100

RIOOOOO! Spring break is wonderful, relaxing, amazing, awesome. So far, it's honestly been everything I've needed!

Yesterday, we woke up around 11 AM--late, since we decided to crash a hotel party on Saturday night and needed to rest up. We dressed quickly, and I donned my California-summer attire for the first time in much too long!!! (aka a bathing suit top and flowy skirt)

We visited this cool hippie market with lots of souvenirs and crafts, but I was too distracted by the crash of the waves only a few streets away to focus too hard on bargaining and shopping.

After just a few hours, though, my greatest desire was fulfilled--WE WENT TO THE BEACH. (Ipanema, to be exact.) The beaches are completely filled with Speedo-clad men and thong-bikini-clad women. Umbrellas cover the sand, and it's almost harder to find a sunny spot than it is a shady one! We laid out, though, and finally got some nice color (I mean, red is technically a COLOR). The water was perfectly chilly and crisp, refreshing us whenever we jumped in for a dip. There are also these vendors that walk up and down the beach, between the sun-bathers, selling everything from caipirinhas to bathing suits to acai bowls. It's really cool that you don't even have to get up from your towel in order to enjoy some refreshments! We enjoyed the sun and heat and shouts of the vendors for about three hours before settling onto a ledge for a view of the stunning sunset.

I mean, it's honestly difficult to wow me--I'm from California, sunset destination of the world--but I was pretty impressed. 

We showered and relaxed before eating a delicious Italian dinner and bonding with a really cute dog on the sidewalk (k, the last one was 80% me). We also really enjoyed the cool architecture that actually reminds me a lot of New Orleans with its bright colors and iron-wrought balconies.

While Jenn and Sally set off for a walk around Copacabana Beach, I pled out and settled into bed, savoring air conditioning for the first time in a full month.

This morning, we woke up around 9 AM in order to meet Taku and Michael for a tour of central Rio. I think I learned more from my Sao Paulo tour a few weeks ago, but seeing some beautiful buildings in Rio and enjoying a quick refresher of Brazilian history was pretty cool.

We also loved seeing these colorful steps towards the end of the tour that include tiles from multiple cities/states/countries around the entire world!

better pics on their way via Taku's camera

I couldn't find one from Anaheim, but I did find one from San Francisco, one from India, and one from Cape Town! V cool.

Then... off to our most exciting destination... Christ the Redeemer!!! EEP!

Due to some confusion, we bought tickets for a tram ticket for the ride an hour and a half later than we desired. However, thanks to Sally's awesome persistence and sunny attitude, we jumped on a way earlier tram and sped up to Cristo Redentor.

We soared above the city (2300 feet, to be exact) and were in all honesty more wowed by the view than by the statue itself.

the view

the statue + the best view of all (me)

Okay, in complete and total honesty, this is the only "wonder of the world" that I've visited that I haven't been in complete and total wonder of. Like we saw it and marveled for a few minutes and then were like...

Seriously though, with the other three wonders of the world that I've seen, I've been overwhelmed with awe. They've been amazing. But I really cannot figure out why the third-largest Jesus statue in the world is one of the Wonders... If you find out, pls lmk.

After more enjoyment of the views of the city and ocean, we hopped in a cab back to Ipanema. We enjoyed one of the best burgers in my entire life with guava ketchup (which was unbelievable!!!) then came back to the room to relax. I've been enjoying Veep (my new fave show, thanks to SalGal) and chilling out with the girls.

Even though this has been a rather tame post, I have some exciting news for you... This is my hundredth post on Wanderlust! Covering my adventures in seven different countries in four different continents, over the course of about seven months, this blog has kept me sane/connected to home/accountable to my own expectations of adventure/overjoyed. There have been days in which I've felt that if I didn't write, I'd go absolutely crazy. I've loved writing these blogs, knowing that loved ones back home are reading them and keeping up with me. There have been days in which I think, "if I don't explore today, I'm not going to have anything to write about!!"--so I push myself to break through any lethargy, or homesickness, or sadness to try out that museum, or that beach, or that new city. And finally, brainstorming and using silly gifs and pouring out my emotions has made me blissfully, wonderfully, undeniably happy. Both writing and travelling the world have been distant, seemingly impossible, wishes of mine since I was just a little girl, and here I am, fulfilling both at the age of nineteen. My internship and this program have been the journeys of a lifetime, and I don't want you to think for even a moment that I take them for granted or forget how lucky and blessed and grateful I am. My adventures--and this blog--are literally dreams come true. Thank you all so, so much, for joining me. I am so appreciative of every single one of you. 

Cheers to 100. And here's to hundreds more.

Aubrey Noelle

Getting to Know the City

What a wonderfully wild whirlwind of three days. I will probably have to make this pretty short, because I'll be heading out very soon for a futbol game, wahoo!!!

