Our new Brazilian friend and bowling...

To begin today's post, I would like to first reflect on an experience I once had while traveling abroad. When I was about 19, I traveled to Madrid, Spain. I had hopes of staying in Spain for up to 7 months to take classes and become fluent in the spanish language. These hopes were short lived after arriving in the country. Unfortunately, the Spaniards I encountered were not outgoing and some were very intimidating. Needless to say, I suffered extreme culture shock and didn't stay long. I often think back to this experience and wonder what would have happened if I had met someone who was nice and hospitable. I think an encounter like this would have made me feel more at ease despite being alone in a foreign country. 

This past week, by odd chance, we met Alessandra. Ale (which she insisted on being called because Americans cant say her whole name correctly) was in America for the first time to help with a volleyball camp occurring on campus. She spoke broken English and needed a bit of help adjusting to life here (such as finding a store that sold an adapter for her electrical appliances). My co-worker, Joshua, and I decided that we would do our best to ensure Ale's first visit to America was a positive one. As I interacted with Ale, I often thought back to my time in Spain. I wanted to do anything I could to make Ale feel more comfortable in this new place, so I offered to cook for her, hang out with her, and show her around Nashville. Ale is a wonderful person and I feel so blessed that even for a brief moment, she was in my life. 

Last Wednesday, we took Ale bowling. A few friends from work joined for this adventure. Ale and I didn't score big, but we had a great time and that's what counts, right?  

Brandon likes to spin his bowling ball - so fancy. 

A co-worker, Hannah, and her husband Kurt. 

Phil and Ale.

Our bowling team!

One thing Ale really wanted to do was travel downtown. We decided to do this in style, so we rode in Phil's new G6 convertible. Ale loved being in the convertible and loved even more that Phil had Blink 182 on his iPod so she could sing along (apparently Blink 182 are a big deal in Brazil). As soon as she saw the lights of the signs downtown she exclaimed "Aw, Las Vegas!". She explained that there was no place similar to this in Brazil and that she couldn't believe the sights of downtown Nashville. We walked her up and down Broadway and took her in a few places so she could get the full affect. 

Ale loved the convertible ride!

It was just a tad windy...

I'm so grateful to have met Ale. She left this morning for New York City, where she will explore before heading back to Brazil. I'm thankful we were able to provide friendship to her during her stay in Nashville and I hope she is able to tell better stories about America than I have to tell about Spain. If you're ever traveling to Brazil let us know and we'll put you in touch with Ale. Ale, if you're reading this, please know that we miss you already!