For most of my life I have wanted to travel to Brazil. The colorful culture has always enchanted me. From the craziness that is Carnival to the mouthwatering food (pao de quijo and mandioca frita- try it, trust me), to being the nation that has birthed some of the best soccer players to ever play the game (I’m looking at you Pele)- it was my own sort of heaven. So when the opportunity finally presented itself to travel down to Brazil, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.

And while I knew no matter what I wouldn’t walk away the same, I could never imagine how.

So here are the ways Brazil and the Cancer Hospital of Barretos has changed my life:

I learned the importance of assimilation

So what was super interesting about this internship was the fact that for one of the first times in my adult life, I was traveling to a foreign country where I would not stand out. In fact, most people were more surprised that I am not Brazilian. Plus I would get the opportunity for an extended stay in a foreign country, not just a trip. My two most recent international trips have been to Guatemala and India. On a good day and in the right clothes, I can pull off Indian in India (but only north Indian, which isn’t where my family is from), and in Guatemala, it was very obvious that I am not a native. So when I stepped off the plane for a whole two months in Brazil, and no one could guess I wasn’t a native, I realized I had an awesome opportunity to learn. And from this I learned how crucial it can be to assimilate into the culture. Which is funny because for my entire life, I was told to be unique, forge my own path. But because Pablo and I were here for two months, we thought it was crucial to fit into the flow of the town and hospital. The most crucial way to do this we learned was to speak the language. While I’m still no pro at Portuguese and can only aspire to the level of Pablo, after 9 weeks I have found myself to be almost conversational (emphasis on almost) in Portuguese. And because of this, when Pablo and I are out at restaurants, stores, or trying to converse with people, there is a great appreciation for our willingness to learn. With Portuguese skills, it is easier to function, and we walk more enriched. Learning Portuguese before you leave is the number one piece of advice I give to future interns (stay tuned for a full list). It is super helpful, fun to learn, and allows a traveler/intern to really become a part of the amazing culture they are living in. Why is this important you ask? Because we are here to try and find new project ideas, develop educational materials, get feedback on our technologies and build a long-lasting relationship with HCB. To do this effectively, we need to try and understand the culture and be able to communicate. And a great way to do this is by learning the language. Plus did I mention it is fun?

I learned about gratuity

People here are amazing. I’ve already mentioned that, but traveling in the carreta, Ive learned so much more. There are so many people here who live in small towns that would have absolutely zero access to cancer screening if not for the carreta. It took Pablo and I an entire day of traveling by plane and car to get to these towns. And that’s the fast mode of transport. These towns are extremely isolated when it comes to cancer prevention. Even our carreta broke down on the way to one of the cities. So between that physical isolation and the amount of work local nurses and healthcare workers put in to organize a carreta stop, you learn gratuity. People were so happy to have the carreta in their town that when we casually mention that we love hot sauce, we are gifted with bottles of hot sauce. When we try Mato Grosso’s popular chá mate (a type of tea), and like it, they immediately buy us our own. Cities almost religiously gift the carreta staff with presents. And even back at the main hospital in Barretos, it isn’t uncommon for doctors to receive presents from patients. The gratitude is literally tangible.

Cancer is so often viewed as a death sentence and therefore, the carreta is viewed as a type of saving grace. And that’s exactly what it does-saves. The opportunity to finally get to see exactly the impact the carreta makes on the towns it visits boarders on indescribable.

                                           

Pablo trying the Chá Mate and Pablo and Dr. Carlos receiving gifts in Claudia, Mato Grosso

I learned that I wanted to be worth it

So while Pablo and I are making our impact on Barretos Cancer Hospital the best we can, a good portion of our internship has been to observe and learn. However, quite often, when we dress in our white lab coats, we give the illusion of HCB Prevention doctors. And with this, we are often praised with the gratuity the HCB Prevention doctors deserve (be it in Barretos or in the carreta) by unknowing patients. And as a hopeful future medic, this has taught me to strive to be deserving. The Prevention department doctors here do such amazing things, save so many lives, and work for such a great institution. I can only hope one day to be as deserving of this praise as the doctors that surrounded me for the last 9 weeks.

 

 

I always knew this internship would affect me, but Ive never realized exactly how much it would change my life.