Londrina- I miss you already

Cheesy, sure- but I mean it.

Thursday night was the last night before Marlene closed down the office until after the new year. That night, Marlene, Joao, Isa and I went to a bar called Vilao for a end of year celebration where we met everyone else from the office, plus a few significant others and/or relatives. Carolina came with her sister, Emerson with his girl, Samara with her boy and Josi with her husband. We somehow went through 5 bottles of wine. Really really good dry red wine. Concha de Toro, and then St. Helena. To get to this bar, you had to walk through literally a jungle. Well, not really a jungle, it was a brick walled hallway with lights strung up over head, and trees and plants growing on either side, some of them in pots, some not- forming an archway towards the back where the entrance to the bar was. The bar itself had a collection of just about everything, you can see in some of the pictures that I promise to post soon.

I'm not sure if it was the wine, or if it was the dim nostalgia-inducing lighting or maybe I just got bug spray in my eye- but there were a couple of times where I looked over at Marlene, or at Isa, or Josi and Andre, and wanted to cry. Like, floods of memories from the past two months ran through my head, from first meeting them at the airport, to goofing off at dinner in Marlene's kitchen, to making tea for the office, to dancing and singing in the car with Isa... just made me wish it didn't have to end. And then when I realized it was going to, whether I was ready or not, it got to me. I have made great friends over the short time that I have been in Londrina. And I hope- no I know, we'll see each other again. Whether it will be back in Londrina, or in NYC 2010 (Marlene is planning a trip there, then).

This trip has been so much more than a work-exchange program. Sure, I learned a lot, picked up a few programs and a few projects to put in my portfolio. Being here, meeting people and seeing how they live what they value how they see the world- Its restored my faith in the good in people, in love, in myself. Amazingly good people are out there, and I've been truly blessed to meet some of them.

For me, the face of Brazil will always be Londrina, Marlene-Lima arquitetas e interiores, and the boa gente of the Ricci-Souza family and their friends. Leninha, their maid- who is more like a good friend who's job happens to be to clean and cook for them has spoiled me rotten for the past couple months, her two kids Tunico and Nayara are both amazing, Tunico (actual name is Wellington) is an amazing artist and wants to be an architect. I really think he will be when he grows up, he has a great talent. And Nayara, she will do whatever she sets her mind to, she's very bold and talkative- huge sweetheart.

Getting sidetracked... So today I got into Sao Paolo. The bus was late and it was PACKED at the terminal- but somehow Kevin (my uncles friend who's parents are also visitin) found me, and everything is good. Thank goodness he is here! And willing to host my aimless-self for a while. We had an amazingly delicious dinner at an Italian place downtown. I took some pictures of buildings along the way- Sao Paolo is immmmense. I can't even handle it- will need to crack open a guide book- yuck tourist stuff. Tomorrow we're off to Buzios, a small beach town- I can't wait for the ocean!!