Greetings from São Paulo! Day 1

Ola! I've never been so tired yet happy before, everyone. I'll give a brief run down of what's been going down:

Got to national in time for my 5:45 flight, made it to Chi town for my 9:25 flight, and realized I was the only American in the waiting area for the plane. I don't think I've ever been so terrified in my entire life. Here I was, in rando Chicago, sitting with a hundred Braziilians, all wearing yellow Brazilian jerseys, mind you, all of them speaking Portuguese to each other, and I'm in a panic because I know absolutely no Portuguese. Un poco espanol, si, but Portuguese? Ayiyi. After an hour of back and forth negotiations to watch stuff with this nice Brazilian boy, I got in line to board. This guy behind me just started talking to me, in Portuguese. "Sorry!" I tell him, "I'm American". And he tells me he didn't know! I only mention this because about 20 minutes later I'm chatting up my seat mates, who both tell me I'm pretty much a goner because I look super American. 

This didn't phase me too much. Everything they told me I've heard before. Don't walk into favelas alone. Don't go anywhere alone at night. Don't get pickpocketed. Obrigado means thank you. I got those down. Beyond basically trying to scare the living daylight out of me about São Paulo, these dudes were actually super cool. We were in the emergency exit row, so before we took off a crew member swooped in and asked if we were comfortable holding the lives of 200 passengers in our hands in the case of emergency. For extra leg room? And a swivel tv? Of course! I still did the nose game and made sure the guy on my left had the job if the time ever came. 

Both the dudes were Brazilian and had amazing English. This gave me hope. Then I learned I shouldn't have much hope, because the guy on my right is about to start medical school at Johns Hopkins and the guy on my left worked in Germany with Americans for 6 years. They're not the norm! They were so friendly and at one point me, the two of them and our extremelyyyy chatty flight attendant were laughing so hard that another flight attendant shushed us. Needless to say, it was a good flight. 

Anyway, a 10 hour flight later, I arrived in São Paulo and met up with two British girls doing the same program as me. We got a cab together and ventured out to Villa Madelena, where I am now. Can't say I know too much about exactly where I am, other than that we are in the city and there are a million bars. Eight of us went to a park (the Central Park of São Paulo, Ferk if I know the name. This place was pure chaos. I've never seen so many rollerbladers in one place) and when we taxied back, our street was blocked off due to pedestrians for the Greece Costa Rica game. 

We got let off maybe 3 blocks away and it took us 30 minutes to get through the masses. Plus, vans sell liquor out of their hatchbacks and there are grills selling sticks of meat, yeah you heard that right, all over. The streets are wild. I'm sitting in my bunk now and I can hear people drunk yelling and singing. And yes I should probably be with them!

The hostel is epically sweet. So this ad agency, Naked, rented this space for a single month, hired artists to come in and completely decorate it, and then they're going to take it down once the World Cup is over. Ridiculous. The art on the walls is unlike anything I've ever seen! It belongs in a gallery! And in two weeks it will be gone.

I feel bad showing these photos, they don't show everything or even close to everything. But they're all I have right now! Basically every wall is painted with crazy colors and designs. We also have an unlimited supply of Skol beer and constant music and soccer. Not to mention the company, who are all so far really cool and funny. There's the British girls I mentioned, a British guy, a Chinese girl, 2 other Americans, a Colombian, and like 12 brazilians. The Brazilians are all 1. Beautiful. And 2. Friendly as can be. By the way, in São Paulo, you kiss on the cheek when you greet each other. In rio, apparently it's twice. Let's see how I do. Julia, you'd love it here! HAHA. 

We are waking up at 7 to get briefed on our assignments for the week so I'm going to hit the hay, or in this case, my top bunk. I'm actually having visions of me rolling off the side to my doom. Wish me luck!

As they say in Brazil....BYEEEE TTYL 

ps the tinder game in Brazil is on point. Just thought id throw that out there. 

Pps the Brits hate one direction. Pity

Ppps the British guy said "well color me blue!" And I just about fell over