Thursday involved a deliciously exhausting jog (in which we didn't get lost ONCE) and a long day of classes (about six hours). HOWEVER, the end of the day was actually super fun--our advisor surprised us with a Brazilian dance lesson with two amazing professional dancers!

We learned Samba, which I pretended I was really good at--

what I thought I looked like on left, what I really looked like on right

We also learned this fab dance that one of my peers called "Soulja Boy on crack," a rather apt description. It's this choreographed dance to a super popular song that is a summer fad (it's summer in Brazil right now!!! #southernhemisphere) Unfortunately, I have literally no idea what the name of the song is, and even when I hear it and excitedly ask a Brazilian the name, they reply so quickly and with such Portuguese flourish that I'm like--

I don't understand what you just said???

Alas, I must listen to the random snatches of the song that I hear walking on the street and just try to bust out my moves on the sidewalk. 

After the dance lesson, a few of us went to a nearby bar to celebrate Thursday with a traditional Brazilian drink called the caipirinha. Apparently, these sugar-alcohol-based drinks are v dangerous, because they're so sweet that you can't even notice how strong they are. All I know is that after half of one, I very willingly lost a round of "Odds Are" (a dare game that is very fun) and twerked on a wall for about 10 seconds. It was an experience.

pre-twerking, still happy and fresh-faced

We were all supposed to go out to a bar as a group that night, but I pled out, desperate for sleep. #boringAubs

Friday (TGIF) involved 8 (yes, 8) hours of class (okay, there was a lunch break, but still). Incredibly long day. Sam and I were almost late to class because our 15-minute breakfast turned into an hour-long breakfast in which we stuffed ourselves with coffee cake, fruit, toast, and mortadella sandwiches (okay, that last one was just me, because Sam is vegetarian). Totally worth it, though. I eat about twice as much as I should every single meal, tbh.

Class rocked, but during a lecture on immigration into Brazil, I found myself incredibly aware of my Californian-ness for the 1832019430243972nd time since entering college. My professor commented that the Chinese immigrated in droves into Brazil and she off-handedly threw in that "maybe" some went to the US as well. 

Maybe?

Maybe?

Hello??? Gold Rush in California??? The fact that Chinese immigrants, enduring tragic harassment, abuse, and discrimination, built the entire transcontinental railroad and established themselves as incredibly successful citizens of the United States despite the prejudice and hardships facing them? Does Chinatown ring a bell??? Reduced to a "maybe."

People are incredibly ignorant of Californian history, and West Coast history in general, which is shocking to me, considering I spent my entire childhood learning about the establishment of missions, the California Gold Rush, Native American tribes occupying the West Coast, immigration into Northern California, etc. etc. I remember that my class on the History of American Capitalism freshman year spent two hours covering the French fur trade in the 16th century, while reducing the Gold Rush to a single bullet point in passing. Like yah k makes sense (not). Anyways, as a history major and die-hard Californian, I think I'll spend practically my entire life trying to prove to people that California is worth learning about (considering we contribute hella culture/money/awesomeness to American and global society) and worth loving.

Ugh such a random side-note, especially when I'm leaving for this game, like, five minutes ago, but I needed to reaffirm my love for the best coast.

forever, babe.

I actually also led a class discussion on Friday, which was extremely nerve-wracking considering the touchy subject and the passionate beliefs of many of my peers, but I couldn't help but insert a (perhaps naively) optimistic note into my conclusion. We were discussing all these problems that we've seen in the United States, India, and Brazil, and we all noticed that they overlapped a ton. Issues of class, problems with race and racism, seemed not identical but highly similar across the continents and cultures. Yes, these are global problems, but I argue that this may mean there are global solutions. I got super excited about the potential for gradual improvement around the world on these crazy complex challenges facing so many people that often seem impossible to solve. Who knows, maybe I can one day help in some way to improve something somewhere. (Hint: broad goals are the easiest ones to achieve.) Really though, the toughest and thorniest issues are the hardest but most satisfying to solve. And I truly believe that it's possible..

encouragement

Post-discussion, Sally and I enjoyed two (yes, two) consecutive lunches then returned to class for a super fascinating panel on urban justice. Post-class, it was the weekend (woohoo!!!) and I got super stoked for the imminent pregame and club scene that night. 

But of course, in true Aubrey fashion, by 9 PM, I was like--

Kind of embarrassing, but like also, come on. That's just me. I didn't go out a single time in Israel, and I really don't regret it at all. Clubbing is just really, really, really not my thing. I've definitely conquered quite a bit of my social anxiety back at school (I'm practically queen of the PSK) (JK, pls don't blackball me because I said that) (love you guys the most), but random parties in random cities still make me hyperventilate. So, I will absolutely enjoy Sao Paulo nightlife for at least a few nights while I'm here.... But I'm also not gonna put myself in situations that make me super uncomfortable just for the sake of saying I went out. I think I've learned better than that over the past few years. Is this what maturity is like? EW.

potentially

I especially appreciated my decision after hearing that my friends were out until 5:30 in the morning.

literally me upon hearing this

I swear I had a second-hand panic attack.

