Rio...

In my almost three years of living in Brasilia. I've always said, "If you came to visit Brazil, and you didn't visit Rio, you didn't visit Brazil." In my opinion, Rio is the heart of all things that make Brazil so wonderful. Cristo, Pso de Acucar, Impanema, The sidewalks, the samba, the sungas. There is something about that town. It just oozes Brazil. With that my mantra in mind, I knew that if I didn't go to Rio during Carnival, I would be missing out on an amazing experience. I knew I HAD to see it, I knew I WANTED to see it, this year, I MADE SURE to see it!

Since I had already seen the tourist destinations, I spent everyday on the beach. To be honest, it was great. I was ready for some relaxation and sitting under an umbrella people watching was the best way to do it. At night, we headed out on the town.

The sidewalks of Impanema

The highlight of the trip was the Sambadrome. Each samba school creates a theme, song, and floats. It is like Mardi Gras on crack, minus the bead throwing and bra lifting. To say that the floats are done well is an understatement. Each one is hand stackingly crafted to reflect their theme. The samba schools have 45 minutes to get all of their floats and people down the center of the sambadrome as people watch and cheer. If they exceed their 45 minutes, they receive a penalty.

Aside from the Sambadrome, I just really enjoyed spending time with friends. On my last ngiht, Amanda, Alyssa, Rachel, and I went to the rocks which separate Impanema and Copacabana to watch the sunset. As I sat and looked out on one of my favorite cities, I was reminded how lucky I am to have had this experience. My life plan hasn't turned out in any way, shape, or form, the way I thought it would. But, I'm also not sure I would want it any other way.