Unfamiliar Roads

    Deadlines, Cell Phones, To-Do Lists, Bills have all been put on hold. I turned the key for the last time on my house, a house that treated me well, filled with good memories and good times. I stuffed my storage unit until it could not fit anymore, then I put the rest on the street hoping someone will find use with my junk. I called and canceled accounts, parked my cars, and fit my life into a backpack . . . time to hit the road.
    The unfamiliar road keeps me attentive. No longer do I get to autopilot around my hometown, it`s time to stay alert, interested and surprised as I pass through the streets of Brazil. There is no hiding the fact that I am a foreigner, but luckily for me, the majority of Braziliian´s seem to like Californiian´s. Portuguese is none existent for me at this point, so I speak a mixture of English and Spanish with lot´s of non-verbal communication.
    Disconnecting from life back at home is harder than I thought it would be. My dreams are tangled with friends and family and experiences from Brazil. I have constant access to the Internet, but I am trying to limit this exposure so I can stay present in the moment. Although, it is nice to be able to check in on people I miss. At my hostel there are almost as many computers (laptops) as there are people in the common area. I´m glad I left mine at home, otherwise I would be stuck in a virtual world when there are great people and conversations right in front of me all the time.
   Brazil never sleeps. In the morning people are running and working out on the beach before work or the heat of the middle of the day. At night cabs lead people through the streets to different nightclubs. Last night I experienced a live Samba group in Lapas. I tried to samba, but ended up busting a sandal. One of the guys that works at the hostel looks like Spacoli from `Fast Times at Ridgemont High`and he heckled me after I danced and then told me he was proud of me.
    Over 5 million people live in Rio, hard to fathom that number. Rio is a mixing pot of skin colors, hair colors, cultures, lifestyles, classes and anything else you can think of. Yesterday was my first full day at the beach. I was walking on the cement boardwalk by Ipanema when I passed a Brazilian who smiled big and asked me where I was going. I didn´t really have an answer so he invited me to hang on the beach with him and a couple girls. His English was perfect which helped with translating with all his friends. He rolled a couple spliffs and we drank mate´on the beach jumping in the water every half an hour to cool down. Brazilian bathing suits are revealing to say the least, both for guys and girls. I feel over dressed in my boardshorts. There are vender's walking up and down the beach selling food and drinks, pretty much anything you could want (I wish our beach was like this but there is too much regulation in the states). I got a pretty bad sun-burn on my back where I could not reach to put on sunscreen, it looks like a rash because its only a small region. Next time I will ask for help.
   I am very fortunate to be able to travel for 7 months. I am one of the lucky few who was able to break away a good chunk of time and money and go out and experience the world. Breaking out of my comfort zone will help me grow. Now is the time in my life to be open to new experiences, to challenge myself to try things I normally wouldn´t. It´s time to walk the unfamiliar road.