Oi! All is well (quite fantastic, in fact) here in Recife. My, this country is too beautiful. The skyscrapers, tropical trees, precious children, and old-world architecture make for such a wonderful setting. On our first night here, we drove to the old town of Olinda,which was established by the Dutch. The churches in this town are primarily Catholic, so we had the chance to admire their ornate interiors. Olinda, too, is a good bit higher in elevation, in comparison to Recife, so we spent some time gazing out upon the nighttime skyline of Recife.

Today, we headed out to a beach in a small cove (massive rocks were scattered about the shore, perfect for climbing and sitting on). The water, of course, is the most wonderful combination of blues and greens, and a small fleet of colorful fishing boats were parked in the cove. We swam, explored, sat, and swam more, making for a most lovely afternoon. Such a relaxing, yet vibrant atmosphere.

Two days here and each of us are in love with this place. I cannot wait to see what adventures are ahead of us!

And so we go.

Though I have yet to even begin going through security, now that I am actually in the airport, passport and visa in hand, the reality of this trip is hitting me. Until now, my group and I have encountered countless obstacles, and somehow (quite amazingly) everything fell into place. In fact, we received our visas only this past Monday. We road tripped down to Atlanta (left Boone at 2 am... it was quite the trip), applied for and obtained our visas, and made it back home in the same day. Every effort, though, was well worth the stress and time, as I feel this trip is going to be pretty spectacular. First we go Charlotte to Miami, then overnight to Brazil! We will have a few days to adjust and explore our new home, Recife, and then training courses for teaching English will begin the following week. Way too exciting.

A few things at home that will be missed:

• Saturday mornings listening to 88.1 WKNC. Bluegrass to start off the weekend? Oh yes. 
• A new favorite, Sola Coffee. Quaint setting, uber delicious coffee, happy Rachel. 
• Visits to The North Carolina Museum of Art, particularly the outdoor exhibits and trails.
• The Corn in a Cup kiosk at Crabtree Valley Mall. Strangely scrumptious and satisfying. Revolutionary, one might say. 
• Trips to Boone. Too beautiful, too wonderful. 
• My family and friends, of course. I will miss you all dearly. 

On the other hand, a few things I am stoked for in Brazil:

• Learning some Portuguese! I don't think I will have much choice in the matter.
• Seeing and swimming around Recife's reefs.
• Devouring the spicy food of Northern Brazil (and so much seafood!).
• Exploring Olinda, an older city established by the Dutch. Supposedly, the architecture is exceptionally beautiful, which I do not doubt at all!
• Trying exotic, wild fruits! Yum.
• Having the opportunity to actually teach English classes! I can finally fulfill my childhood desire to be a teacher for a bit. 

Anyhow, I guess that's all for now. Much, much more to come, though! Pictures are in the near future, too. Thank you for reading along, my friends! 

This is happening. Oh my, this is happening. Brazil, we are on our way! 

I am pumped.