I loved my time in Brazil. My host family were wonderful, as were the people I worked with. I believe the best thing was the people I met, from other exchange students to my coworkers to my host family. This is probably because of cultural differences: in the US, we value independence, but Brazil values community. Being able to immerse myself in a community and being able to connect with people because everyone involve was open to that…that to me was the best part of being here in Brazil.