Alright, let’s talk about Brazil. When the idea first popped into my head, I did what everyone does. I started searching for “things to do in Brazil”. You see the usual suspects, right? Rio’s Christ the Redeemer, Iguazu Falls, maybe Salvador for the culture.
But honestly, looking at those lists felt… overwhelming. Like a checklist someone else made. I wanted to figure out what I actually wanted to do there, you know? Get a feel for the place.
Figuring Out the First Step
So, before I even thought about beaches or sights, I got hung up on something else entirely: the language. Portuguese. It hit me pretty hard – how am I gonna do anything, order food, ask for directions, just exist, if I can’t speak a lick of it? Seemed like the most basic “thing to do” was to actually be able to communicate, even just a little bit.
That became my project. Forget the itinerary for a minute, my main “thing to do” before even getting on the plane was tackling Portuguese. I wasn’t aiming for fluent, just… functional. Enough to survive.
My process was a total mess, let me tell you:
- Downloaded like, five different language apps. Used them for maybe a week each.
- Bought a dusty old textbook from a second-hand shop. Got bored fast.
- Tried watching some Brazilian shows. Understood maybe three words per episode.
- Found a local conversation group. Mostly just drank coffee and panicked.
It was slow going. Really slow. Lots of weird grammar, sounds my mouth just didn’t want to make. Felt like climbing a mountain made of sticky pudding. Some days I’d learn a few phrases, feel great. Next day, couldn’t remember how to say “hello”. Classic.
Landing and the Real Test
Fast forward a few months, I finally land in São Paulo. Armed with my broken Portuguese, ready for… well, I wasn’t sure what. Walked up to the information desk, took a deep breath, and managed to ask my carefully rehearsed question.
And the guy replied in perfect English.
Yeah. Turns out, in the big cities, especially in touristy areas or airports, you can get by with English more than I thought. Felt a bit silly, honestly, after all that effort.
But here’s the thing. That struggle? That attempt to learn the language? It wasn’t wasted. When I did try my terrible Portuguese out in smaller shops, or little neighborhood restaurants, or just trying to chat with someone on the street… people appreciated it. Big time. Even if I butchered their language, the effort made a difference. Led to smiles, sometimes laughter (probably at me, but hey), and way more interesting interactions than if I’d just defaulted to English.
So yeah, the famous sights are cool. But for me, the real “thing to do” ended up being the attempt to connect, however clumsily. Trying to speak the language, even badly, opened up a different side of Brazil. That was my actual adventure.
