When I decided to pursue a dialog this summer, the element of adventure was as influential as the subject matter. I've never traveled to South America, and really look forward to the immersion in a completely new culture. I truly don't know what to expect, but I've heard that Latin America is an incredibly friendly place, with lots of opportunity to learn and explore. My other foreign experiences, within Mexico and Greece, haven't given me any reason to think that this will change in Sao Paulo.
Without a doubt, spending a month in a new culture, with a (moderate, maybe significant) language barrier will be difficult. I've taken five years of Spanish in high school, so I expect this will allow me to decipher some meanings and signs. However, although Portuguese is similar to Spanish, it's still a new language of which I have no experience. I'm expecting a tough learning curve over the first week or so, but with practice and class lessons, I'm hoping to pick up the basics fairly quickly. This entire immersion experience will be something completely new to me and a challenge I'm excited to tackle. I plan to do this by interacting with locals, attempting to communicate effectively whenever possible, and ultimately trying new things. In addition to museum visits, group trips, and exploring the city, I'm hoping to gain a strong understanding of Brazilian culture and the city of Sao Paulo.
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