WHY FLORIPA
(FLO-REE-PAH)?

PRE-YEAR ABROAD(01/06/2013)

Why Hannah? Was it because of the variety of culture, the university or the safety of Floripa?
Nope, the beaches! The beaches were what initially persuaded me to consider Florianópolis, a disgusting touristy reason yet the truth! 
My final reasons for choosing Floripa were:
1. I was determined to go to Brazil for my Year Abroad as soon as I chose to learn Portuguese.
2. I wanted to go somewhere different from everyone else (hipster I know). Originally I did want to go to RIo, but that's where everyone assumes you go when you say Brazil. 
3. I like the outdoors and I like being on the coast, so living on a small island surrounded by ocean was ideal.
4. I like to live life outside, so for example I'd rather have the option of sitting outside all day revising than cooped up inside.
5. I wanted to be able to talk about different experiences from the norm in interviews.
6. I'm doing my Year Abroad Project on dance and its identity in Brazilian society, so Floripa is perfect for this. There is a lot of influence from cultures abroad in Floripa, so coupled with the many dance festivals that take place and the fact that Floripa is supposedly known as the party capital of Brazil: sor'ed bruh!
7. You only study at uni once (hypothetically), you work for the rest of your life.
8. Floripa is safer than Rio.
9. It's not too far from Argentina - about 12 hours drive? xD
10. The music scene.

11. The potential adventures!
12. You have the chance, so why not take it? And also, unless I later get a job in Brazil, when else will I have the chance to live in such an exciting country?
13. Not going to sound very uni student-like of me and I may end up with less friends after this, but it's frowned upon for women to get drunk in Brazil, so I'm looking forward to some nights out where drunkness is not a requirement. 
14. The food!!
15. Sports - although I will most likely end up doing very little of it xD
16. The cost of living will be that much lower, so money should be less of a worry.
17. More doll-ah for potential travel to Rio, Argentina and possibly other places in Latin America!
18. I've already lived abroad, so I was happy to go that bit further away from home; and that seems to have been the trend for the rest of us going to Brazil: either we have lived abroad/come from abroad or have taken a gap year.
19. A switch up of life style and daily routine.
20. Um, the beaches?! :3

**Tip for first and second year uni students: 
DO go and speak to your tutors/academic advisors about destinations, year abroad and research project advice!! I wouldn't have gone for Floripa if I hadn't!! Trust me, they do know what they're talking about! 
DON'T pick a place you're not happy with/majorly unsure about, nervous is fine, but don't go far away if you know you're going to be unhappy! You'll only have a horrible year if you do.

ON YEAR ABROAD: SOME ADVICE(25/09/2013)

I don't want to put a serious spin on coming to Brazil, however I am currently in Week 10 of my stay here and I think there are a couple of things that people should consider before choosing to come here.

  If you decide that you want to study in Brazil for your Year Abroad, my current advice while living here myself is the following:
1. You are coming to Brazil for the right reasons. I was a little bit silly; although there is no other place I'd rather be right now, do not do what I did and choose your Year Abroad placement based on what you think would be better for your CV or future employibility. Pick Brazil because you know in your heart and soul that you'll love it!
2. You will be able to get through change. Brazil has a very different culture to the Western world! The lifestyle is different, diet is different, socialising is different and that's not including change of climate, back to front seasons and time difference. Do not kid yourself! If you can't handle change, you are better off keeping closer to home. Take time to really consider your options! I am a person who pushes themselves and maybe long term it kind of helps. But you won't enjoy the long term success properly if the short term was painful, you'll instead spend half the time licking your wounds from the process. Go where your heart takes you and where your passion lies, do not think about what you should do because "it's what others expect of you" because that is a waste of mental space. How do you know what other people are thinking and expecting?!

3. You're strong-willed enough to leap out of your comfort zone and pick yourself up. Because believe me, there will be some massive changes that you will need to get used to. It's Week 10 and people back at my home uni are starting their new academic year: it's killing me that I can't be there with them to celebrate and stuff. I'm sad that I haven't got any committee stuff to look forward to and a heck of a lot more banterish memories to create. But I know that I need this time here for my degree, so, although I am not making half the friends I thought I would be, learning loads of new dance moves like I thought I would be (etc etc etc), I am instead throwing myself into other things like: my close group of friends here, this blog, my project and bettering my Portuguese. You must have an ability to find solutions because wallowing will not help you in the slightest! Trust me, I've been through this. Sitting in your room all day on Facebook/Twitter does not make you happier and does not make the time go quicker. 

4. You're an explorer. And by explorer I mean someone who is willing to space-hop into the unknown and keep space-hopping. You cannot be afraid to try/taste/feel/experience the unknown because that is what Brazil is, no matter how much I'm claiming Floripa is European in its ways. Being open to the new and the unfamiliar is the only way you are going to kick homesickness, fear and loneliness. Yes your friends in the UK are out partying have a great time, but that's how it is in England, the concept is not the same in Brazil and it's ok, you just have to be open to accepting that!

  My intention with this post is not to scare potential explorers, but to enlighten. This time last year I had no doubt really that I was going to Brazil, however a year on I have only just realised my actual reasons for coming here. So in coming here I have learned a great life lesson and that is: to listen to myself and my needs. Not "what I think I should do". As in turn for not listening, I have essentially been feeling like crap. Sorry, but that's how it is. In truth, there is no where else I would rather be right now because I *have* learned this vital lesson, however as I said before: it's not worth the short term pain for the long term gain because I am not taking full advantage of life here. Yes, I am throwing myself into life, but it is not giving me real joy and it is not making my heart sing. When looking back on this year after graduating I can just see me kind of overlooking it for all the reasons I have previously mentioned.
After being more or less forced to look into my reasons for being here, I realise that for the last year I had been burying a voice that had been telling me that I might want to reconsider my options, mistaking it for nerves about moving abroad.

So to sum up! Do not think that Brazil is an awful place because of this post. It is by no means terrible otherwise you would hear about it in my weekly videos. No! Brazil is an awesome country and an inspiring place to be! Hence why I'm making these videos. But I really want to encourage you as a reader to really take time to look at your options before making any decisions. It's a year of your life and a quarter of your degree, so choose wisely! Employibility will come easily for a languages student and heck, you're brave for even considering Brazil! Well done!

Big hugs and kisses!
*Space-hopping into the unknown ;)