Renting a car, easy as pushing a button!

Florianopolis was a blast! No easier way to say it. I loved showing Meg the city. We flew in and Meg met the fam. I was so excited, they all kept saying “miuto difference” or very different. I love how some people think we look so alike and others not at all. As long as she keeps looking older than me! Well we went to dinner for pizza (yep again) with Bea and Rodrigo. It was so delicious and we had some fun. Meg tasted her first ciaparinia and Rodrigo told them it was her birthday! Well the staff at Papperellas decided to come singing full out with a pizza pan to bang and a horn to blow in our ears! It was hilarious. And they brought a cake with suckers stuck all around it and a candle in the middle! I loved it. Well Meg cut into her cake and took a bite to find it was just raw pizza dough!!!!!!! Hilarious! We could not stop laughing!

The next day we rented a car (thanks dad). It was super sweet! The car had a key that was a card and you pushed the button to start the car. Well lets just say we had an adventure before we even left the parking lot! We drove around the south end of the island, had lunch on a little beach, Almacao, and after went exploring the rocks on the island by the beach. It was so fun. Then we drove all the way around to the west end of the island, bought a couple beers and sat on a tiny little beach (if you could call it that) and watched the sun go down over the mainland. It was beautiful, and we had a very long and awful photo shoot!

Wednesday I showed Meg the north end of the island. We went to Praia Mole, Barra Da Lagoa, had lunch at a great restaurant on the lake, and got some delicious ice cream. I even found a fish I liked, it was swimming in catupry cheese! We sat and watched the sun go down in Santo Antonio, looking out at the bay, it was great. Then we met up with Bea, Rodrigo, and Vo to enjoy Casa do Pastel! Bea and Vo had never been so I was very excited to show them.

Thursday we had to return the car then explored centro a little. We were tired, and Meg wasn’t feeling to great, so we headed home early and watched a movie. Then we went and got our fingers and toes painted (its cheap here) and grabbed dinner with Bea. The next morning we hung out for a while and then Meg had to go to the airport. I was very sad to see her go. I loved our time together. It went by to quickly. I can not wait to travel with Meg again, although Tim will have to join us, Meg missed him too much!

In the photos:

1. one of the good photos from the long photo shoot, 2. megs birthday cake, 3. the sweet car key, 4. the beautiful view from our own private beach, 5. mmm casa do pastel with bea and vo, 6. meg getting introduced to the greatest meal in florianopolis, 7. Traveling the island, 8. the beautiful sunset

napkins, olive oil, salt, and toothpicks?

Saturday afternoon we landed in Salvador! After some confusion where our flight to Salvador was treated like an international flight… I still don’t really understand, but we made it. We had our driver, Ricardo, waiting for us and we were off. He was very excited that I spoke some Portuguese and we had a little chat on the way to the pousada. He was really nice and friendly, showed us the beaches on our scenic drive, stopped at the taxi gas pump, meg and I are pretty sure he just wanted to show us off! He even gave Meg a necklace! No worries Tim.

The Pousada was very beautiful and Slavadorish, with bright colors hand painted art and flowers everywhere. We were right by the historic district and took no time in setting out to investigate. We wondered the old cobblestone streets, had a wonderful lunch of olives, salami, and cheese ha ha, it was a great view of the bay though…. Saw all the old run down churches, and enjoyed sitting and listening to music coming from some side street as we sipped brazillian cold beer and ate boiled peanuts.

We went and saw this Bahian dance where there were all these people dressed like the different gods that the old African culture believed in. It was so neat. There was a band dancing and crazy costumes. There was one guy that did some amazing tasks with fire. They also danced capoira which is one of my favorite things to watch. Its like dance fighting where there are a lot of flips and such to a rhythmic song. They also gave us a taste of samba. It was so fun to watch.

Afterwards, we went to a neat pizza place for dinner and sat and talked. It was really neat and we enjoyed it. I had this whole conversation with Meg about how they never serve pepper on the table, and then at dinner they had a salt a pepper shaker out with the napkins, so Meg put the salt on her food then went for the pepper. At first as she was shaking it nothing came out, then all of a sudden ten toothpicks fell on her plate. Her surprised face was priceless. It was great.

