This blog post is a different type of post than I usually write. Today I want to give you an up close and personal look at what has been going on for me since I got to Brazil 5 weeks ago.
Coming to Brazil felt like a big risk for me. I didn’t know a single person and I did not know the language at all (still don’t). The flight cost a decent chunk of change and there was no nearby country I could easily escape to if I didn’t like it there. But, as I wrote about in a previous post, I felt that my intuition was leading me to Brazil. There was a series of signs and synchronicities that continued to point me towards Brazil, and so I decided to take the plunge.
Now truthfully, sometimes the skeptical part of me (and I think we all have this part), wonders if all this intuition stuff is complete bullshit. Am I just making it all up? Were there really signs pointing me to go to Brazil? Was I just reading too much into a series of random and unrelated events?
But, the moment I boarded the plane from Panama to Brazil, magical things started to happen. Chance encounters, breathtaking sunsets, and moments so filled with gratitude they brought tears to my eyes. My interpretation of all these events, is they are proof that I am following my intuition and that I am on the right path. (Your interpretation may be different, and that’s ok! You still may enjoy reading along.)
To me, it also means that the Universe has my back and is fully supporting me in this crazy journey- which feels so reassuring.
Chance encounters on the plane
My magical manifestations began the literal moment that I boarded the plane to Rio when a very handsome guy sat next to me on the plane. Let’s call him J. This never happens to me, by the way. In all the flights I’ve taken, I have never sat next to anyone that I found remotely attractive. This was a very welcome first.
We hit it off right away and spent the whole flight doing a language exchange and listening to music. (We may or may not have kissed a few times too!)
Turns out, he was a Carioca (a local from Rio de Janeiro) and offered to be my tour guide while I stayed in Rio. His family friend gave me a ride home from the airport and they made sure I got into my hotel safely. The next night, he picked me up and took me to one of those classic Brazilian steakhouses, a churrascaria, where the waiters come around to your table with huge cuts of meat. It was exactly what I pictured a meal in Brazil would be like.
Sunsets and other adventures
Another evening, he took me to watch the sunset at a popular viewing point called Sugarloaf mountain. As we were hiking up to the top of the hill, everyone else was hiking down. People passing by kept telling us “it’s closed”, but J didn’t seem to be bothered at all by this news. I was wondering “why in the world are we still hiking up there if it’s just going to be closed?”
Sure enough, a few minutes later, we encountered a closed gate with a security guard standing in front of it. I definitely felt a bit disappointed because we had been hiking for almost 20-30 minutes and it seemed like such a let down. Before I could wallow in my disappointment, J started talking to the guard in Portuguese. I still, to this day, have no idea what J told the man, but whatever it was, it worked like a charm. The security guard busted out his walkie talkie, made a quick call and then proceeded to open the gate and let us in.
I got to spend the next hour blissfully watching the sunset over Rio with a prime view of the Christ the Redeemer statue. It was such a beautiful and surreal experience that I literally had tears coming out of my eyes. I couldn’t believe that this was my life. On a random Monday evening, I got to be whisked away by a boy to watch an incredible sunset.
Life was so, so good. Perfectenshlag vibes.
For our final adventure, J took me to Arraial do Cabo, which is a 3hr drive from Rio and home to the most stunningly gorgeous beaches and bluest water I’ve ever seen. We went beach hopping, hiking and swimming in the freezing cold ocean (it’s currently winter in Brazil). It’s a place I NEVER would have known about if it wasn’t for J.
My guardian angel of Brazil
Not only did we have some fantastic adventures, but J also has helped me navigate life in Brazil. When my computer charger broke, he called and found a replacement for me. He called Brazilian customs to help me get a package delivered. Basically, he has been my guardian angel for anything I’ve needed so far in Brazil.
I am so grateful I met him on that plane ride. I feel like the Universe sent him to me to help take care of me in this foreign country. Even though following my intuition into the unknown can be so scary, events like this that show me that I am always being taken care of. The Universe has my back.
