Called

I am now officially on my journey for adventure. Waking up at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. to finish packing and head out was an accomplishment in itself, and I can tell that this is going to be a very long trip indeed as I continue on to Miami, then an overnight to Brazil. Leaving the U.S. and my home as made me think about the things I will miss most... My family, friends, peanut butter, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Hoofers, the Terrace, random adventures, my portuguese class (shout out to Nora, Robin and Sam)... and many more. But I cannot dwell on what I will miss because then I will just turn around and go back. Now I focus on the goal ahead and what I am excited for. I get to be in the country of coffee and Guarana, will use portuguese daily, see my wonderful family, trek through the rainforest and run along the beach, evade poisonous insects and snakes. I am sitting in the CLT airport and my brain is just going a mile a minute. What goodbyes didn't I say? Did I forget anything? Where exactly did I pack my cliff bars... What was the portuguese phrase for "I am lost" (I realize this might come in handy)?

But the greatest idea of it all is the thrill of unknowing. I don't know what is going to happen on this trip or what kinds of things I will even see. As many of you know, my return date is yet to be determined- I basically have a one way ticket and have yet to decide when to come back. This both excites me and terrifies me. All my life I have been a great planner, and have been two steps ahead in being scheduled. But now I am giving myself over to the world and will accept fate as it comes. I feel a destiny there, a master plan that I can only begin to dream about. Maybe God will reveal some of this to me in the coming months, or it will be a complete surprise when it happens.

Here I am world.

I am ready.

Please, don't watch your step.

In the last few days of preparation for my trip, I am really cramming in my required reading, as well as cramming my bag. In the process I have learned so many things about the places we will be going. From different types of trees to the birds, insects and animals that live in them. Like the massive Harpy Eagle that hunts sloths, or the pink Boto dolphin who is said to have magical powers. The rainforest is home to multitudes of exotic and magnificent species living in the uppermost canopy down to forest floor and beneath the roots. Our group gets to travel in and out of the rainforest often, sometimes staying there for weeks, and I am not missing this opportunity to witness some action. Taking a walk through my own backwoods the other day, I realized that as I walked along the trails, I found myself so often watching my feet more than what was above and around me. Being so concentrated on where I was going took my attention away from appreciating where I was. So instead of keeping my eyes glued to the ground, I took my time to watch the wind play with the leaves, and notice where the sun shined through. I looked at the tree types grouped together and where others had fallen. I saw the pattern of growth and rebirth: the cyclical processes that maintain the flow of energy.
So now I have made a promise to myself that no matter how things are going on this journey, I will always take the time to lift my eyes off the path ahead of me and take in my surroundings. This trip isn't about being worried about the next step (that is why we have a program coordinator with us- it's her job), it is about me learning. I will be hiking through mountain forests, the Amazon Basin, along Iguaçu Falls, chasing butterflys, dodging snakes and army ants, birdwatching... and there is no way that I can miss a moment of it.

My Neotropical Companion

Doing my assigned summer reading for this trip, I often find myself short of breath from excitement. Those of you who know me are probably laughing to yourselves right now, because you know how nerdy I get about what I do. Life and cycles, flow and flux, push and pull- the miracle of it all. Especially since these places look like heaven on earth. If anyone is interested in being REALLY involved in my journey, you can join our Antioch Education Abroad book club and read our required reading too! A Neotropical Companion; an introduction to the animals, plants, & ecosystems of the new world tropics by John Kricher (sounds fun right?). Well, as fun as it may or may not sound, many of you would much rather get my version.

-Portions of the site descriptions in this text have been borrowed from Frommer's Comprehensive Travel Guide to Brazil, A Neotropical Companion, and various websites.

Primeiro,

Our journey begins at the Salto Morato Reserve, in Paraná. Just to give you a better idea about the geographical location, here is a lovely map:

Fig. 1. Map of the states and capitols of Brazil

Lovely, just like I promised! Paraná is the pink state in the south.

