ABOUT
Rachel grew up in North Carolina (USA), her family is still there, and it’s where she often returns when she is on a break from school. She did all her schooling – through undergrad and masters degrees there in NC.
Tell us about yourself
I am a certified k-12 music teacher, and have two degrees in music education, a Bachelors of Music from Mars Hill University and a Masters of Music from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
I have been an international teacher since 2013, having lived in China, Brazil, India and the Philippines. I have taught elementary all the way through high school overseas, but my expertise is mainly at the middle school level in instrumental music (band).
Moving to Brasilia
When and why did you move to Brazil?
I moved to Brazil in mid-2019 – just before Covid and lived there until 2021. I chose to take a job there because it was an amazing opportunity for me to work at one of the top American Schools in the region – The American School of Brasilia. Brazil has tons of amazing travel opportunities and it was a new culture I was not familiar with. I wanted a change from China. I speak English, but while in China I studied Mandarin.
How did you get set up? (phone plan, bank ..)
Honestly, for me specifically, the school’s HR department was incredibly instrumental in helping me get set up with visas, phone plans, apartments, etc…..they are amazing people and they worked magic to make us feel set up and taken care of. The banking was difficult there, but they physically took us one day and helped us to set it all up and answer everyone’s questions. When I was more settled, I finally used my residence status to set up a Transferwise (now called Wise) account and send money overseas to my account in America. The phone plan was low cost and easy enough to set up (it was a contract type). I got a sim from the store that day and used that as my Brazilian phone number during my 2 years in-country. Canceled it when I left the country.
Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance?
Not really difficult as the insurance was connected to my employment package. I’m not sure what it’s like for those not connected to an employer. I can say that in general the health care seems to be good quality, there are a lot of over the counter products, and the prices of certain items/medications which usually carry a high cost elsewhere, seemed to be quite cheap there and many offered over the counter (inhalers, strong pain meds, etc….). Something that might be good to know: the couple times I needed medical care in the country I needed to pay out of pocket first and then get reimbursed for the total I spent. Not sure if all packages are like this – but for me it was like this.
What did you bring with you?
I brought about 8 suitcases. Mostly I brought my personal clothes and shoes (most countries do not carry my shoe size!), artwork for my apartment, school supplies, my instrument, and general items which I thought would make it comfortable for me to live. Double check your airline because while it was easy fro me to enter the country with about 4 suitcases on my own – I know that others had a very difficult time getting to the airport and having to ditch up to 2 suitcases worth of materials because their airline or ticket wouldn’t accept certain excess baggage between North and South America. When I left, I took about 4 suitcases out of the country with me, and I shipped several boxes via the company DHL because it was relatively affordable to do so.
How did you find an apartment?
The school (my employer) found and paid for my apartment for me. When I landed, they picked me up from the airport, took me and dropped me off at my new apartment and left me with the keys to settle in. It was super nice and easy. If you didn’t have an employer to help with this, I think it would be much more difficult and time consuming. I can’t speak to the price per month since I didn’t pay for my rent, but I also know the price depends (like in a lot of cities) on the neighborhood you live in and what’s around you.
What surprised you about life there?
I think I was most surprised by the diversity of the entire population. How people looked, how they talked, how they interacted with you, how they love, how they live. It’s a beautiful thing that I wasn’t prepared to experience. Oftentimes I was mistaken for a Brazilian because Brazilians look so different from one person to the next.
Living in Brasilia
What was the most impressive wildlife you saw in Brazil?
I don’t remember seeing any impressive insects, but I did visit the Pantanal and there were some amazing birds and other wildlife that made it an incredible experience! Jaguars (several!) Water Buffalo, birds such as Toucans, Herons, Macaws and King Vultures. I still hope to make it back one day to visit the Amazon and to see Iguazu Falls.
Tell us about your experience with the Carnival of Rio!
My experience at Carnival was AMAZING. It was one of the most significant moments in all my travels around the world and a true treasure of an experience from my time there. I miss it dearly. I got to go to Rio for Carnival in February of 2020, what would be, unknown to us, the last Carnival for a stretch of about 2 years – just before the world was shaken and shut down by covid.
