so here's the thing...

...about study abroad, Rio-style 2013: things aren't ideal. Political unrest can be truly somber, and it can royally fuck up your plans. Personalities can collide; being with people 24/7 of your choice is hard enough. Home sickness is a real disease. Not having access to food that you find appetizing and satisfying sucks. Hardcore. No matter how much you shower, you're never really clean, and you realize that "clean" is relative. Maybe you're not always in the mood for a late-night sing along. Especially when the Titanic theme song is the recurring theme*. Personal space becomes less personal, more communal. Insomnia in a place where TBS, TNT, and A&E are nonexistent is a nightmare. Literally, a sleepless nightmare.

BUT THEN:

you go to Sugar Loaf Mountain, probably THE most beautiful place on earth and you are able to stfu about all the other stuff. I hate to be cliche, but it must be said that pictures don't even come close to doing this place justice, no matter how good the photography. It is an actual fact that the beauty of Sugar Loaf is incomprehensible if you haven't seen it in person. Sorry to be the asshole who speaks the truth about this. I sincerely hope that everyone's eyeballs have the opportunity to soak this shit up. It is unreal.

AND:

MONKEYS!!!!
These cute little bastards were all over the place, mostly when people gave them food. It's against the law and not the best thing for them, but we enjoyed the results. OMG, they were so cute!!! JST5 is doing her MA research on primates and tourism, so hopefully there will be a lot more monkeys in my near future :)

*[eds. note: Omg, is this like me and my friends singing "Livin' on a Prayer", "With or Without You", or "I Want Your Sex" at karaoke??? That makes me sad. ~sigh~]