#natekang

Here is the video recap I put together of my trip to Brazil with US-Brazil Connect & Conexão Mundo!

Peep it and let me know what you think!

A million thanks to everybody who donated to help me fund this trip. It was a fulfilling experience from beginning to end. I love this program. I couldn’t have had the experience I had without you all; and for that I am truly grateful. 

The HD version is available on my Vimeo page. 

There has been a lot of anticipation up until this point, and we’re finally here.  I leave for Brasil tomorrow to begin my program with US-Brazil Connect. I could try to put what I’m feeling right now into a coherent order of words and expressions but I just can’t. I’m feeling everything. When one thinks of taking a trip such as this, they usually think about how it will be once they enter new land and not so much about how the moments leading up to the trip will be. 

I certainly did not take into account how taxing the preparation for this trip would be.  This past month has probably been one of the most hectic for me, ever (not all a cause of USBC). I haven’t slept in one for place more than two times consecutively for the past 3 weeks, and to be honest, I’m tired of sleeping on couches and air mattresses. Ironically, sleeping in one bed for more than three days in a row will make Brasil feel more like home to me than here in the mitten. 

Also, if you hadn’t already heard about my visa situation, last week surfaced an issue with my visa that would have caused me to miss half of my trip. Thankfully, through perseverance, two impromptu trips to Chicago, my group and freaking awesome friends (Chris, Adri, Adrián), miracles happened and I received my Brazilian Visa today from the consulate (see creepy visa picture above). This whole situation put me through The Millennium Force of emotional roller coasters and almost cost about the same as my plane ticket (not really but this was one expensive visa after counting all of the expenses involved with it). I now have a much greater appreciation for people who have to deal with visas, citizenship, etc. for more important issues than a summer trip. I can only imagine the stress put on someone going through this process just to see their family. It’s real. 

On another note, I’m glad I get to meet my students this coming Monday. I have quite the group. They self proclaimed themselves as “Natenses” which I guess means “a part of Nate’s group.” (i.e. Brazil = Brazilians, Nate = Natenses). I can already feel the love from across the hemisphere, I’m getting psyched for when we’re all together. I’m about to English the hell out of them. If you see videos surfacing of Brazilian students doing ‘The Whip,’ you’ll know who their coach is. 

I could ramble on but I should probably start packing. After all of this, I’ll probably mess around and forget my passport...

I feel like I’m already lagged from travel, and my biggest leg of travel is tomorrow. Wish me luck and pray that I can sleep on these planes because I will need it. 

Here is a breakdown of the $1670 that has been donated to my campaign, so you all know where your money is going to:

1) $118 goes to GoFundMe/WePay, the crowdfunding website that served as the platform for my campaign. They take a total of 7.5% of each donation which goes to their maintenance. 

2) $500 goes towards US-Brazil Connect. This is a very young program (under 5 years old), and the donations from you all will help it to thrive. Helping to be a part of something new is pretty dang cool in my books.

3) $1052 goes toward my program expenses: flight to Denver, flight to Brazil, Tourist Visa, Emergency Money, food, SOUVENIRS! Literally, without you all I would have been struggling to make it work! 

So, as you can see, your support has gone a long way; and although you may not see it directly, you are making a difference. For that, you deserve a round of applause (I clapped for you!). 

If there is anything in particular you would like for me to bring you back from Brasil, please let me know and I can see what I can do! Make your requests legal please. 

This past weekend I spent my nights on the air mattresses and couches of people I didn’t know yet. This wasn’t Airbnb. These were the people that share the same curiosity and passion I do. 

This weekend in Denver was the location for US-Brazil Connect’s Workshop for our summer program in Brasil; and upon returning home the only thing I could think about is heading down there to start working with these kids. 

I really got to see everything to start to click together at the workshop and it felt damn good.  All of the work my team and I have done had culminated in this workshop...and this is only Phase I. Seeing the Fellows from the other 30 or so sites around Brasil really made this thing feel real. If I could describe it, it would be like a slow, steady drum beat that goes, increasing in rhythm and intensity at every moment. This workshop was that first bass drum hit. 

I am so grateful for my team. These people have shown me the utmost level of hospitality and made my Denver/Workshop experience phenomenal. We are a group of ambitious, crazy, and intellectual people. I cannot wait to see what we accomplish. 

for my friends & family:

I could not have done this trip without you, literally. I express my sincerest gratitude to you all. To find out I have the support system I do for something like this is truly humbling. I cannot thank you enough. I wish I could bring you on this journey with me. However, I can bring you along {virtually}. I will be posting updates every step of the way and will be including your names in various excerpts of my journey. So, follow the blog and be on the lookout for your names!

I enter Brasil July 26th

I leave Brasil July 26th

31 days.

Hence, the name of my page dedicated specifically to this trip: 31 Dias no Brasil / 31 Days in Brazil. Read up! 

I cannot wait to see what’s in store. 

Friends & followers

Please take a moment out of your day to watch this video and read about my fundraising campaign for a summer fellowship I’m partaking in this summer.

This opportunity allows me to do what I love: mentor and teach students, learn foreign languages, and travel.  The US-Brazil Connect has offered me a competitive fellowship to travel to Brazil to teach Brazilian students English and to mentor them on how to lead great lives.

I've mentioned this program in a post before and am EXTRA thrilled to have this opportunity. I am deeply grateful to be granted such an opportunity. However, these types of roles cost money. So, I am asking you to at least read about my fundraising campaign to learn more about US-Brazil Connect and my relationship with them.

If you are unable to donate, perfectly fine! Sometimes we can’t. I truly appreciate that you've at least taken the time to see what what the program is about.  If you are able to donate, also perfectly fine & encouraged! Even if it’s just $5, I’ll be more than ecstatic to know that you care enough about me to support me in the best way you can. To go to the direct page of the campaign, click here:

gofundme.com/p6hozg or www.gofundme.com/muitobem

Thank you so much in advance. I love you all! Even if we don’t talk a lot! Just know that there’s a spot in my corazón for you!

Much love