Uffda. We have reached the halfway point of our time here in Rio. We are 2 months deep into our 4 month program. At this midway point, murmur around our study abroad program is pretty evenly split between positive and negative feelings about this realization.
On the one hand… we ONLY have 2 more months in Rio!! That’s only 8 weeks of class and 8 weekends of adventures! There are so many things on my Brazil Bucket List that still need to be done. I still have so much more I want to learn about the life of Brazilians and cultural norms and expectations. I still want to try so many more foods and regional fruits. I still want to meet so many more people and get to know more Brazilians. Our first 2 months here have absolutely flown by; I wish we could slow down time for these last 2 months to soak everything in. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if time just completely stopped for a bit and we could live here for a few more years (shhh, don’t tell my parents I’m even joking about that).
But on the other hand… it’s crazy to think about how many things have ALREADY happened in the past 2 months, and it’s so exciting to think about having double the amount of experiences we’ve ALREADY had! We still have 2 WHOLE months to explore Rio and travel around Brazil. We still have 60 WHOLE days of meeting people and picking up on the slightest routines in the culture here. We still have 2 months worth of memories to create and 2 months worth of learning to do.
I am so so so so so happy with both the quantity and quality of experiences we have had thus far, and I am so so so excited to look forward to the many more experiences to come.
This glass of studying abroad is currently both half-empty and half-full, but mostly half-full!
Danni Askew
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">I am a junior studying sociology, public health, mathematics, and leadership at the University of Minnesota. I'm passionate about music and express that passion through an all-female a cappella choir on campus. In my free time, I enjoy playing classical guitar, percussion, piano, and writing music. During every summer, I work at a summer camp in northern North Dakota; I love outdoor adventures and working with kids.</span></p>
