Tchau Brasil.

the time has finally come, i am leaving brasil today. i'm sad but i am also happy.

what am i going to miss about brasil? i feel like there will be so much. again, top ten things i am going to miss about brasil.

1. portuguese. this language is so beautiful and poetic, will i ever hear it again? i can speak this language, communicate with people on many levels. its fun, its challenging, it pains me to think that i may not have to opportunity to use my new knowledge while i am in the united states.

2. brasileiros. oh man, brazilians are some of the friendliest and helpful people i have ever met! a person on the street will go out of their way to help you find a street of the right bus, and brazilians love to meet new people. i will feel sad in the US where people walk with their heads down and avoid human contact.

3. fruitas e sucos. they have the most amazing tropical fruits and juices here. will i ever feel satisfied with orange and apple again? this is very questionable.

4. moving. i feel like traveling is therapeutic. we spend so much of out lives in the same place; our homes, our cars and work- rinse and repeat. i love the rootless feeling i have moving every three days, sleeping on overnight buses, and making fast friends with people in the same situations.

5. jugglers at red lights. what an enterprising idea! at almost all major intersections i have been to there is a person juggling- bowling pins, torches, blocks, and balls. they are living the life many of us dream about; transient, no ties, eating with the money you earn that day- they seem to be the dreamers. i think i need a little more stability in my life, but i appreciate the fact that not everyone does.

6. rain or chuva. the rain is a daily occurrence. it is a cleansing time, where mother nature forces you to chill out, stop running and wait. ela faleu fica tranquilo. it can be a small cool drop that falls from a sunny sky of a torrent of rain pouring down, soaking indiscriminately. california needs more of this.

7. the jungle. the way the forests are so dense. 500 different shades of green, mixed with blue, yellow, brown, and red. vines, mushrooms, palms, trees, bushes, grass! so much diversity of life. dark, dense, wet, and full of life. can you tell im inspired?

8. industry brasileira. the things i have bought in brazil came from brazil. i have yet to encounter "made in china". what a wonderful way to support your own economy; the US has lost its sense of locality while chasing the greatest profit. we are obviously seeing some of the repercussions now, but have an obligation not to leave our trading partners high and dry.

9. boats. i havent been on so many boats in my entire life. i love it. we paddle, we motor, we float. its peaceful, yet at the same time the balance may be thrown and could tip you out at anytime. i love the way the water can be so disturbed and frothy in the moment, leaving a white wake. yet, 30 meters late it is calm, glassy and undisturbed. que linda.

10. BRAZIL! this needs no explanation.

TCHAU brasil! você é muito legal, simpatio e linda. saudades a você pra caramba!

OLÁ estados unidos. vamos a dancar.