Letters from Abroad: A Love Letter to Brazil
Ah, Brazil.
You weren't supposed to steal my heart like this.
I thought these three years would be filled with incredible food, beach weekends, and the challenge of learning a new language. I never imagined I'd leave with a permanent international village, friendships that feel like family, and memories that will stay with me forever.
Brazil showed me a slower, more intentional way of living.
I'll miss the brinquedos—those wonderful play spaces where my girls instinctively look every time we walk into a restaurant.
I'll miss greeting friends with hugs and kisses on both cheeks.
I'll miss the beautifully extravagant birthday parties where no one expects you to sing “Parabéns” until hours after the party begins.
I'll miss hearing tudo tranquilo and being reminded that not everything has to be rushed.
Most of all, I'll miss the people.
Somehow my favorite restaurant became my restaurant. My gym became my gym. My eyebrow lady became my eyebrow lady. Everyone knew my girls. Everyone welcomed us.
Our nanny stopped feeling like someone we hired and became another grandmother to our daughters.
I know it sounds dramatic, but it truly feels like I left a piece of my soul in Brazil.
And I haven't even begun to tell you about the richness of Afro-Brazilian culture.
Some things simply have to be experienced.
Bahia is one of the Blackest places in the world outside of Africa—a place filled with history, resilience, joy, music, faith, incredible food, and deep cultural pride.
It's also one of the places that changed me the most.
That's why curating a Mamas & Minis Abroad experience there feels incredibly personal. It isn't just another destination on a map—it's a place that forever changed my family, and I hope it leaves the same imprint on yours.
My greatest hope is that when you return home, you'll carry more than beautiful photos. I hope you leave with a broader perspective, a few new friends, stories your children will tell for years to come, and maybe even a little piece of your heart left behind, just like I did.
Until then…
Tchau.
Beijos.
With love,
Kiara