Today was our first full day here in São Paulo, Brazil! When traveling to a new country for the first time, being able to easily adapt is necessary. There are many cultural differences between Brazil and the United States, and you can learn about the differences as much as you want, but I don't think you can ever truly avoid the "culture shock" you will experience when you finally arrive. However, today was a great test at my ability to easily adapt to a new culture.

Though I have been blessed to be able to travel a lot throughout my life, I have not done much traveling outside of the United States, until now. That being said, it was hard to me to know what to expect when coming to Brazil. The first thing that I noticed when we arrived in Brazil Monday night was the driving here in São Paulo, so I guess that could be considered my first "culture shock" in Brazil. The roads are much narrower than most roads in the United States, and most of the driving is much more "reckless" than I would prefer; however, I don't think that is really the right word to describe it. Everyone here seems to know how to perfectly navigate the roads, heavy traffic and tights spaces. As someone who already gets anxious in the car, this was definitely something new that I had to adapt to very quickly. By reminding myself that these driving conditions are normal to the drivers here, I was able to eventually become more comfortable while driving through the city of São Paulo.

Besides just being able to adapt to a new culture, adaptation is a skill used a lot in Brazil. Brazilians live much more flexible lives and do not follow as much of a predictable schedule as we often do in the United States. Though they have a plan or a schedule for a day, they are very flexible in those plans changing due to the unpredictable things in life. Though I have not directly experienced this yet, I expect that in the next three weeks, some of our plans will change and we will have to be flexible and adapt because that is how life goes.

I chose focus on adaptation in this blog because I kept hearing about it and thinking about it all throughout the day. It is a very important skill when embracing a new culture, as well as within Brazilian culture itself. I think it is really great, and I hope I am able to improve this skill while here in Brazil.

After the reception, we all went to a Buffet for lunch, and I think this was a great way to explore and embrace Brazilian cuisine. I would consider myself a picky eater, so I had some concerns about the food when traveling to Brazil, and I was worried that I would have a difficult time finding things that I liked. However, at this Buffet I was able to try many different Brazilian foods and I loved this. It gave me an opportunity to learn what common Brazilian foods I like, and things that I may want to avoid during this trip. Once again, this gave me an opportunity to adapt, and I believe it was very sucessful.

Our afternoon was spent on a walking tour of São Paulo, which I absolutely loved. I really appreciated getting to see the city that we will be living in for the next three weeks, as well as learning about its history along the way. This was also a great opportunity for us to get to know our buddies at ESEG, as they came along with us.

As a photography major, this tour was my favorite part of the day. I brought my camera along because it is my way of exploring and embracing this new culture. With my camera in hand, I was constantly looking at all the small details throughout the city, trying to find great spots for photos, and I believe this allowed me find an even deeper connection. I noticed so many things I wouldn't usually have noticed if I didn't have my camera. I know I could not have looked more like a tourist while taking pictures of random things that locals would consider normal or ordinary, but that was not going to stop me. This walking tour allowed me to create a beautiful connection with Brazil and I am so grateful for that.

I am so grateful that I have this opportunity to be here in Brazil, and I cannot wait to see what the next three weeks have in store.