I have been in Brazil for one whole week now, but it feels much longer.  I am shocked at how difficult Portuguese is, but I am slowly falling in love with the language and the culture.  It is beautiful how friendly and warmhearted Brazilians are.  I know it is very early to say this, but Brazil is one of the first countries where I feel so welcomed and at home.  Brazilians are passionate, proud, and confident people who speak and express themselves with energy and positivity.  I am thankful to have connected with a very close friend I met and knew back home in Cayman from Brazil.  She is a beautiful soul who has been kind enough to host and show me around her remarkable country.  So that means I’ll be hanging out with locals for now while I explore and experience Brazil, which is the best!  If you ever want to really experience a new country, then I believe you need to actually hang out with locals and “do as the locals do.” 

So far, we got to hike around exploring a few amazing jungle beaches up the coastline of Rio de Janeiro.  Currently, we have spent the last few days on one of the most fantastic jungle islands I have ever been to in a jungle house with a group of beautiful souls.  The island is called Ilha Grande, which is super cool and very laid back.  Plus, since there are no motor vehicles on the island, it is so quiet and peaceful.  Aw man, it has been epic and oh-so-amazing sharing the beautiful sunny days and unforgettable adventures together with friends.  I am blessed to have connected with such great people and to be here in such a beautiful place.  It feels so good to be connecting back with nature and to finally be sleeping in my jungle hammock again.  I am definitely looking forward to doing more hikes and camping.  I cannot wait to explore more of Brazil!