My Life in Rio – 3 Months in 30 Photos

Baha Beach with the Brazilian Crew

The last 90 days have been an absolute blur. I touched down on January 18th and from that moment forward, Rio de Janeiro has completely sucked me in. On a long bus ride to the airport this week to extend my tourist visa, I had some time to reflect on the first three months of […]

A Portuguese Progress Report

Portuguese Classes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Just like in high school, I’m learning to use a lot less tongue and focus more on the movements of my mouth. This is one the major pronunciation differences between Spanish and Portuguese, and I’m starting to pick it up. I still have a heavy Spanish accent and often use Spanish to fill in for Portuguese […]

FIFA 2014 World Cup Update: 65 Days

FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil

The dust has finally settled after Carnival in Brazil and now all sights are set on the FIFA World Cup this summer! The buzz here in Rio is an interesting mix of excitement and dread, with a heavy coding of nervous anticipation on all sides. While World Cup sponsors have already begun slinging merchandise and […]

10 Must See Brazilian Movies to Understand Life, Culture, and History

Brazil Movies

Before I moved to Brazil, I filtered my Netflix and searched the Internet for Brazilian movies and documentaries to gain some perspective on life here in Brazil. Although many of the Brazilian movies were based on drug trafficking, poverty and favelas (much like Colombian movies), I managed to find a few good ones that portray […]

Brazil Carnival – Highlights from Sambadrome

Brazil Carnival 2014 in Rio de Janeiro

Carnival in Brazil is celebrated all over the country, especially in Salvador de Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, however, the most famous visuals from carnival come from the Sambadrome (Sambodromo) stadium here in Rio, where samba schools from all over the city compete in a two day parade to determine a grand carnival champion. Here […]

Brazil Carnival Behind the Scenes (Part 2)

Brazil Carnival 2014

Day Three (cont’d) – After the blocos and the beach, it was time to head to Sambodromo to watch night one of the Carnival parade.  The energy of the stadium could be felt from the moment I stepped off the metro as the cheering crowd and beating drums echoed across the night sky. I found […]

Brazil Carnival Behind the Scenes (Part 1)

Rio de Janeiro Carnival com Monobloco

I decided to document the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro experience for two reasons; The first was to show you all just how epic the celebration is here in Brazil, and the second was  so that I could remember what happened the night before. DAY 1 – We started the “official” Carnival celebration with a bloco in […]

Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Photos

Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Photos

Take your favorite spring break memories, add Halloween costumes, beautiful half-naked people, live music and an entire city that fuels the party and you’ll begin to understand carnival in Rio de Janeiro. I spent the last week masquerading from one bloco to the next as Rio de Janeiro opened their doors to insanity. Until I finish […]

Happy at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Pharrell Williams - Happy - Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

It was an amazing week of fun-filled chaos here in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. The costumes, parties and dancing were never ending, so I decided to capture it all on film. Inspired by the hit single “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, this is my rendition from Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I hope it […]

Brazil Football: Things to Know About Soccer in Rio de Janeiro

brazil football in rio with gareth

(Click here if you can’t watch this video on your device) Your team is chosen for you as a birthright, and from that moment forward, you support those “colors” like a badge of honor. For many fans, this devotion is so strong that they actually tattoo that badge on their arm, back, or chest as […]