In October I traveled to Brazil with a group of kids I met at my local university. My host mom had always spoken very highly of Brazil and told me if there was any other country I should visit in South America, it should be Brazil. After my visit, I have to agree. While Brazil was beautiful in itself, the people and the energy of the country really sold it for me.

For the majority of our trip we relaxed in Ilha Grande, an island about 2 and a half hours outside of Rio de Janeiro. While the weather was a little dreary for part of our trip, it was still amazing to stay in a small town that almost felt more like a rainforest than a town. 

My favorite day of the trip was a tour around the area to some of the best beaches and other small islands nearby. The weather was perfect for a beach day and the beaches truly had beautiful scenery. During our day exploring the beaches, we met a few Brazilians who we ended up becoming friends with throughout our time in Ilha Grande. 

We finished our trip with a few days in Rio. While the weather was not on our side, I still really enjoyed my time in Rio. The boardwalk in Copacabana was filled with great restaurants with live music and plenty of Brazilians dancing and singing along. It was hard NOT to be happy. While in Rio, I also got to see Christ the Redeemer in person. It was amazing! 

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: CEA: Latin American Studies in Buenos Aires