An unexpected encounter

As a child, or even as a teenager, I never really felt anything special for the biggest South American country. But one thing was for sure: I was already very passionate about foreign countries. It all began when I was 17.
After I graduated from high school, one of my biggest dreams was to get away and experience new cultures – and live! That’s exactly what it was, I wanted to live. For some reason, I’ve always felt that a part of me was never totally free in France. I guess that even though I love my country, I belong to everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I’m that kind of person. I get to know who I am through other cultures. Thus, I lived in New York for about a year. I’ve met hundreds of people from every corner of the planet. I’ve laughed with Chileans, danced with Turkish, drank with Russians, and worked with Americans. But I really lived with Brazilians.
Nothing predisposed my life to get close to them. They simply came to me, whether I wanted it or not. They welcomed me in such a way that I felt Brazilian myself. I felt like I knew Brazil better than I know some places I’ve actually visited. This is my Brasilité: knowing a country and its customs without ever having to step foot on its land.

Brasil eu te amo…

by Lea COURTEAU

Leave a Reply

*