Rio - THE LAST DAYS

Since this is my last Brazil post, here are the links to the other days if you're so inclined. If you don't want to read, thats a-okay! Do what you want! THATS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT!

São Paulo day 1

São Paulo day 2

São Paulo day 3

São Paulo day 4

São Paulo days 5, 6 and 7

Rio de Janeiro 1 

Rio de Janeiro 2


Suddenly, it was Friday and my final full day in Rio. I'm not totally sure where the time went - wasn't I just in São Paulo? What exactly did I do all this time?! Why did I eat so much fried cheese???

Many of those questions will never be answered. I rolled out of bed like I owned the place, though, and wandered downstairs to see what was good. This is around noon (hey I’m on vacation!) Curtis was down there, as well as a Colombian girl named Juliana that I met the day before. They both asked me what was on the agenda today. Me! I achieved local status! The girls who work behind the front desk at the hostel were laughing because I collected a motley crew of about 7 Americans all looking for something to do as though I was an expert on Rio. They would basically follow me off the face of the earth if that’s what I decided to do that day. I can be the HBIC in DC or even a day in NYC but Rio is a whole new ball game. I decided I wanted to see the soccer stadium, the Maracanã (where the Final was held), and I would do that no matter what. If you didn't want to come, then ferk you! This is my life! 

Turns out Americans are pretty horrible at traveling alone. I wouldn’t say I am…I think I’m okay…but these noobs were BY FAR the worst part of my whole trip. By the end of the day (which ended at 5 am Saturday morning) I decided I was thisssss close to hating almost all of these people. And I don’t hate people! The way I see it, there’s no point in hating things because that means you are devoting energy to that thing. This is always what makes me sad about hearing about girls who do crazy things to their ex-boyfriends – like why are you devoting any energy at all to that loser? Just look like you’re having fun and that’s all the revenge you need! But I digress.

I had a lot to say about how much I really disliked two of the Americans that ended up in my group, but I will refrain. It doesn’t matter, their lameness is in the past. Let’s just say I would never sit alone, in a house in Brazil, for 5 weeks, sulking, and never leaving the house, but EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.

So we went to the Maracanã via the Metro (felt like home walking to the Metro! Plus it was like 2 blocks away so it was nice and convenient, just like the Court House station...not that I missed it all or anything -__- ), and of course we couldn’t get in. We walked around, took photos, and then went to drink at a bar right by the stadium. It was here that I had the most delicious beef dish that I had the whole trip, and that’s saying something because I had a lot of meat in Brazil. That sounds disgusting thinking back on it, and no I will not eat meat for a long while. Or maybe ever. It was cool and all but 7 pounds later, was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY.

Okay so it looks like barf but I swear it's delicious. 

The Rio metro is a celebration of life. My lame fellow American is on the far left. 

We generally derped around here for a while, then packed up and went back to the hostel to get ready to go samba dancing that night. The group ended up growing, and off we went to Lapa, which is the popping place to be on Fridays in Rio. The only way to describe Lapa is New Orleans, without the beads. The streets were just flooded with all kinds of people, food to buy, drinks, and of course, thousands of crazed Argentinians. The streets even looked similar to New Orleans, although I’ve never been there so I could be totally off. We found a restaurant and got food – although this took 4 hours. At least we were joined by the Dutch girls and even ran into our Swiss hostel buddies.

Cheers-ing to one last night in Rio!

Mmmm meat sticks

The two Americans in particular (and this Norweigan dude named Burger…I’ll rope him in with them) were getting out of hand, so Curtis and went outside to get fresh air and generally yell at each other over the deafening samba band that was playing inside. It was a good chat about doing what you love, relationships, family, and what Brazil has taught us. He’s a cool guy.

The coolest ones in the group: Curtis, me (of course) and Oscar, holding up our gang sign...the number 4)

(Then the whole crew went Samba dancing until 4 am at this place nearby. Guys, I didn’t drink at all here! Because I know the pain and suffering of being hung over on a plane so I refrained. And it felt great.)

My one sorry excuse for a photo from the samba club. 

