Many years ago I visited Peru with my mom. One of the most important parts of this trip, which still impacts me today, was the opportunity to see completely new environments. In just two weeks, I got to see and understand how people lived in different ways because of where they lived in Peru: some in cities, some in the mountains and some in the jungle. I knew that learning Spanish and, eventually, Portuguese, would allow me to even better connect with different communities in places across the world.
I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina during college. While I loved learning about Argentine culture and the unique history of the city, I did not expect that this environment would also change me. I began to ask questions about how being from Minnesota made me different from my Argentine friends, and to also consider what we had in common. I picked up new customs, from social gestures to food preferences, that I still carry with me today. After Buenos Aires, I knew that I wanted to continue having life changing experiences in other countries. I was lucky to learn about the Fulbright program and I began thinking about coming to Brazil to improve my Portuguese and learn more about this fantastic country.