Sunday we were off to Bonfim church, one of the most famous churches in Brazil. It was built by slaves in there free time and still holds mass today. We caught the end of mass, bought the famous ribbon bracelets from the cutest old woman, and made our three wishes. After seeing the church and the beautiful view we tried to find a place our hotel recommended for lunch. We instead went on our own personal walking tour for a couple hours, but it was beautiful. We also made it, after long walks and random taxi rides, to the famos ice cream place, it was worth it.

That afternoon we enjoyed a long time of shopping and wondering around the beautiful cidade velho. We got stuck in a huge crowd for a concert, but made it through back to the hotel and settled in for a couple card games and ordering pizza. We were ok being the lame gringas!

Monday we had Ricardo pick us up for our taxi ride to the airport! It was a great trip and I really loved Salvador. But was excited to show Meg Florianopolis!

AUBREEE, AUBRIEE ANNIE?!?!!?

So this past week I had the wonderful blessing of spending the week traveling around Brazil with my lovely sister, Meg. We had an amazing time and had some very interesting travels, great conversations, and hardly any fights. I even got to show Meg my Portuguese skills…

Our first stop was Rio. We were blessed enough to have my wonderful “Aunt” Shelia open her doors to let us stay with her. Her boyfriend, Guan, even became our wonderful tour guide. The adventure started the moment I stepped off the plane. Meg was not there waiting. Her plane was suppose to get to Rio 5 hours before mine, and she was to wait for me at baggage, there are only two baggage claims, international and domestic. Somehow Meg got confused, b/c it was in Portuguese (even though the signs had English below, but we won’t get into it). So five minutes after I have decided Mom had meg fly to the wrong airport and was on my way to call her internationally I heard the intercom saying “Aubreee, Aubri Annie, please kjsdfjkjf Info lkdfj;df” I laughed and soon by asking other workers what they said made it to the correct info desk to hug my confused and overwhelmed looking sister! It was a relief and also hilarious as she had her huge, broken, suitcase, overstuffed book bag, and of course her pillow and had been wandering around the airport. We laughed as we left and I talked to the elevator lady about my crazy sister who had ridden the elevator 12 times!

Guan met us after our short bus ride, we went to the apartment, dropped off our bags, and headed for Sugarloaf. We made it in time to Sugar loaf to see a beautiful sunset as we rode the cable cars up to the top. Meg was very brave. The cars were full and on the way down the wind had really picked up, I comforted them by saying the cars were full so the wind wouldn’t effect us, I didn’t mention how the wind and the weight of a full car would add more strain on our one cable carrying us over the ocean cliffs, but we were fine!
We had dinner at a delicious churascaria with Sheila, Guan, Luisa, and Livia, and then called it a day.

Friday we woke up to a very rainy and cloudy Rio. We took the morning talking, then had Guan take us to Cristo Redentor, he had never been! We got to the bottom of Corcovado and road a cog train up to the top. It was very cloudy and we had nothing to see by the time we got to the top. It started drizzling and I was sad, but the clouds parted and we were able to actually see the Christ, and then Copacabana, Sugarloaf, and Ipanema unfolded at our feet. It was great. Then we headed home, had lunch, wondered the beaches and had wonderful ice cream, which I managed to spill all over me.
We left early the next morning for Salvador, I was sad to leave Sheila, Guan, Livia, and Luisa.

In the photos: The beautiful sunset on sugar loaf, the beautiful ride up,

I have a lot more photos, but have lost my camera cord, more to come one day, promise!

we work work work work work the whole day through

Backpackers Sunset is beautiful! I am working in a truly wonderful place! Backpackers sits above the lake and five minutes from my favorite beach, Praia Mole. It is a hostel unlike any other. I work with guests everyday. Almost all of them are from England, Australia, or New Zealand. I talk to them constantly about what to do, where to go, I tell them about Casa Do Pastel! I love it. I get to talk to people and hear about where they have been. I am constantly jealous because all of these people have been traveling for months around South America.

