Last Day of School - First Day of Summer!

Tomorrow is the last day of school. You would think I'd be excited, but I haven't really thought about it - I've been so busy anticipating my trip to Brazil!

This will be the second time I've taken a long trip outside of the United States. The last was in the summer of 1980, when I was 14. I went to France, and stayed with a family for a couple months. It was a wonderful experience, and I learned more French living with a family than I ever did in my French classes.

This time I'll be staying with a family in Salvador, Brazil, and learning Portuguese. I am really excited about the opportunity, but a little nervous, too.


The first part of the trip will be to Rio De Janeiro ("river of january"), which used to be the capital until 1960. It is famous for its beaches and its Carnivale.

We will stay in Rio for three days, and then travel to the new capital, Brasilia.

It is a planned city with a lot of modern buildings and green space.




After spending a day in the capital, we will visit Goiania, another planned city, where many of my students are from. While there, we will visit a hot springs resort areas called Caldas Novas.


Finally, after a whirlwind cultural tour of the city, we will go to Salvador, meet our host families, and begin language training. This will be the trip of a lifetime!
And I'll be there for "O Copo do Mundo" - The World Cup!