When I first began sharing my journey with you, I highlighted some of the ways São Paulo and my experience in Brazil overall has been helping me grow. Six weeks later, this continues to be true. My Portuguese language skills continue to improve. My social connections are settling in ways that help me feel at home. And my research continues to challenge me in unexpected ways.
My Portuguese has reached a comfortable level where I can understand almost anyone I encounter in São Paulo. However, as I have been traveling doing research for my project, I have begun encountering very different accents across Brazil. This is sometimes frustrating as I know my Portuguese is good yet I cannot always understand these new people. These experiences remind me that Brazil is a vast diverse country, just like the United States, and the more of it I am able to experience, the stronger my intercultural communication becomes.
I feel over these six weeks that my friendships have settled into comfortable dedicated relationships. I am a very social person so I often crave close connections with folks when I move to a new place.
