2018 was an absolutely MENTAL year for me[1] On New Years Eve of 2017, I boarded a plane out of Boston with my long-term partner, excited for a full year of Digital Nomading. In one year: I lived in 14 countries, across 4 continents. Here’s what I’ve got to show for it.
3. 📍Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1) 😍My Dopest Experience
2) 💩My Toughest Experience
3) 🔑My biggest take away
a. 😍 A dear friend from my study abroad days in Brazil and his girlfriend legitimately, adopted me. I was reminded of how much good there is in the world and the power of deep and meaningful relationships that withstand the tests of distance and time. I, completely by accident, arrived one day into the Carnival celebration and the city was so alive with Blocos, beach parties, and a general euphoric energy that is hard to match anywhere else in the world.
b. 💩 The reminder of overly sexualized Brazil, Brazilian woman, and women in Brazilian continue to be. Now, full disclosure; going to Brazil (rio) during Carnival comes with its own set of expectations and the revelry, rowdiness, and festivities are world renowned. That being said, there is never a situation where is okay to grab someones face for a kiss, as they actively pull away or say ‘no’. It sounds so simple, no? This trip was the first time that a visit to Brazil left me felling like an outsider. I got straight english menus, paid the extra Real for my Mototaxis, even one driver bold enough to try and take me on the Lagoa Loop! (When a taxi trys to run up the meter by taking you the longest possible way to your destination)…the full tourist experience. There were times where I felt this need to prove my Brazilian blood and thats kind of shitty feeling when you’re in a place you once called home.
c. 🤔 There were a lot of social things that really sat weird on my mind during this visit but the greatest take away came from the fundamental shift that occurred in my understanding of benevolence. I realized how much my subconscious genuinely viewed most every exchange in life as transactional; a belief that most people didn’t do things without SOME sort of expectation or ulterior motive in one way or another. Even as someone who genuinely tries to be the best version of myself in every situation I encounter, enough experiences and ‘taught’ me to not anticipate the same in others.
A friend of mine from Uni in Rio (that I hadn’t seen in FIVE YEARS) invited me to crash on the futon on his one-bedroom apt he shared in Copa, with his long-term girlfriend (that I had never met) for two weeks. At first, I was honest anxious to accept; staying with a friend and their girlfriend (because all women are natural enemies, right? 🤦🏾♀️) A friend gave me the greatest advice before arriving: “Just show up as your greatest, best, and highest vibe self and it will be epic”. In those two weeks, I made some of my greatest memories in South America. Not only did they vehemently reject any attempts to financially contribute for ANYTHING, they invited me to join their FAMILY; from daily futebol shooting practice on the Praias of Copacabana and showing me their secret jungle waterfalls to getting rowdy at Jockey Club and attending the Disfila das campeoes at the culmination of Carnaval. I don’t know if you’ve ever been moved to tears as a result of the level of love that you’ve been shown unexpectedly but this was a first for me and it’s an experience and sentiment I internalized and consciously decided to carry with me for the rest of my life. (It would later come in handy months later in Portugal 😉)
🔑Major Key: Reality is a projection of your thoughts or the things you habitually think about. Our way of thinking creates good or bad outcomes.
🍇Food for Thought🍇:
“Before you can successfully make friends with others, first you have to become your own friend.” - Do you find yourself feeling anxious when faced with new people or new environments? (Ex; You’re a friends plus one to an event and arrive before they do and you have mini heart palpitations?) The simple response is to claim ‘social anxiety’ and wait outside or in a corner like a weirdo until your friend comes….but the reality? This a manifestation of how you see yourself; if you truly thought you were a dope person, you’d know that anyone else who met you would see you’re a dope person as well. Game recognize game, right? So, what are the STORIES in your head that are getting in the way of you falling in love with yourself and being your own #1 fan? When we become aware of our own internal narratives, we begin to see the difference between factual reality and the stories we’ve created to explain them away to ourselves. This awareness is the first step towards self acceptance, self love, and positive self-promotion.