12 hours to airport. 24 hours to Brazil.
How did this happen? Yes, I am currently finishing packing. Yes, I am a tad bit over my head, but that is to be expected, after all.
My name is Maria. I am 26 years old and starting tomorrow, I will be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Brazil. Although I was a Latin American Studies major, I speak very little portuguese and have never been to Brazil. I have no idea what awaits me, and I find that exhilarating.
I started this blog to document my journey and experience in Brazil. Nine months to live, breathe, and dive head-first into a culture not my own, and I relish the opportunity. My personal travel mantra for this trip, as well as trips past, stems from a quote from the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button":
"For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."
I can't wait to be startled.
