Parque Ibirapuera | São Paulo | Brazil

Since my arrival in Brazil, I have been blessed to be surrounded by some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered. From new colleagues to parents, I have been offered a bounty of services, rides, and advice. The community at PACA is tight-knit and everyone takes care of each other. It is comforting to be so far away from home and yet be welcomed into other families as one of their own. A few weeks after school started, I was invited to go to Parque Ibirapuera with the family of one of my students. Living on campus, any excuse to get off campus is welcome and getting to interact with a student in another setting is always fun!

Parque Ibirapuera is massive. While reminiscent of Central Park, there seemed to be a lot more diversity. There was a marching band (which made me miss college football), an outdoor yoga class, several living statues, various types of trees, a Japanese garden, miles of bike path and several museums.