The Salto Morato Reserve protects 1700ha of Atlantic Coastal Forest and is founded and supported by O Boticário, a large Brazilian cosmetics company committed to conservation and sustainability (so cool right). We students will be working with plant ecologists onsite in their studies of managed secondary succession (previously grazed by water buffalo). Other topics included are vertebrate ecology and conservation and we get to learn from the Reserve Director about the implementation of a new local community governance for conservation units. This first site excites me a lot because it directly involves many topics I am interested in- land tenure, resources management and sustainability. I love that this site was founded by a cosmetics company- proving that corporations CAN be committed to sustainability, and make it work.

Salto Morato Reserve

After approximately a week on the reserve we will then stay in our "home-base" city, so to say, of Curitiba, Paraná (see Fig. 1). Here is where our partnered universities are located and where we will be doing our home stays! Curitiba is considered the ecological capitol of Brazil: waste is recycled, urban planning is implemented to solve problems in a rapidly growing city, and they have great public transportation. Through our program we will be taking portuguese classes here, doing a capoeira workshop, and several other cultural activities. This is also where I totally plan on celebrating my birthday- 19 is going out with a bang! Luckily I have a partner in crime, another student is celebrating her birthday on Sept. 1st, so watch out Curitiba- we certainly have high hopes for you.

Nighttime in Curitiba

Montanha Beija-Flor Reserve is another Atlantic Coastal forest in Paraná. This is a highly endangered tropical rainforest whose original coverage has been reduced by 95%. This site is especially important in exploring the topics of biodiversity loss and sustainable development. This and many other similar sites are examples of how political, economic and social issues considerations are all part of environmental protection. Here we will spend a week exploring the rainforest coastal mountains. I really don't know how coastal this will be- but here is a photo from a past Antioch trip:

Atlantic Forest

Hopefully eventually we will be on the beach!

Next, the place I am most excited for...

Foz do Iguaçu

Breathtaking. Powerful. Beautiful. Frightening. Wonderful. Inspiring.

The name comes from the Tupi words y (water) and ûasú (big). Basically, these falls make Niagra look like a dripping faucet. The river Iguaçu flows from a high coastal plateau and mergest with the Paraná and Plata rivers. The final stretch forms the boarder of Argentina and Brazil, and is part of one of the largest and best-protected national parks. The Iguaçu widens to a span of about 2 miles, then the water pours over a 200-ft cliff, crashing down on the rocks below. This is by far my most anticipated site. I am not going to even try to predict what this experience will be like, or how it will feel. I do know that this is probably going to be one of the most incredible sights of my LIFE, something few people will get to experience. AND I WILL BE THERE. Wow. It's all I can say. Just. Wow.

Salvador, Bahia

Civilization- at last! I have heard nothing but amazing things about Salvador. It is a rich and colorful city, and I am so sad that we will only be spending a few days there! Not only is it incredibly historical, but also thoroughly modern! The city is especially known for it's African influience in the culture and cuisine. The city itself is stretched along the coastline; finally some beaches. (See fig. 1, large green state in the northeast). I am so excited to try the food here, and from what I have read, the funk music is off the hook in Bahia. Looks like I am going to have to get out and do some dancing here!

Brasilia

The capital and almost dead center of Brazil. Here we are going to visit the national headquarters of The Nature Conservancy! We won't be seeing much of the city because we immediately go to O Cerrado, a neotropical savanna- where we will be doing student driven field observations and formulating hypotheses about the reserve and local effects. This begins our move out of civilization and into the heart of darkness as we travel to the remote city of Santarém, Pará (green state in the North) only accessable by plane or boat. The town was first a Jesuit mission located on the convergence of the Tapajos waters and the great Amazon River. This site will highlight the difficulty in balancing growth and conservation, as this area struggles with a growing population and a growing need for financial foundations. The surrounding rainforest is being slowly chipped away to make room for soybean fields.

But this city is only the midway stop on our way to Manaus, Amazonias (HUGE orange state. This is the real deal everyone- the AMAZON). Staying in a nearby forest we will be learning about selective logging and research on the local impact. Manaus is built on the bank of the Rio Negro, right as it joins the Amazon River. The name Rio Negro means black river, and the waters really are a transparent black, like tea. This is because the waters of the Rio Negro leach nutrients and vegetation from sandy clearings in the north. The incomplete breakdown of phenol-containing contains humic acid as well as other micronutrients that give the river a unique color, while at the same time completely clear! Joining the sediment filled Amazon, these two rivers go for miles without completely mixing- creating this look:

So cool!

