By mfretes93
When you're abroad in a brand new place, surrounded by new people and a new culture and maybe even a new language, sometimes the idea of traveling--and seeing even more new people, new cultures, and maybe even a new dialect--can easily slip your mind. Either that, or sometimes, it can even seem daunting.
Last weekend, I took a weekend trip to a nearby town called Ilha Grande. Situated on a giant island about 3 hours away from the city of Rio de Janeiro proper, it was an unforgettable experience during a semester that already is an unforgettable experience.
In somewhat of a contrast with metropolitan Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande was somewhat of a Caribbean adventure just outside of the bustling city. Yes, there are beaches in Rio de Janeiro--some of the best and most famous in the world--but being that it's such a densely populated city, sometimes it can be hard to find your own space at the beach, without traveling hours to find a spot hidden from tourists.
At Ilha Grande, not only do you have a beach haven, where you can walk miles along the sand and only encounter a few people, you also have the island mood. Everyone is constantly in a good mood; the sun is always shining; and there are enough adorable shops all throughout town to make anyone's heart melt, and their inner tourist--no matter how hidden--come out to play. Oh, and did I mention the painstakingly beautiful beaches?
But besides being an excellent getaway, the trip allowed me to realize one thing about study abroad: the necessity of travel.
It might seem counterintuitive sometimes to travel while you're already traveling, but study abroad is an immensely unique opportunity to see more of the world than the place you chose to study in. Not only do you have the time--an entire semester, and weekends are amazing opportunities to see other parts of a country--but domestic tickets, and even international ones across short distances, are usually cheaper than tickets to those same places from the States.
Sure, it's not always possible to travel, sometimes tickets just are too expensive and sometimes you just don't have the time. And I certainly don't plan on using every single one of my precious weekends in Rio to travel, but while I'm here, why not see as much of Brazil as I can? São Paulo is one hour away by plane; and the north and the south are both very accessible by flight as well.
After all, I've got three months left. That's 13 weekends, three of which are longer breaks from school. I say it's time to explore.