The Universe sends people at the perfect time
Another chance type encounter happened two weeks into my Brazilian adventure. I was staying in an air bnb iin Copacabana, the most popular neighborhood in Rio. One morning, I heard someone screaming bloody murder in my apartment building and I ran downstairs to see what was going on. Thankfully, no one was being physically harmed, but one of the other tenants was having a severe mental health crisis.
That’s when I met Michael. He was one of the other tenants in the air bnb and he and I together, essentially talked a girl out of committing suicide. It was a wild and crazy morning and led to a wonderful friendship.
From that day on Michael and I hung out almost every single day. We would eat breakfast at our favorite local spot and talk about life, relationships, religion, and traveling. I met him during an interesting and somewhat rocky time in my personal life and entrepreneurial journey. In my personal life, I was starting to go through a pretty intense spiritual awakening where I was releasing heavy emotions (more on this in another blog post soon!).
Business wise, I was also going through a bit of a low. As I’m sure you’ve heard, being an entrepreneur is a rollercoaster. There are so many ups and downs, and a few weeks ago when I met Michael, I was in one of the downs.
Becoming friends with him during that time was such a blessing. We did so many fun things to help me relieve my stress that week: dancing the night away at a club, riding lime scooters down the boardwalk in Ipanema, and eating weird amounts of sushi. He was also really great to talk to. He was so supportive of my business goals and dreams and he helped convince me to stick it out. He still texts me saying that he prays for me everyday and sends me ideas and inspiration for my business.
Yet another way the Universe has my back. Sending me the perfect people and the perfect support system to help me when I needed it most.
Finally, the magic island
After 3 weeks in Rio, I headed off to my ultimate destination, Florianopolis. This is where I planned to live for 2-3 months to have some stability while getting back into the swing of my business. Little did I know, it’s nickname is “Ilha da Magia”, aka The Island of Magic and there was plenty of magic happening.
My first weekend on the island, I went on a hike at the South of the island called Lagoinha do Leste. I didn’t do much research before going on the hike, and I really only knew where the trailhead was and what the view from the top looked like.
At first, it was a pretty straightforward trail, but then I hit a point where there were several different directions I could take. I didn’t know which way to go. Luckily, I ran into a local at that exact moment, and he offered to be my guide (notice a pattern?). He motioned for me to follow him and we hiked for over 30 minutes on pretty difficult terrain. We hopped over streams, climbed up rocks, it was a full on Indiana Jones experience.
I thought he was going to want money for going so far out of his way, and I was honestly happy to give him some. I reached in my pocket to hand him some Reals as a thank you and he would not take them. He just went 30 minutes out of his way, out of the goodness of his heart. Such a sweet man.
After the viewpoint, I began the long trek down to the beach. I started to question if I should really keep going, because I knew that with each step down I would also have to hike back up. I was already starting to dread the hike back up, it was going to be a doozy.
But luckily, as soon as I got down to the beach, I met an English speaking couple from the UK. They shared that they were taking a boat to get back to their cars instead of hiking all the way back and asked if I wanted to join. It was like the Universe heard my prayers and provided me with a boat so I didn’t have to hike all the way back. I was beyond thrilled at the idea of sitting in a boat for 20 minutes, instead of hiking for 90+ minutes to get back to the car. I seriously couldn’t believe how much I had lucked out in meeting this people on the beach.
What’s even more crazy, as I started talking with this couple we came to realize that we were neighbors! We lived right across the street from eachother in the small beach town of Canasvierias. They became my first friends in Florianopolis. Now we go out and watch the sunset at the beach together several times a week, plus they are teaching me how to play beach tennis. They’ve even invited me to their wedding coming up in August!
By randomly choosing to go on that hike my first weekend on the island, I happened to make some friends and establish a community in my new home.
All of these beautiful events remind me of a quote from the book, The Alchemist. “And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”
To me, all of these magical unfoldings show me that the Universe has my back. That even though following my intuition without any guarantees can be scary, when I lean in and trust the Universe, I am supported.
Have you had any experiences with magical manifestations or synchronicities? Has anything ever happened to show YOU that the Universe is supporting you and has your back? I’d love to hear your stories! Comment below and share.
