Chloe Spencer, Carmel High Junior and WHJE member is currently studying abroad in Brazil. She recently sent an update on how she is settling in:
Oi amigo,
I’ve officially hit one month in this beautiful country and I cannot wait to tell you about it.
After a long journey through airports across the United States and Brazil, I arrived safely and was quickly swept up into many activities.
The first of which was dancing in my school’s Festa Junina, and although the actual celebration is in June, they were celebrating in August. The holiday celebrates the harvest season and the end of the rainy seasons. Now, it is a celebration of the rural histories of Brazil.
After that, I attended a Rotary meeting, which allowed me to introduce myself to the people who wanted me to be in their city. While I understood nothing, the sheer fact that everyone welcomed me with open arms allowed me to comprehend the message. Brazil is my second home, and I’ve only been here a month.
My next adventure was meeting the other exchange students and touring the sights of my state Minas Gerais’s capital Belo Horizonte. With a deep history that reflects the hills around the state, every spot was a celebration of culture.
My final adventure for my first month was experiencing “Sete de Setembro” which is Brazil’s Independence Day. I watched my cities parade, and later traveled to the city Congonhas, to walk to the Church at the top and see a festival surrounding the journey.
Besides the amazing adventures I went on this month, I did experience some culture shocks. Although none are exciting, they are all learning experiences like adjusting to the culture around meals or the restroom.
The hardest thing is the language barrier. I’ve been learning Portuguese since January or February and the learning goes out the window when everyone is speaking and you are sitting there not understanding anything. Despite this, I’ve been speaking as much as I can, even if it is bad and nobody understands, but that’s what google translate is for.
Overall, this month has been amazing, even with the bumps along the road. Make sure to follow my instagram account that documents this amazing year @chloeinbrazil
