Rio has Soul

*Disclaimer: IVHQ no longer works with Iko Poran*

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP rang my alarm each morning at 8 AM. Shower, breakfast, bus. Project.

My mornings began playing soccer (i.e., 'futebol' in Portuguese) for two hours with the children in the comunidade I worked in. This was to avoid melting in the pleasant, but blistering Brazilian sun during the Summer. Fast forward: the last 2.5 hours of each day were spent teaching English to eager young minds in a community with a lack of educational structure.

What was the best part of each day? It was the seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and young adults as they proved to themselves that they COULD learn to speak English. One word at a time; one sentence at a time...they learned.

Rio de Janeiro is without a doubt different from anywhere else I have ever traveled. It is gorgeous, the people are beautiful and the fun never ends, but is important to stay street smart and listen to the advice from more experienced peers in order to adequately navigate the streets of the sometimes dangerous and unpredictable streets of this city.

Just as in any city, it is important to stay focused, know where you are going and to speak the native language. It is not imperative to be fluent in Portuguese prior to arriving in Rio, but it sure helps to know basic words and phrases.

Thinking about volunteering or studying abroad in Rio? DO IT! The experience will forever change you and the memories will last a lifetime.

-Michael