kellita the señorita the ibby dibby dow: It´s a Hard Knock Life

When I was 15, Juliana came from Brazil to share bunk beds in my Michael Jordan-clad room in Indiana. When I was 29, I came to Brazil and slept in her childhood room in San Jose. Who would have thought?

I arrived back in Sao Paulo late Thursday night after a perfect day on the beach in Copacabana. I took most of Friday to catch up on the sleep I lost in Rio, and Friday evening the U Team and I took the 3-hour drive to Ju’s hometown so I could finally meet her family.

We arrived at 11:30pm, and her parents greeted us with hugs and kisses, and from the first moment treated me like I was their long-lost American daughter. We had a late dinner, and as Ju and I crawled into our twin beds in her room we laughed about how we never thought it would happen. Thank you Facebook.

Saturday morning after a gargantuan breakfast (you see Ju is trying to return the weight gain favor since she gained 5 kilos back in the day) we walked out back to soak up more rays at the pool. We passed the day there, dance partying, chatting, and just relaxing. In the late afternoon it started pouring rain, and I serenaded everyone with a lovely rendition of “Singin’ in the Rain” until Ju shut me up by pushing me into the pool.

After dinner and a special night tour with Ju and her mom we had family time watching movies, exhausted by our hard work at the pool.

Sunday we headed to their farm house where I met more of the extended family and we passed another tough day poolside. Then I got my first futbol experience. The guys watched the game intently rooting for Sao Paulo as the gals sat and chatted about more important things. As the game ended with SP on top I went outside to enjoy the sun setting on another flawless Brazilian day.

Back in SP it was time for me to see the city. Just when I thought I’d eaten the whole country of Brazil, and no one will ever find me attractive again, a stalker found me in a park and proceeded to follow me around SP for hours until I get all James Bond on him evaded his creeper status.

I reunited with Luce from my Rio posse on Wednesday and we played a little game we like to call “Get Lost in a Big City”, which resulted in more unnecessary but enjoyable shopping. Wednesday night I had dinner with my NYC friend Carol, a native Brazilian who recently moved back to Sao Paulo. It was so nice to see another familiar face, and she laughed at me as men at the bar tried to hit on me and I was none the wiser.

Thursday Rio posse member Anita joined us and we lunched on free meats, cheeses, and fruits at the Mercado Municipal until we had our fill, a budget traveler’s dream. After a day full of perusing cheap jewelry stores on Avenida 25 de Mayo, we bid each other adieu, knowing we’ll meet again in our travels

I came home Thursday night for an impromptu gift exchange with Ju where I received 3 more pairs of Havianas for a grand total of 5. We laughed about it as we ate a dinner of chocolate cake and chocolate “bombs”. Despite our best efforts for a dance-filled club night out, a failed 2-hour car ride search for the best dance party ended with us in bed before 1. It’s the thought that counts.

Where did March go?