Pantanal, Mato Grosso

In the (fig. 1) purple state of Mato Grosso is the Pantanal, a vast wildlife preserve- O Grande Pantanal ("The Great Wetlands"). This preserve stretches about 400 miles long and 200 miles wide. Like the Amazon, it is a great basin that drains many rimvers en route to the Atlantic Ocean. This huge plain contains swamps and grasslands and contains so many animals! Giant otters, jaguars, monkeys... you name it! Here we will learn about natural history, local birds, and plant communities.

After this each of us will be arranged with an internship where we will be helping out with research of some sort (all yet to be determined). At the end of this we will be returning to Curitiba for a few days and some goodbyes to our friends...

But my adventure will be far from over as I move into Petrópolis with my cousin and grandpa! So much is yet to be decided about my time with them, where all I will go and what there is to do. But what I do know is:

I have an awesome backpack, a taste for adventure, and friends all around Brazil. I guess I will just have to find out!!

Maybe This Time

Today I am enjoying a perfect morning at my home on the farm. I am sitting eating breakfast and tea outside on the patio, watching the horses graze in the pasture and occasionally feeling my chocolate lab nuzzle her face in my lap; begging for a some petting and a kiss (or maybe it's my toast). In moments like this, one cannot help but think about memories, or a anticipating the future.

I realized that in my first post, I had left out the most important part about this trip:

Why?

Why Brazil? Why now, why this program?

Growing up, my imagination was always fueled by my dad's stories. Adventures in Rio de Janeiro, the mountains, the islands and the ocean. Then when we would travel to these same spots, my brother and I sought out our own adventures, often getting hurt by some crazy tropical bug or exotic stinging jellyfish. But in those short weeks my craving was never satisfied. I never felt entitled to the gift of duel citizenship. What was I if I had never truly experienced it? If I had never sought out the the pulse; the heartbeat of an exotic and compelling country.

My inspiration for being a Conservation Biology major actually came from my uncle, who works for the Brazilian government to help preserve the natural forests and ecosystems in the country. His worked has helped save many natural resources from being exploited and ruined. What I didn't realize until I got into school, was exactly how difficult this is. How does a growing country balance a growing population, poverty and sustainability? How do they ensure that the next generation will be able to survive? These questions have driven my passion towards sustainability and conservation. I realized my dream to help cities foster a city ethic: building communities and gardens to be both a part of the earth and civilization. This is something that has sprung up from learning about American cities and food industry. The insensitivity everyone has to where our goods come from, where food is processed and how. I want to travel to other countries to compare these concepts. My program through Antioch will help me explore these ideas as we travel between huge, bursting cities and the small sites in the Amazon. The vast differences between economic status' and social mannerisms. Finally, how does the concept and nature of wilderness affect people hundreds of miles away? How about those among it?

Now I am answering the call and allowing myself to be led away. But my greatest heartbreak is knowing that I am just one year too late.

In the last two months of 2009, my dad lost first his sister, then his mother. We all were at peace with the passing of Grandma Maria Branscombe, who had lived a very long and full life helping people around the world. But the greatest sorrow was losing my Aunt Patsy to cancer. She was graceful and beautiful, even in her last month of life. Every day I think about my trip, I feel a heavy place in my heart, knowing that exactly one year ago I could have been there to say goodbye. I am so blessed to be living with my Grandpa Frank and cousin Felipe after my program is over. The hearts and spirits of our loved ones still linger as we keep them alive, and I plan on making everything count. Life is too short to pass up this opportunity to explore the world and where my family came from. I am not saying this is where it all begins- but this is where it will continue with fervor.

I am guided by my grandma's last words to me from my final trip.

"Ali, someday I will be gone, but I will smile down upon you from heaven and bless you."

Dedicado a Maria e Patrícia.

A Princesa Patrícia