This morning, Sam and I went on an awesome walking tour of Sao Paulo with three other friends and really enjoyed ourselves. 

My favorite tidbits: 

-that if you miss the last subway of the night because you've been drinking too much, then keep drinking until 4:40 AM when the first subway of the day comes around!!!

-the municipal library has an incredible large-scale artistic piece on the sidewalk in front of it. Using hundreds of small tiles in the actual concrete, the artist spelled out "library" in dozens of different languages!!!

-the Se Cathedral is one of the largest Neo-Gothic cathedrals in the entire world.

-the tallest building in the entire city of Sao Paulo is a really ugly office building that isn't open to the public--until now!!! Heineken is holding a lottery-style raffle that will allow select individuals to drink on the top floor. WOAH!

Here are a few pics from the tour:

the Municipal Theatre--beautiful building!

Se Cathedral!

A gigantic street market

Anyways, I'm about to be late for the awesome soccer game that we are attending tonight, so I must sign off--but I'm so loving Sao Paulo. I am already planning my next visit to Brazil, and I still have four weeks left here!! Fantastically refreshed, super excited, and incredibly grateful for this experience.

Love to you all,

AUBREY

Welcome to Jordan: Petra

Kajsa and I began our Jordanian adventure bright and early this morning! We were shooed out of our hostel into the 100-degree heat around 6:30 AM and met with our driver, who took us to the Jordanian border. 

While Jordan and Israel do currently have an uneasy peace, the remnant tension from past wars lingers between the barbed wire outposts in the middle of the desert. Kajsa and I pretty much zoomed through the Israeli side--we ARE practically natives, after all--and we made it to no-man's-land with no problems. We had to walk the 60 meters between the two countries, as no cars are allowed through (as far as I know).

Foreboding!

We were ordered to get rid of all food and drinks between the countries... But I wasn't about to get rid of my freaking fruit leather strips!! A girl's gotta eat! 

So, my bag is rolling through this X-Ray machine, and a twenty-something Jordanian soldier is smoking a cig and eying me suspiciously, and I'm just like--

Of course, I passed through, and snacked on some gummies to celebrate. 

Then there was the two hour wait for our tour guide to actually show up and shepherd us through the crossing... Impatient Aubs gets a tiiiiiny bit sassy, so when our guide finally showed up frazzled blaming traffic, I was like--

But--the wait was entirely worth it. The drive through the Jordanian desert was stark, and towering, and breathtaking. I've never seen a landscape this dynamic and intimidating. And, just some cool historical context, this is where Moses and the Jews wandered during their Exodus!!

I witnessed numerous things on the journey. Wild herds of camels roamed the side of the road (I about died). Men actually DO wear those checkered head coverings (I sincerely thought it was a Hollywood dramatization--it's like going to Texas for the first time and seeing guys wear cowboy hats and boots and being like OMG). 

I got to taste the most delectable olive oil of my life. 

And I listened to our hysterical and overly candid tour guide explain Jordanian culture. He insisted that religious women do not engage in "maneuvers" before marriage because "imagine a man walking into a phone store and they hand him a used phone--blech--you wouldn't want that." I was simulatenously disgusted, horrified, and entertained. 

After this eventful two-hour drive from the border, we arrived at one of the Seven Wonders of the New World: the lost city of Petra!

Built around the turn of the era (aka like 1 AD) by the Nebatians, this city was carved into the red stone of the Jordanian desert. While there are numerous homes that remain, most of the structures are actually unbelievably grand tombs. This culture's emphasis on the afterlife ensured that every individual--including the slaves--found their resting place in rocky tombs. Wow. 

 There's a seamless merging of nature and construction, humanity's will to be remembered and the earth's everlastingness, that I'd never witnessed before. I walked around the entire time with my mouth dropped open.

The main entrance to the most recognizable tomb was called "The Gorge."

The beauty of this place cannot be captured by photographs. But one of the final stops--the Treasury of Petra--almost brought me to my knees with its magnificence and the feat of its engineering. 

Just... WOW. Contrary to its name, this structure hid no money and is just a tomb for a royal family (or so they want you to think....)

From the beautiful city of Petra, we embarked on another long drive to the Wadi Rum desert, where Kajsa, numerous other guests, and I will be staying in a Bedouin camp. Bedouins are nomads who used to trek across the Arabian deserts but have begun to settle down and build towns and villages in the past few decades. Our digs are adorable.

And we hope to catch sight of tomorrow's sunrise from this campside mountain after a good night's rest!

So far, I've loved Jordan. The people, the geography, and the history have bewitched me. Can't wait for tomorrow to explore the desert and the cities!

Your favorite world traveler,

Aubrey