As a backpacker in Brazil, it is especially easy to find tasty, quick, on-budget meals. Some of my food highlights from Brazil: Lanches – this Portuguese word for snack is used to describe a category of eateries. At busy intersections, 2 of the 4 corners are usually occupied by a lanche, a food establishment similar to…
The Year of Sarah Joy 7.14.17
With one final airplane ride, 11 months of exploring, learning, and adventuring in our world shifted from daily life to wonderful memories. I am a richer person because of what I experienced. My feelings of happiness, gratitude, appreciation, amazement and joy are overflowing. I have new ideas about time, values, relationships and materialism. Most important, I…
Rio de Janiero & Sao Paulo (again) 6.24.17
Bunk beds, roommates, earplugs, shared bathrooms, cold showers, shower flip-flops, meals at restaurants, no schedule, lockers, new people, new sights, new languages – these realities are some of the joys of travel. Every moment is an adventure! These same joys are also tiring. From Belo Horizonte, I originally planned to visit cities further north in Brazil….
INHOTIM 6.19.17
In a first on this blog, I am writing about a place instead of sharing a story or observation. INHOTIM, (pronounced IN-YO-TCHEEN), is a world-class outdoor contemporary art museum and certified botanical garden located in the Brazilian countryside about 1 hour from Belo Horizonte. INHOTIM, one journalist wrote, is the “best place you’ve never heard of,”…
Belo Horizonte & Ouro Preto 6.15.17
French start-up BlaBlaCar is a web-based platform that facilitates carpooling. When I explained the concept to my mom she replied, “That sounds like the 21st century’s version of hitchhiking.” I think she is right. The company launched in Europe in September 2006 and entered Brazil in 2015. Talking with other travelers about their experiences in…
Year of Sarah Joy @ 10 months 6.10.17
The chance to be immersed in different cultures, ways of life, routines and languages gives me time to observe and engage in new behaviors. In my time outside the U.S. I developed new habits I value and I hope to continue practicing. Body Language In Asia and India body language was as important to the…
Buzios & Arraial do Cabo 6.4.17
I mentioned costs a few times on the blog but I have not directly addressed the topic of money. This post outlines my expenses and how I saved and planned for a year of travel. A future post will highlight what I do while traveling to manage my money. First, the numbers: $20,282 – Food, transport…
Eating Well: Brazil 5.30.17
On my first bus journey in Brazil from Iguazu Falls to Florinopolis (Floripa), the bus stopped around 11:00pm at a restaurant rest stop. At the entrance to the large restaurant a young woman handed me a checklist-like paper ticket printed with the names of food items. Inside the restaurant I surveyed the food offerings, selected a coxhina and an empanada, and…
Rio de Janiero 5.27.17
Friendships at home take years to form. We have to dedicate time between commitments to share an experience with a new person. We slowly share more and more personal information as the comfort level with this new friend increases. Then, over time, these friends become mainstays in our lives and people who support us in difficult and exciting moments….
Paraty 5.24.17
After 9 months away, it seems like a good opportunity to assess some travel gear choices I made prior to departure. Most important to me, I did not overpack. Every few weeks I meet other travelers who compliment me on the size of my 40L, 11kg pack. This compliment is quickly followed by a statement like, “My bag is…
Florianopolis & Sao Paulo 5.22.17
Traveling in Brazil has been a language experience unlike in other countries. Everywhere else I traveled I relied on either English, my first language, or the native language of the country, Spanish, to communicate. In Brazil, English is not widely spoken and the native language is Portuguese. Here, my interactions usually take place in Portuñol, which Wikipedia describes…
Eating Well: Argentina 5.16.17
After months of photos about excellent food I thought an update on exercise might be appropriate. Prior to travel, I worked out regularly at a gym or outdoors. When I made the decision to long term travel, I accepted that exercise as I practiced it at home would not be a part of my routine…
The Year of Sarah Joy 