Work is fun, Renata, who also works reception, is so fun. We get along great. I get free meals when I work to which is usually 9-3. So I get breakfast and lunch. Leandro, my boss also cooks a mean churrascaria on Thursdays, which happens to be the night I work b/c I have class Thursday morning. Although I have been working basically everyday, I really enjoy it. It is so fun and I am learning a lot about managing and running a hostel. I have also realized I did learn something back at cofc. I am constantly analyzing how Leandro manages his staff, money, and everything. I already know a few things I will and will not do when and if I have my own inn or hostel!

The best thing about the hostel, other than offering dinner every night for guests, is that we have all these trips planned. Almost every night we have a club or bar or concert to take them to and a couple of times a week we have day trips. This week we had a boat party to Costa da Lagoa, which is area where you can only get by walking or boat! I got to go and it was so fun. There were a lot of awesome people there and we had such a great time. I really have enjoyed it. I am getting restless to travel more however.

There were also a lot of girls come through traveling alone, they said they were fine you just have to be cautious and plan your days, I’m just saying mom.

In the photos: 1. Great veiw from the top deck, 2. where we watch the sun go down on the hang out porch, 3. our sweet van, i really want one!, 4. one of the builidings, sweet I know, 5. the pool, small but awesome!, 6. the boat we took to costa da lagoa, 7. Me working really hard with my clients!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

DAD

So today is Father’s day and I am once again not at home. As I said for mother’s day, traveling has really opened my eyes to how blessed I am. I have a wonderful father who has always put our family before anything else (even golf). Dad has been there for me in everything and I constantly feel blessed to have had him around growing up. When I think about how lucky I am to have had a dad that would get time off of work all the time to take us to the mountains, or to WV, send us to Italy for his birthday, comes to my soccer games (even though I sat the bench), drives me to the airport, flies across the equator to visit me and then sends my sister, (the list goes on and on) it really is amazing. So dad, thank you for all that you have done for me, you are a true blessing in my life. I heard a talk that the best thing a father can do is show his love for his children so that they can see the Heavenly Father’s unconditional love for them. You have gone above and beyond that. So thank you for being such a wonderful dad and I love you, unconditionally as well (but you make it easy)!
Happy Fathers Day!

This of course wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to my fantastic brother who is a wonderful dad too! Your love for Sean is contagious. I have always known you would be a great father by how you helped me growing up. You have the passion, patience, and calm nature that will make you a wonderful dad, which you are already proving. I really just love watching you watch Sean and the joy that is constantly on your face. I feel so honored to be a part of your life and still can’t wait for you to have a baby girl (who acts like Meg and I)! I love you so much.
Happy Fathers Day!

(sorry, couldnt resist)

Who knew I could speak Portuguese?

So, as you devote followers (aka mom and dad and meg, erin, maybe cody, micah I know your not reading) know, my classes are in Portuguese and I do not know what I am doing. One of my classes, Recreation and leisure, finished already because it is only half the semester! I am extremely happy to know I got credit in one class already. That’s right I got credit for a class in a different language. My professor, Gordon, was wonderful. I am sad my favorite class had to be the one to finish. I had to do a presentation for class, thirty minutes long. I really enjoyed it because it was about the recreation and leisure in Charleston. I loved talking about it and it made me sad not to be in Charleston, especially since this was right before Spoletto started. I talked about that as well. My presentation was all in Portuguese, and the wonderful Bea fixed my awful attempt of translating (shout out to google translate)! I presented it all in port. And my professor liked it! Success!

I have also been working with the internship advisor here because I thought it would be wonderful (and easier to pass) if I got an internship in Brazil. Well he has been difficult, so I took matters into my own hands. The same day as my presentation, I met with the boss of a hostel here called Backpackers Sunset, and had an interview in Portuguese. I got the job! Well granted I was offering to work 120 hours for free. I figured out how to get a job, just work for free, people will want you! The place is awesome and I just had to fill out all the paperwork and it was off to work!

