The beginning of a journey.

If I had one wish right now it'd probably be that I was a better writer. As a chemical engineer writing has never been a talent of mine and this concept of keeping a public diary is quite foreign to me. However, besides being a terrible writer here's a few things about me and why I'm on this adventure in Brazil right now.

My name is Hayley and as I said before I'm a chemical engineer. I'll be starting my junior year come this fall so I guess I'm technically still considered a middler as of now? I chose this dialogue for a few reasons, my interest in alternative energy, the idea of traveling to a completely foreign and beautiful country such as Brazil, and of course the idea of having an easy Summer 2 session. My last reason may seem a bit lazy but lets be real, as a student and definitely as an engineer taking some easy yet interesting courses is exactly what I need right now. On the other side things I'm thrilled to be focusing on a topic that I've found interesting and promising for my future career. Alternative energy has such a big and bright future for many professions and definitely for chemical engineers. Brazil is a country that uses alternative energy for 80% of their energy usage which is HUGE compared to U.S.A. That means that there is so much I can learn about while here, from big things such as fueling entire cities, to little things like saving energy in my own home. So at the end of the day I'm here not only to have fun and learn about Brazilian culture but also to expand my interests in alternative energy.

Since I've arrived in São Paulo a mere 57 hours ago I've seen, learned, and noticed so many new things but mostly I've had a few wishes running around my head. Now if you know me at all you've probably heard me use the phrase "If I had one wish right now...." and you know that though sometime my wishes may be rash and ridiculous they express my thoughts on where I am and what I'm doing pretty well. So far, my wishes have ranged from wishing I had the ability to sleep on the plane like some of my peers to wishing I had studied up on my Portuguese a little better before traveling here. But mostly I've just been amazed to be in this completely new environment that I know little to nothing about. What I've found to be totally awesome  and new is the openness of drinking alcohol down here. The culture here in São Paulo is said to be a little more serious than the rest of Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, yet to me these people are so relaxed. An indoor mall we went to had places to sit and grab a beer right in the middle of where every one is walking around! I feel like in the U.S. there is a time and place to drink and it's not mid afternoon in the middle of a mall. It seems to me the attitude down here is a little more relaxed and more about enjoying each day instead of all work and no play like we have in the U.S. Now my one final wish for you is that I could buy the deliciously dangerous drink of Brazil called the caipirinha. It looks pretty girly and fruity but all I have to say is that it could lead to an interesting night if not used with caution!