About

In mid-March, an opportunity arose, thanks to the recession, because of giant corporate law firms, for me and Scott to go anywhere in the world, do anything we wanted for a year, partially subsidized.  It’s the adventure I was craving, the escape from New York.  We settled on Rio de Janeiro.  With it’s sugar lump mountains diving into the glistening sea, water everywhere, the most fascinating mix of urban hip, glamour, and astounding poverty, we were smitten.

We’re here now, we both found jobs in Rio, we have an apartment in Leblon and our address is Rua Dias Ferreira 199. After weeks of our Rosetta Stone headsets perpetually ready on our coffee table, and practicing our toddler-esque Portuguese, we have to put it to practice now to get around, to buy things, to make conversation with anyone.

Menina na Rio is grammatically wrong.  When I started this blog (and even now we’re a bit clueless) I didn’t know that it should be Menina do Rio, or Menina no Rio, or even who would be reading it, but now that Brazilians have taken a look, I would like to maybe project this error in a charming light, as a mistake that represents our confused beginning in this gorgeous city, this fascinating country, and how much we have to learn for me to truly be a girl slipping through the streets of Brazil.

Update, January 1, 2010:  After spending the last six months in Rio, learning Portuguese, and Brazil, trying to integrate ourselves into this incredible country, we’ve moved to São Paulo. In a way it feels like re-entering the world, leaving behind Rio’s beauty, its samba clubs and juice bars and beaches.  It’s a place to continue our exploration.

Update, December 16, 2011: I got back from Brazil more than a year ago. I live in New York now, and I’m half way through my second year at Columbia University, where I’m pursuing a masters degree in international affairs. I’m trying to translate the wonderment I found living in a new place to a place that I know so well. We’ll see what happens next. New York winters do make me miss those Brazilian beaches…

Update, March 17, 2014: And now I live in San Francisco. I moved here just after finishing graduate school and life has moved in a different direction. I’ve embraced my love of delicious food and bringing people together more than ever, worked at Delfina Restaurant for over a year and a half and now am on to the next thing, although that’s still a little tbd.