raining with a bit of sadness

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We finally made it to Rio and Carnaval is blowing our minds and eyes and ears and hearts and feet away!!!! Today it is raining so we are going to head to the museums and make it to mass. As many of you know, I applied for the Fullbright scholarship to live in India with Buddhist women for one year. I just found out that my application has been denied and thus, no India...Im a bit sad but not too sad, for it is hard to stay sad in this city of joy. I am planning on moving into the Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor in July to work and study there under the wise Haju for six months or so (the teacher and director of the temple). Hopefully my time there will give me some insight into what I should do next in this stage of my life, because right now Im not quite sure. Ya veremos...but all in all, i know whatever my future holds is going to be pretty frickin amazing 😊

The music here is FANTASTIC. I know that my future ABSOLUTELY and POSITIVELY must be full of music, music, and more music. Because this is where I believe my soul feels most at home and connected to the beat of all sentient beings 😊 The samba music here at Carnaval consists of about 20 different drummers on various drums, three men shouting/singing to the beat, and the most INCREDIBLE dancers i have seen in my LIFE!!!! I have never seen people move their bodies in such a fast, twisting, and rythmic way. WOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!

I will leave Becky to update you on the rest...I am off to soak in this lazy, rainy Sunday Carnaval day in the most crazy crazy city in the world 😊

I love you all, and may God bless you.

Raquel

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