Boa noite!

I took half an hour today to read out on the hammock before lunch. A cool breeze on a cloudy day alongside the edgy and routinely fresh wanderings of Jack Kerouac in On the Road (great book btw) kept me from drifting to sleep. One phrase in particular stood out as I read, "I was far away from home, haunted and tired with travel, in a cheap hotel room I'd never seen, hearing the hiss of steam outside, and the creak of the old wood of the hotel, and footsteps upstairs, and all the sad sounds, and I looked at the cracked high ceiling and really didn't know who I was for about fifteen strange seconds. I wasn't scared; I was just somebody else, some stranger, and my whole life was a haunted life, the life of a ghost." At a glance I could immediately identify with the out of body type experience that occurs as you first fully come to terms with where you are. I had a beautiful view of palm trees and micos (little monkeys) in the patio, wonderful scents from the kitchen below, and the worn and warm touch of bright orange cotton. As much as I knew who I was up until then, these moments of complete saturation in foreign environments give credence to how drastically our lives will or have changed. I swung in the breeze, humbled by the indefinite and oscillating tendencies of my being in search of equilibrium. The nature of learning and knowing, including with regards to oneself, provides opportunities to reflect and grow in even the most seemingly shallow situations. An early run to the beach this morning invigorated me with jaunty vibes until I saw two men asleep on a bench. The stark contrast between the ocean swimmers weaving through small brightly colored fishing boats and the disheveled men taking refuge under a bus stop almost insatiably invites contemplation despite an inclination towards neglect or complacency. My choice then to seek out contrasting outlooks and backgrounds through this bridge year seems to be bearing fruit already on day two. On a side note, my frozen açaí and banana smoothie turned out tasting scrumptious. Look out for more food for thought or just food in general. I'm enjoying it all. Tchau tchau.

Primeiro dia

My name is Tláloc and I am from Houston, Texas. My nine month adventure in Brazil began today thanks to Princeton University's Bridge Year Program. The program allows incoming students to spend a gap year in a foreign country partaking in community service, language instruction, and cultural immersion. The relationships, perspectives, and environments encountered have changed the lives of those who have participated in the past as well as those affected by them. I am full of excitement as my first night in Salvador approaches. Traveling, unpacking, exploring, and a crash course in Portuguese have left us exhausted but ready to tackle this journey head on. Gathering forms, safety and health orientations, and various team building exercises over the summer seem surprisingly distant in the thick of attempting to orient ourselves here. Genuine and caring Cross Cultural Solutions and Princeton University staff have made this experience much softer than it could have been by preparing us more than adequately. I look forward to the coming months of challenges and surprises as we navigate the complexities of another community. Boa noite e até amanhã!