Yes and no. Not all of the negative things that happened to me this year were to do with the island. A lot of it was me and stuff that I had to deal with mentally. There were some issues that I had carried with me for a long time and the beauty of Floripa was that it finally gave me space and time to think about and sort out those issues. I won't bore you with details, but that's one of the reasons I'm happy there was a very laid-back lifestyle there.
I enjoyed meeting and making friends with Brazilians. They love their drama, but they're some of the happiest and sincerest people I've ever met. I am extremely happy that I picked up their accent, learned about their culture (best I could, given the government hushing up a few things just like they completely hushed up the Native Americans on the island last century) and I love their food!! I miss feijao so much and it's not even been a month!
Any advice for younger students?
*Be open-minded.
*Research about the area before you leave. (Something I failed to do).
*Do not be afraid to talk to people in class (obviously when the lecturer isn't talking).
*Make mistakes and do not be afraid to make them. Whether that's in your Portuguese language, your classes or your sense of direction. It's worse if you don't try.
*Try new things. I tried surfing (loved it!), I went travelling by myself (loved it!) and I also tried cactus while I was in Mexico (still undecided).
*Never be afraid to ask for help! I personally like to look for solutions myself so I'm not very well practiced in this, even now, but I love to help! And I'm sure others feel the same so never ever EVER feel like you're being a pain by asking for help! I wish I'd bugged my lecturers for more pastoral help ie. dealing anxiety on a couple of occasions. But I made excuses as to why I shouldn't. Now that I'm back and I've spoken to a couple of lecturers though I feel a bit silly.
Know that you can always leave questions for me on my Twitter @talbstar or comment below :)
*Enjoy it! Sounds stupid and rather obvious but when you're in the moment: enjoy it! Who knows when you'll next be there.
Will I go back to Floripa?
Personally I think Floripa is more of a place where I would go on holiday or to travel rather than a place to live. I see it as a place where if you're looking to settle down, find a job, start a relationship and have a solid routine, Florianopolis is the perfect destination. People were surprised that I didn't have a relationship or a romantic interest the entire year, but at 21 years old and in a completely different hemisphere for a short period of time I was definitely not ready for that kind of commitment. There's way too much of the world that I want to see first before making trips back to places. Although thinking about it I haven't been to the north of Brazil so maybe I'll make a pitstop into Floripa when that happens.
I met a few tourists and travellers who went there and they loved it, but like I said I'd say it was more of a stop in for R&R rather than a final destination.
For a Year Abroad student though I think it's great because depending on which part of the island you're in, you can either choose to immerse yourself with native Brazilians or hang out with international students and travellers. It's a good balance for a young adult living abroad alone for the first time.