boyfriend Daniel’s little black car.

The city felt like the Bay of Wellington, mixed with the corridors of Marrakesh, sprinkled with French street signs and the graffiti of Brooklyn.

Rio was love at first sight. We went on a wee driving tour to get acquainted with my new home for the next two weeks. Daniel pointed out the two major landmarks, Cristo and Sugarloaf mountain, as he scurried through winding roads that seem to be lined with stray cats. Eventually, we parked for a feed at a small restaurant. I hit the buffet for a to-go plate, filling it with rice and beans, then paid by the weight. Chelsea, Daniel, & I crossed the street to sit by the water. In his broken English he managed to communicate that I should not swim in Harbor, even though he boasted about jumping off the bridge when he was younger.

Everything was so exciting, yet calm in the city. The urban fabric looked as if it grew out of the jungle and bled to the edge of the sea. And the people, oh the people were so blended like a watercolor of beiges. Brazilians came in all shapes in sizes, with hair of all sorts. I felt so at home. Is leaving actually necessary?