Prior to arriving in São Paulo, Brazil, I was extremely confident in my ability to thrive in a new environment. In hindsight, this was a little premature given the fact that I’d never left the United States and had just started learning Portuguese in January. Still, I expected the transition from living in the United States to living in Brazil to be far more seamless than it actually was.
I think my first piece of culture shock occurred before I even left the United States. When I arrived at my gate in Atlanta, Georgia, I was surrounded by Portuguese. I overheard Brazilian natives talking to friends and family on the phone, listened closely as gate attendants read announcements in Portuguese, and smiled politely when the person checking my passport wished me “boa viagem.” By the time I’d boarded the plane, however, I’d become strikingly aware of the fact that I was grossly underprepared for living and communicating in São Paulo.
This realization was confirmed when I arrived and almost fell victim to a scam before even leaving the airport. Luckily, my friend Sarah had arrived in São Paulo for her placement three weeks before I did. For the first couple of weeks, I relied entirely on her to help with translations and navigating the city. I was overcome with anxiety anytime I had to do something without her. I remember the first time I went and purchased groceries on my own, I was so disheartened because the cashier couldn’t even understand me when I greeted her with the typical Brazilian greeting “Tudo bem?”
My community partners and I at Igreja do Rosário dos Homens Pretos da Penha
And while communicating with people around the city was hard enough, talking to the community partners at my host organization seemed somehow more difficult. No one at my organization spoke fluent English and my Portuguese was barely beginner. Because of the language barrier, I struggled to communicate my needs, desires, and interests as well as to understand what was expected of me. My first few weeks were spent attending seminars that I struggled to understand and meetings that I struggled to stay attentive to because of the language barrier, all while feeling unsure of what exactly I was supposed to be doing. Needless to say, it was a very difficult transition.
Me touring a recycling plant before a walking tour of the city of Liberdade
Despite this struggle, day by day my Portuguese improved. By week three, I was able to have full conversations with my community partners, read basic sources without the help of translation apps, and confidently make purchases on my own. However, around this week I experienced a new challenge: homesickness. I didn’t miss my home specifically, but I missed the familiarity of the States. I was tired of having to think hard about what I wanted to say before I could say it, I hated the instant headache I got outdoors from the smell of cigarette smoke, and most importantly, I really, really missed Chick-fil-a. I wanted so badly to be appreciative and make the most of my time in Brazil, but I couldn’t help but feel mentally drained from the experience itself.
Working in Soweto’s Community Library
I was in this funk up until week five, around the time that Sarah left. It’s pretty contradictory to think that Sarah’s leaving helped raise my spirits about Brazil when she was the one who helped me get acclimated, but I think it was because it made me realize how quickly that time had flown by. The days were sometimes long but the weeks were moving way too fast. Five weeks in Brazil had felt like two. During Sarah’s final week, I spent a lot of time with the friends that she’d met through her placement, and seeing how bittersweet their goodbye was reminded me of how little time I had left here. I realized that despite my homesickness, I too would be incredibly sad upon my departure because of the amazing people I’d met and because of how much I’d grown during this entire experience.
Gorgeous art in São Paulo’s Beco do Batman
I am now entering my seventh week and while I’m excited to return next week, I’m also a little sad. From my first week here to now, it’s crazy to me how much has changed. I still struggle with some things; whenever someone says “tudo bem” to me, I respond with “tudo” or “sim” because I can never pronounce “bem” correctly. Despite this, I’ve had so many people tell me that my Portuguese is amazing for someone who didn’t know much before arriving. I’m still a little homesick at times, especially with Sarah gone, but I’ve learned how to find pieces of home here. A couple of days ago, I met up with a student from the University of Chicago who’s on week two of her eight-week internship. It was so refreshing to meet someone who understood how I felt five weeks ago as well as now. Lastly, while there are still times where I feel unsure or confused at work, I now know how to express myself and ask questions, and in return, I’ve gained an incredible amount of knowledge about an amazing country that I hope to return to soon!
