Featured · Brazil Guide
The Gringo In Rio: What Nobody Tells You
Rio de Janeiro is not what the travel brochures promise. Here is what my first year of living here actually taught me.
Living in Rio de Janeiro as a gringo is a “beautifully relaxed” immersion into a city with a unique “energia” that transforms even the most mundane activities into cultural adventures. It means navigating a world where futebol is not just a sport but a “lifestyle accessory” stitched into the DNA of the people, with team jerseys appearing in every bakery and pharmacy.
Daily life often revolves around the beach, a “social institution” where a sophisticated mobile economy brings everything from grilled cheese on a stick to fresh açaí directly to your chair. While you may face the “glacial” pace of pedestrians and a “minefield” of surprise craters on sidewalks, the local Cariocas are remarkably warm and patient, often offering a “chuckle” rather than judgment at your attempts to master the “Sh” sounds of the Portuguese language.
By Kevin Wholley · June 2026 · 2 min read
Explore the Blog
Latest Posts
-
Daily writing prompt 19-Jun What’s a common misconception people have about happiness?
Reading Time: 2 minutesHappiness isn’t a permanent state—it’s fleeting and can coexist with struggle. Discover why the pursuit of a meaningful life matters more. (141 chars)
-
Benjamin Franklin: The Practical Founder America Forgot | Review of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
Reading Time: 4 minutesA thoughtful review of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson, exploring Franklin as America’s most practical Founding Father — a self-made man who valued compromise, diplomacy, civic responsibility, and solutions over ideology. A compelling look at the man behind the myths and why his ideas still matter today.
-
Daily Prompt: If You Could Master One Skill
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHow do I master a skill and what could I do with it or how would I use it.
-
Did Humans Create God? A Personal Exploration of Faith, Fear, and Belief
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhy do humans believe in God? Is faith evidence of a higher power, or is it a response to some of life’s most difficult questions? Throughout history, people have searched for answers about suffering, death, purpose, and existence itself. In this personal reflection, I explore whether humanity discovered God or created the…
-
Daily Prompt: What Is A Way I Have Grown This Year
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHow have I grown? Maybe up, nope, sideways? could be. Probably learning a language is a growth experience.
-
Daily Prompt: A Letter To My Younger Self
Reading Time: 2 minutes”Objects fade. Memories stay. Balance is not something you stumble into; it’s something you choose, again and again. Work hard, keep learning, look for ways to be useful—but never at the expense of your free time or your sense of who you are. Treasure every minute, because this ride moves faster than…