My new life 

On Sundays, many people in Brazil go to local markets to buy fruit and vegetables, and after they finish buying everything, it is time to have coconut water and a kind of a fried empanada, called pastel in Portuguese. My parents always go to the local market, and they used to invite me to go with them. I didn’t like the part of waiting while they were choosing the best fruit, or when they stopped to talk with a friend that I had no idea who the person was, but I needed to pretend I knew. However, the fact I would have the cold coconut water and the best pastel that I have ever had in my life kept me happy as I waited. I don’t have this habit anymore and many others, yet I have new ones. My new life here in Chicago has changed from what I once had. 

One aspect I miss about the Brazilian culture is the night life. Back home, I used to start partying around midnight. My friends and I used to have a big pizza or hamburger at home, get ready and leave to party. We did this almost every Saturday. When the party was over, at 5:30 in the morning on Sunday, we used to walk to the local market to have pastel and coconut water. It was an amazing feeling, watching the sunrise while eating one of my favorite foods. When I came to the United States, people couldn’t understand the feeling that I described about my old night life. The night life in Chicago starts earlier and at 2 am most people tend to go home. It is very hard to find something to eat late at night, besides McDonalds. I think people from another countries will never understand the feeling I have when I explain my night life experiences in Brazil.

On the other hand, I have embraced parts of the new culture in Chicago. Celebrations here in the United States are very different from Brazil. Halloween and Christmas are some of my favorites. Halloween is unique. Kids in the streets trick or treating. It is like a movie for me. I feel like a kid waiting to eat their favorite cake. In Brazil no one celebrates. In addition, Christmas is another celebration that I really like. Unfortunately, this date is very commercial, and it doesn’t matter where people are. Nevertheless, my experience here in Chicago was further than only buying gifts. I really like the fact that many people wear matching pajamas or sweaters, have hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies together. Back home, it is summer in December, so we can’t even think about hot chocolate or wear sweaters. The culture is different. For that reason, I would like to combine celebrations from both countries, having my family here in the US to celebrate one of my favorite dates with me.   

All those experiences made me realize how culture changed some of my habits. I miss some aspects from Brazil, but I have also embraced parts of the culture from the United States. Going to the local market with my parents, or with my friends after partying is something that I really miss. The nostalgia makes me feel happy for the experiences I had. Now I am creating new traditions and habits, like wearing matching sweater on Christmas. I probably will miss that someday when I move to another country. For me, it is how life works. I won’t be fully complete all the time, but if I do good things, go to nice places and appreciate the little moments, I will be happy.