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!