CIEE Liberal Arts in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

They say you won't experience growth without some discomfort; the CIEE Rio de Janeiro Program was one of the most emotionally and mentally difficult undertakings I have ever taken, and as a result, I left Brasil feeling completely transformed. Rio de Janeiro is an extremely difficult city to live in because there is so much going on at any given moment. Rio too is in a stage of transformation, hence, a very obvious tension exists throughout the streets. But through all that anxiety (which, to be quite honest, is normal as a foreigner in completely new country where people speak a language that isn't your first) CIEE was an absolute shelter and recovery station. They have a great team in Rio who work to make sure you are safe, happy, and using all the resources you need, and that are available to you. They weren't just instructors; if you spend time with them and talk to them, they become friends. CIEE was also a marvelous liaison between PUC (the school) and you, making sure the paperwork and politics streamlined seamlessly between you and the school. This is a MARVELOUS program. If you want to grow, and change, Rio is the city for you. If you want to grow AND change in Rio, AND feel taken care of, safe, and like there is help and someone to talk to about anything at any given moment, CIEE Rio de Janeiro is for you.

They say you won't experience growth without some discomfort; the CIEE Rio de Janeiro Program was one of the most emotionally and mentally difficult undertakings I have ever taken, and as a result, I left Brasil feeling completely transformed. Rio de Janeiro is an extremely difficult city to live in because there is so much going on at any given moment. Rio too is in a stage of transformation, hence, a very obvious tension exists throughout the streets. But through all that anxiety (which, to be quite honest, is normal as a foreigner in completely new country where people speak a language that isn't your first) CIEE was an absolute shelter and recovery station. They have a great team in Rio who work to make sure you are safe, happy, and using all the resources you need, and that are available to you. They weren't just instructors; if you spend time with them and talk to them, they become friends. CIEE was also a marvelous liaison between PUC (the school) and you, making sure the paperwork and politics streamlined seamlessly between you and the school. This is a MARVELOUS program. If you want to grow, and change, Rio is the city for you. If you want to grow AND change in Rio, AND feel taken care of, safe, and like there is help and someone to talk to about anything at any given moment, CIEE Rio de Janeiro is for you.

I knew when I got on the plane to Rio that it would be one of the most important six months of my life so far, but I couldn't imagine just how different I'd be when I left. Over the course of a long semester abroad, I fell in and out of love on a daily basis with one of the craziest, scariest, most breathtaking places on the planet, and I can't imagine having chosen to go anywhere else. Rio is a city of extremes, but learning to fit into the rhythms of carioca life and truly feel at home in the city, whether on the beaches, in a downtown café, or in a favela as part of my research and internship, was one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable and a huge marker of personal growth. During this time, CIEE was an amazing support system, for everything from navigating doctor's appointments or the Brazilian postal system to trading memories, music, and food recommendations. It's only been a little while since I left Brazil, but already I miss it - I miss sitting on Ipanema Beach with nothing but ocean between me and the South Pole, I miss weekend morning hikes through the Tijuca National Forest, and most of all I miss the friends I made in Rio, all the time we spent traipsing through Copacabana, dancing in the streets during Carnaval, killing time between classes. Rio really does pull you in and leave a little part of itself in you - once you leave, you're always counting the days until you go back.