By the time we got back to the hostel, it was 5:30 and Curtis and I decided to wake up at 6:15 to see the sunrise. We set alarms…and at 6:15 he wandered into my room to wake me up…to which I said “no way” and then he left and I think the whole group slept until noon. Again. Well this was fine with me. It was finally a nice day, so they went to the beach, and I needed to get some gifts, so Curtis went with me to help haggle some prices down. It definitely worked, I shaved off maybe $75 which isn’t too shabby at all. He eventually left me too and there I was, wandering Rio, searching for the perfect shot glass to add to my collection. Truthfully, I was kind of hoping he would leave by that point. You ever feel you need a bit of time alone to reflect on all the chaos that just happened before you? And to appreciate where you are on your own? This was that time for me. I walked to the Fan Fest one last time and wondered if Lady Gaga knew that Bad Romance was playing before the 60,000 people that were gathering there. I thought about that kind of thing all week. Like does Katy Perry know that her music plays at little tiny Brazilian bars? Or that my hostel full of foreigners the week before all know the words to Thrift Shop by Macklemore? These American pop stars have such universal reach, its kind of mind boggling.

After a while I got back to the hostel and ran into Jamie and some Swedish people who were hilarious. So hilarious that I wish I had hung out with them all day Friday instead of the ferking Americans. No regrets but UGH. Then my South African buddies popped in, fresh from their 3 day excursion, loving life. They didn’t have any rain! Or any people they despised. I was glad I got to see them though. We all hugged and promised to visit each other. Then, I took a shower, posted one last Brazilian instagram (this is important to note, of course), popped on a bus and off I went to the airport. My time in Brazil had basically come to a close.

Now I’m sitting at work, almost finished with Day #1 of Work Until Next Travel, which at this point could be anywhere.  Everyone keeps asking about it and I’m not totally sure what to say, because saying too much would be boring. No one really cares, you know? I also have a tendency to make anything that happens to me that is truly awesome seem not so good – I have no idea why I do this, I think I don’t like the brag – but I’ve been sticking to only positives so far without being excessively upbeat OR without bursting into tears because it was just a beautiful experience. I’m working on it!

How was it though, really? It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I’m not sure how I stumbled into the Bootcamp Hostel La Na Vila, but I’m sure glad I did. Those are some of the best people I’ve ever met and it still blows my mind that it all happened. Everything was awesome, to quote the Lego Movie of course, and I think I’ll go to sleep with a smile on my face just thinking about it for a very long time.

Favorite moments of all:

The hostel La Na Vila in total. Best week I could've asked for. 

The lecture from Natalie (all about our own hero's journey)

Learning the dance “Lepo Lepo” (all the rage in Brazil, watch this video)

The arm tangle game and the sheer joy we experienced when we got it untangled

Playing Ninja

Watching a Brazil soccer game with Brazilians

All the laughs. Everyone that first week was hilarious. I miss them!

The street art that was EVERYWHERE

Singing the Pokemon theme song with everyone as well as Take Me Home by Cash Cash (at this point can you tell I’m scarily obsessed with this song?)

The phrase "beautiful graphics". As well as hearing stories about 10 year old German boys who plant a million trees. Only perhaps Fernanda will appreciate this.

Getting to hang out a whole ton with this guy:

COXHINAS!

TEMAKI!!

KIWI SAKE CAPRIHINAS!!!!

The Bud Party with the South Africans

Seeing the Cristo (dat ass doe)

Beach chilling

The Fan Fest

And finally, getting to meet all kinds of people from all over the world. This actually is the most important and best part of the whole trip. The World Cup is this beautiful human experience. Its like the first day of college where everyone asks where you’re from. Instead of saying what high school in Northern Virginia, though, you say what country you’re from. And then you take a shot of cachaca together.

Besides those two lame-o Americans, everyone I met was great and truthfully (without being sappy and stupid sounding) changed my life. They opened my eyes, if you will. And have geared me up for taking on longer, more intense travels. I think everywhere in the entire freaking world sounds cool to go to. Except maybe like Syria at the moment or Afghanistan. But South Korea is SO HIGH on my list right now, as well as the whole Patagonian region. Actually, all of South America. I’d love to take 6 months and just hike/kayak/party all over the continent. Maybe I will.

Brazil, I truly love you and thanks for everything.

(I've posted this already but I don't care! It's the whole crew. )

As Nicholas Cage would say, it's time to ride off to my next adventure! What will be next? A threesome with the Declaration of Independence? Who knows! And that's what's so exciting about life. 

Ps the Declaration of Independence is a joke you derps!!

PPS YES IM AWARE THAT MY HAIR IS WET IN THAT PHOTO