This was a great day, because I felt like I knew Portuguese, granted I am no where near fluent but it gives me hope!

In the photos: 1. My pedra branca campus, 2. my last day there, 3. the actual pedra branca (white rock), 4. (these are just cause i can) beautiful sunset in santo antonio, 5. eating dinner on praia forte, 6. a sunny sunday afternoon, 7. enjoying the sand in our toes

Paraben per Voce

Karly and I meet up in Rio for the weekend for her birthday, and it was epic. The entire trip actually, including the trip there alone. I flew up from Floripa, and found a cheaper flight with a new airline-Azul. Basically like jet blue in the states (Hilarious that blue is the cheap flights around the world…). Well it was out of Navagantes, which turned out being a lot farther than I thought…. I wound up staying Thursday night with Bea’s friend Adrianna and her daughter, Giorgia. They were amazing and so nice and helpful, and I loved talking to them. Then they took me to the airport at 7 am. It was an adventure, needless to say I made it to Rio, only four hours later than planned….

Well it was Karlys birthday weekend and we celebrated in style. I stayed with my host moms cousin, Sheila, and her two daughters, Livia,18, and Luisa, 16. They were all awesome. I had already met Sheila and Luisa over Easter, but it was so fun. Rodrigo also was in Rio as well. We had fun, Friday night we went to night club near Impanema, I learned that I don’t really like night clubs, and my hatred for heels grew tremendously.

Saturday, Karly got in at 6am, about an hour after we got home, so we slept till afternoon. Then Karly and I caught up and talked all afternoon sitting on the porch overlooking the hills of Rio. We went to dinner and out to a bar that night. Sang Happy birthday in Portuguese to Karly, I still don’t know it… Then we went a frolicked on the Leblon beach. Last we stopped by the lagoa and looked up at the Christ, it was a beautiful night!

Sunday, Karly’s actual birthday we went HANGGLIDING!!!!!!! Well Karly actually paraglided and I hangglided. It was fantastic. It was perfectly clear, great wind, and just so beautiful! I felt like I was flying and the view was indescribable! It was seriously the best. I highly recommend it! Then we went and laid out on Impanema all afternoon and I people watched. Its not tourist season and it was Sunday so it was packed with Cariocas. I got to eat a ton of food that people were walking around with. Cheese, some type of Ariab pastry thing, and Globos washed down with a guarana. It was great, and Globos are my new favorite things ever. I don’t know how to describe them, its like funions, the texture, but not garlicy or greasy. They are just awesome! Karly knew this church in Rio and actually had contacts with the speaker so we went. It was an adventure. They picked us up at 6, church started at 630, and we were there till 10! It was awesome, it was an international church so they had things to translate the talk to English. So I got to understand the sermon. They opened with an hour of worship, which was so amazing. They were singing songs I knew, but in Portuguese, like “Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord”. I absolutely loved it. Then they had two talks with some more worship music, and it lasted 3 hours! Both talks were from the Old testament, and just really great. Then we went out to eat with Livia, Rodrigo, and Luisa. We wound up at some burger place, and hold your breath, I love burgers now. I don’t know how it happened, but I actually ordered and enjoyed a hamburger! I told Karly that this was my favorite friend’s birthday! We had a blast!

Monday we watched Casablanca (I got it for Karly b/c she had never seen it, which is a crime), then spent time with everybody before I had to leave to head to the airport. It was a really amazing weekend. I really love Rio and am so glad I get to go with Meg in a month!!!!!


In the photos: 1. Livia, Me, Luisa, and Karly with the mountain we jumped from in the background, 2. Karly and I with the view and the take off area behind us, 3. At the club, I really liked my necklace, thanks sheila (they dressed me), 4. Karly and I at the lake pointing at Christo Redento, 5. me flying a kite, that i just happened to be strapped to..., 6. birthday dinner, with great dessert and candles!, 7. me laughing at myself (right after take off), 8. my beautiful view!