“Brazilians are very close with their families. A lot of the Brazilian roommates in my program travel home at least twice a month, no matter how far away they are from their families (from 30 minutes to 2 hours!). In the US college students don’t really do this, so it’s very interesting to see how family culture affects college life. Food is a big connector for Brazilian families, so whether it’s dinner, a cookout, or just chatting, food is always involved.”

What is one challenge you experienced during your first month? How did you overcome that challenge?

“One challenge I’ve experienced is adapting to the different foods available in Brazil. There are a lot of simple food items I miss like slurpees or Mac and cheese, that I didn’t realize wouldn’t be available here. I’ve overcome that challenge by trying new Brazilian foods that largely aren’t available in the US like pastels, coxinhas, and açaí. There are even a number of restaurants that I love and will miss when I go back to the U.S.”