Submitted by Nikki Patel on the 2016 summer session program in Brazil sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition…
Freshman year of college, I was an eighteen year old teenager competing for one of twenty spots in the Athletic Training Major. In my interview, I was asked where I saw myself in ten years, and I responded at the Olympics working with a US national team. I knew this was an ambitious response; I mean people barely get to attend the Olympics let alone work for athletes that compete in the event. Two years later, I’m sitting in Sao Paulo writing a blog about my experience in an insanely beautiful country that happens to be hosting the event I hope to be working for in the future.
After twenty four hours, a few connecting flights, and long waits in the airport, we finally arrived in Brazil. We began our program in Brotas, a small city about three hours away from Sao Paulo. I initially thought culture shock was going to be one of my first challenges, but the country surprisingly reminded me of India which was comforting. In fact, the first and biggest challenge for me here, is the language barrier. We went out to eat for dinner as a group the first night and I had the hardest time ordering my meal. One piece of advice when studying abroad in a country with a language other than English: excessive hand signaling and pointing will be your best friend when communicating.
The city of Brotas revolves around eco-toursim, so naturally we participated in excursions that involved nature. White water rafting on the Alligator River in Brotas was the most amazing experience I’ve had personally when white water rafting. As part of this excursion, we also went to a nature park, where we got to zip line over the canopy, swim under waterfalls, and kayak. Honestly, these are all excursions I’ve done in the United States, but doing them in Brazil, a country known for its beautiful nature, made the experience even more memorable.
At the end of this week, we traveled from Brotas to Sao Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere. Although we had just arrived to the city, we got to witness the passing of the Olympic torch and some of the greatest street art in the city. I would’ve have never thought that I would be experiencing such amazing events, and the fact that this program abroad just started makes me excited to see what’s to come.
