All week, we have been waking up at 6am or earlier because our ride into the city is over an hour, so the first joy of Saturday morning was sleep! But it didn't last long. This morning, my host mother drove us to the subway station, where Ashanti, our host sister, and I met our host cousins for the first time. It was super fun riding the subway, even though it's just like all the other subways in the world.

When we arrived at our destination, it was clear to see that this place was popular. There were tons of people everywhere. The streets were crowded with people, stores, and pop-up shops, and there were still cars driving down the road. It was hard to take pictures because the area was so crowded.

After we left 25 de Marco (the street filled with stores and pop-up vendors), our mom took us to try pastel for lunch for our first time. It was quite delicious and a true highlight of the day. But even at the restaurant, there was a TV with the news reporting on soccer festivities and people wearing Brazil gear.

After lunch, we headed home to wind down and get some rest. But even at home later that evening, we were again surrounded by futebol. There was a game on the TV with the Sao Paulo team playing, and the whole family, including our host parents, siblings, cousins, and aunt and uncle, were watching. Truly, futebol brings people together. It unites the whole country of Brazil in a way I don't think we Americans can quite understand.

Overall, the day was amazing. It was a wonderful experience to be surrounded by futebol and family, feeling closer than ever before with everyone.