Brazil, Buns 'N Beer (Hello 2019!)

Hard to believe we are already 2 weeks into 2019!!

Having just gotten back from Brazil, I wanna talk a little about that...

You know, I love the finer things in life but nothing fascinates me more than experiencing new cultures.

Although I grew up in Brazil, one of the things I never got to do - and one of the things on my bucket list - was to experience New Years Even on Copacabana beach in Rio. Not at some penthouse club overlooking the beach, but the NYE “do povo” (“of the people”) ON the beach...

SO many people tried to talk us out of it: "it's dangerous" they said,  "it's dirty", "it's too crowded"...

...well duh, if you walk around wearing socks with sandals, flaunting dollars, you just might get mistaken for a displaced ATM waiting to be claimed... but you know what, people are people and for the most part they're good, so sometimes you just gotta take your chances.

So after this picture, we somehow managed to squeeze through the crowds and watch Gilberto Gil up close. For the price of one american cocktail, we drank cheap beer ‘till our thirst was quenched, ate street hot dogs (complete with raisins and whole olives) and rang in the New Year to the tune of 17 tons of fireworks and 2 million people and we didn’t die. Aaron even got to see Beyonce do her booty thang (actually, her name was Ludmilla - like Beyonce but Brazilian 😂)

Yeah, maybe there were a few things we’d rather not seen - like the line of guys peeing on the OUTSIDE of the honey buckets (because presumably they were full), and the stench and trash that followed the evening... I believe the city could do better. - But hey, that’s why 900+ of Brazil’s top politicians are in jail now so that hopefully the country can begin respecting its people and themselves, and provide a better experience for all.

But you know what? For people who have so little, the Brazilian “povo” STILL has so much. ❤️️

Thank you for a GREAT party. 🎇🍾🎆🍻

P.S. By the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! ...What are some of your goals for 2019? Where in the world would you like to be on NYE 2020?? (taking suggestions below 😉)