Turning negatives into positives

I would also like to talk about the "negative" experiences I've had in Curitiba thus far, and expand on these experiences in order to analyze the positive aspects.

1. When I first arrived here, I had a different host family. Throughout the three weeks that I stayed with them, they were never at home due to work, and living situations eventually got tense. The tension mainly increased due to misunderstandings, passiveness from one side, and the small family was having a noticeably difficult time adapting to their compromise of taking in two new strangers. Eventually, I decided to switch host families because I felt like both sides were uncomfortable and unhappy. The lesson I learned from this experience was that one needs to be direct and honest, and must take action themselves. Additionally, if such action is taken, the situation will fix itself; after the house change, I moved in with a big family who are kind, accepting, generous and were more than excited to have me with them when I arrived! One of the main reasons I don't want to leave Brazil is because of this family and their amazing personalities and generosity. Their company will be greatly missed but never forgotten when I move back to the U.S.

2. During a late hour on a Friday night, I was waiting for the bus near my house and got robbed. That night, I was planning to meet up with my friends in the center; the night resulted in my wallet and camera being stolen from me (luckily, I put my wallet in my pocket when I knew something felt wrong and luckily I was not physically harmed). This is obviously one of the scarier situations, yet I believe I learned most from it. The lessons I learned were the following: Always plan in advance, even if plans pop up last minute. Safety should always be a priority- in such an event, it is always better to call a taxi even if you have looked at the bus schedule and stood outside 3 minutes before the expected time. Additionally, in the event of being robbed, remain calm, and give up the items that the thief is demanding. Your life is more valuable than your possessions. If you feel like something is wrong by observing your surroundings or getting a "gut feeling", take action. Call the police, put your wallet in your pocket, walk away, etc.

3. My plane ride from Brasilia into Curitiba got switched mid-flight since the Curitiba airport was closed due to weather conditions. This resulted in our arrival to a different airport 2 hours away from Curitiba- on top of everything, it was in the middle of the night. Once my plane landed, the passengers were required to gather their bags and standby until further information could be released. The airline staff were having a hard time communicating to the passengers and were also unsure of what was going to happen. That being said, an hour later the passengers were told to catch a bus to a hotel 2 hours away (close to another airport) and then take the 6am flight into Curitiba from the other airport. Many of the passengers, including myself, felt frustrated, cold and tired. Once we arrived to the hotel, we only had 2 hours to rest. 

In this situation, I learned to simply "roll" with what inconvenience is thrown at you; instead of panicking and throwing a fit (as many passengers were doing) all you are capable of doing in that moment is being alert yet relaxed. Eventually with time, you will be out of the situation.

4. During my stay in Brasilia, I saw the pre and post results of a man that was beat to death. In this situation, it is always best to call for help (stay inside of the car, unfortunately these kind of situations are capable of being set ups). 

Overall, each of these experiences have taught me important lessons needed for life- both relating to personal and professional living. I have learned to be more direct, more adaptable, and how to remain calm in tense/serious situations. Experiences such as these are thrown at everyone at some point in their lives, and I am actually grateful to be learning so much in a place that has so much hope and potential for its future. Brazil is a developing country, but the key word is "developing"; each and every day, development in this country reaches a new high (take the uprisings and protests for example! The citizens in Brazil have finally awakened and realized the time to take action is now.) and it is amazing to observe such changes.

The lessons, observations, and new insight I have obtained while here cannot compare to any other experience or place I have been to. Brazil has extended its reach to me and demonstrated valuable qualities that I can now safely say are a part of me, and additionally, those lessons will always remain with me!