I'm American. Last year I moved to Brazil. What I’ve seen shocked me. 10 crazy Brazilian experiences I still can’t wrap my head around:I love coffee. So that means I’m a slave to the coffee machine. Most Brazilians don’t use coffee machines. They keep it old school and pour hot water into a filter with the coffee grounds. This used to drive me crazy because I wanted coffee ASAP. But now I enjoy the smell and process. Slowing down makes you grateful for the little things.Outdoor living: I fell in love with how “open” the houses are. In North America, homes are closed due to cold weather. In Brazil many of the houses have a huge open area in the middle. Or a big outdoor patio in the center of the house. It makes enjoying the sunshine easy. And what’s better than that?Sharing a large beer: In the States, everyone has their beer. But in Brazil a group of 5-10 people will share a large beer instead. There is something community driven about this idea. And I found myself thinking: “This is our beer, not my beer” I was shocked out how powerful the little things can be.Start drinking on Wednesday: I thought Amercians went hard in the paint when it came to partying. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Brazilians start drinking on Wednesdays (as opposed to Fridays in the states) to start weekend shenanigans. I often get messages on Wednedays from friends saying: “Onde voce esta?” Or where are you? And I’m like bro, it’s effin’ Wednesday.Community: I make more friends in Brazil in one month. Than I do in the States in an entire year. Why? Because relationships and community are such a powerful part of the culture. When I meet new people I’m usually invited to their grandparents house for barbecue. I become friends with their entire family within a week.Wildlife encounters. There are zero primates in U.S. So when I hike in Brazil the screaming monkey’s bouncing around trees still scares me. But the: -Toucans -Capybaras -And giant lizards Make up for all the monkey nonsense.Gringo: No matter how well you speak Portuguese… You will be a gringo for life. But it took me a long time to realize that gringo means: “Foreigner” So whether you’re from the States, Europe, or Asia… You’ll always be a gringo.Flip flops: Everyone in Brazil wears flip flops all the time. My GF knows who is Brazilian and who isn’t simply by staring at peoples feet… Why? Because if they have flips they’re Brazilian. If not? They’re gringos.The true inventor of the airplane? I thought the Wright brothers invented the airplane… But if you ask Brazilians they’d tell you that’s B.S. Brazilians crediting Alberto Santos Dumont instead of the Wright Brothers for the invention of the airplane. What’s your thoughts?To sum things up… I’ve fallen in love with Brazilian culture, the weather, the people, the food. The importance of personal relationships in business and daily life here… With a focus on building connections before getting things done makes it easy to feel loved… (Even if you’re a gringo.)If you liked this post, then you'll love my newsletter. You get a FREE storytelling course when you sign up:

I'm American. Last year I moved to Brazil. What I’ve seen shocked me. 10 crazy Brazilian experiences I still can’t wrap my head around: ... I love coffee. So that means I’m a slave to the coffee machine. Most Brazilians don’t use coffee machines. They keep it old school and pour hot water into a filter with the coffee grounds. This used to drive me crazy because I wanted coffee ASAP. But now I enjoy the smell and process. Slowing down makes you grateful for the little things. ... Outdoor living: I fell in love with how “open” the houses are. In North America, homes are closed due to cold weather. In Brazil many of the houses have a huge open area in the middle. Or a big outdoor patio in the center of the house. It makes enjoying the sunshine easy. And what’s better than that? ... Sharing a large beer: In the States, everyone has their beer. But in Brazil a group of 5-10 people will share a large beer instead. There is something community driven about this idea. And I found myself thinking: “This is our beer, not my beer” I was shocked out how powerful the little things can be. ... Start drinking on Wednesday: I thought Amercians went hard in the paint when it came to partying. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Brazilians start drinking on Wednesdays (as opposed to Fridays in the states) to start weekend shenanigans. I often get messages on Wednedays from friends saying: “Onde voce esta?” Or where are you? And I’m like bro, it’s effin’ Wednesday. ... Community: I make more friends in Brazil in one month. Than I do in the States in an entire year. Why? Because relationships and community are such a powerful part of the culture. When I meet new people I’m usually invited to their grandparents house for barbecue. I become friends with their entire family within a week. ... Wildlife encounters. There are zero primates in U.S. So when I hike in Brazil the screaming monkey’s bouncing around trees still scares me. But the: -Toucans -Capybaras -And giant lizards Make up for all the monkey nonsense. ... Gringo: No matter how well you speak Portuguese… You will be a gringo for life. But it took me a long time to realize that gringo means: “Foreigner” So whether you’re from the States, Europe, or Asia… You’ll always be a gringo. ... Flip flops: Everyone in Brazil wears flip flops all the time. My GF knows who is Brazilian and who isn’t simply by staring at peoples feet… Why? Because if they have flips they’re Brazilian. If not? They’re gringos. ... The true inventor of the airplane? I thought the Wright brothers invented the airplane… But if you ask Brazilians they’d tell you that’s B.S. Brazilians crediting Alberto Santos Dumont instead of the Wright Brothers for the invention of the airplane. What’s your thoughts? ... To sum things up… I’ve fallen in love with Brazilian culture, the weather, the people, the food. The importance of personal relationships in business and daily life here… With a focus on building connections before getting things done makes it easy to feel loved… (Even if you’re a gringo.) ... If you liked this post, then you'll love my newsletter. You get a FREE storytelling course when you sign up: