As a rising senior at UGA, I am more than satisfied with my decision to graduate a semester late in order to participate in the Portuguese Flagship Program. Through this program, I’m spending almost a year in Brazil studying for the first semester and interning for the second. And to make the experience even sweeter, I received a very generous grant to pay for the long list of expenses associated with studying abroad.
Before arriving in Brazil, not only was I nervous to leave my family and friends behind but also nervous about how I would fit in here. Being someone who is more timid in the beginning of forming relationships, this contradicted with the openness and outgoing nature of most of the Brazilian I have met. However, my current roommates welcomed me with open arms, and I have formed an undeniable bond with these girls. When I leave Brazil, it will be as if I’m leaving my friends and family to return home to my friends and family in the states. All in all, the situation is bittersweet.
But how could I talk about my study abroad experience without talking about the country itself? I don’t think I could have chosen a better country to visit for my first time leaving the United States! Yes, I have had my moments of culture shock and times when I wanted to go home, but there is just something about Brazil that makes me want to stay. From the everlasting, hilly mountains in Minas Gerais to the calm, blue seas in Rio de Janeiro, this country has a lot to see and experience. From the famous pão de queijo (cheese bread) to brigadeiros (a typical desert in Brazil) to cachaça to the music, I have fallen in love. Yes, that sounds cheesy, and probably every study abroad student has said this at some point, but Brazil was so easy for me to fall in love with. However, one thing I will say I was not expecting was that Brazil actually gets cold! I thought that it was going to be all sunshine, shorts, and havaianas; however, that is not the case. In the state of Minas Gerais, especially in São Joao del Rei (the city where I’m currently living), I would say that the Fall here is comparable to Spring in Georgia. The weather just can’t make up its mind. Hot during the day and almost freezing cold at night. Well, freezing to me considering I never liked the wintertime.
One of the funnier things I have experienced is trying to explain my very common, American name. My name went from Brittney, to being pronounced as Britchney to eventually just being cut short to Brit (pronounced as Britch). My roommate’s mother completely gave up and gave me the nickname Linda, which means beautiful in Portuguese. One lady even thought my name was spelled Bridge and pronounced it as Bridgee. What’s even funnier is that all of my American friends call me Britch, and being called Brittney simply doesn’t even sound right anymore.
Overall, studying abroad can create plenty of memories, such as when one of my roommates said “Brittney fez arte” (I made art) when I flooded half of the apartment, or when I broke our shower (more than once), or the time I locked myself in the house because the locks work differently. Studying abroad has shown me that life is a constant learning experience. You have to realize that everything isn’t done a certain way, and that the “American” way isn’t always the right way. My heart is torn between leaving Brazil to stay with some of the amazing people I have met and returning home to my friends and family. All I can really say is that study abroad is what you make it, and I refuse to miss out on this opportunity because I’m too scared to step outside of my comfort zone.