Carnival in Rio is an atmosphere – it’s a big party – it’s infectious. People are so inviting and so down to earth. Everyone is out in the streets living their best life – the community atmosphere is unlike anything else! My friends and I dressed up in our most glittery, crazy outfits with masks and set out to the Sambadrome. The Carnival parade lasted all night… literally all night. When the night was over was when we left the parade grounds and saw the sun rise on the beach that morning!
Where do foreigners usually live in Brasilia?
As a single person who wanted to walk everywhere – I lived in the fairly popular neighborhood of Asa Sul. I know many others who lived in Lago Sul, Lago Norte, or in Asa Norte, etc… For living, it was more about – are you in a house with a pool and some land, or are you in a small apartment that comes with location and convenience? Asa Sul is a charming neighborhood and I found everything I needed for day-to-day living just by walking to any nearby commercial.
Do Brazilians speak English?
I didn’t get the feeling that many Brazilians spoke English when I lived there, but maybe they spoke far more than I was aware? Perhaps they were nervous to use it and try speaking it with me? I did learn the basic phrases to greet people, order food at a restaurant, and to get by.
What apps / websites / stores did you find useful in your daily life in Brasilia?
The apps for grocery shopping were mainly Carrefour, and other smaller shopping sites or direct through the grocery store website – Pao de Acucar, or Big Box, etc….. For transportation and ordering takeout, I used Uber and UberEats a lot! These all might have been improved, or changed since I’ve last been there though….
What are your favorite cities in Brazil?
I’m a huge fan of Rio. I love Sao Paulo, too, and I love some of the other beach cities that I visited – Fernando de Noronha, Porto Seguro, Porto de Galinhas, etc…. Brazilian Beach cities just offer an unparalleled traveling experience – whatever you’re looking for – you can find it in Brazil. There’s this fun and relaxed atmosphere in Brazil when you travel – sort of the “Life is Good” “Take it Easy” “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” philosophy. And this is so crucial to their personalities as people, too. So warm, and so truly Brazilian.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Brasilia?
This is a hard question to answer since everyone’s spending is so unique to them. I was a single person living in Brasilia – so for me a decent wage for my middle of the road lifestyle was approximately 10-20,000 BRL per month. This did not allow me to save much, but did afford me a nice life. This number is without rent and utilities or transportation included – since I didn’t pay for those things. If you were paying rent, or had a family to feed, you’d need a fair bit more than this I would imagine.
Did you learn Portuguese?
I did not learn much Portuguese. Since I was only there for a short time, I didn’t invest in learning it. I actually found the Brazilian accent to be a bit difficult to understand. But, that being said, I do not think Portuguese is a difficult language to learn, and had friends who studied and felt quite confident after only about 1 year of living there. So, it’s definitely doable. It’s also worthwhile to note, while they do not speak Spanish and they might frown upon you speaking it back to them, it may be helpful to you at first in your comprehension if you know a bit of Spanish as some is similar to Portuguese. One of my friends who was fluent in Portuguese from Portugal also found it a bit difficult to understand the Brazilians from time to time. I think the secret is to just grab a teacher, go out, explore and try to speak it.
What is Brazil famous for?
Chocolate, coffee, wood, beautiful people (read super physically fit people!) and amazing vibrant warm culture!
What are your favorite things to do in Brasilia?
Hanging out on the Eixo on Sundays and riding my bike to the city park! Going to the Pontao (near the lake).
Did you feel safe as a woman?
I felt safe for sure. Brasilia is hugely residential and located in the national capital region – so it’s quite safe – good for families and is very outdoor friendly.
What are your favorite Brazilian dishes and restaurants?
Pao de queijo
Acai!!!!!!!
Agua de coco
Acai!!!!!!!
Agua de coco
Final Thoughts
What is the most recent thing you've read in the news about life in Brazil?
Not much – but I know their political scene has been rocky for a while. Hoping they figure that out!
What do you know about Brazilian music?
SAMBA – Brazilians gave the Samba style/genre to the world! It’s a beautiful thing. Sadly, in my 2 years there I didn’t get to take any lessons or participate in any local music making – because I was primarily there to teach music in an international school setting. However, the local music that I heard from colleagues and friends, and the music that I heard being made at Carnival was one of a kind and a true treat to witness. They are a very musical people’s culture.
What are some disadvantages to living in Brasilia?
For a couple or family raising kids, Brasilia is a lovely and ideal place to be. For a single person, I felt like I could have been back in my small rural town in North Carolina. So, some drawbacks in terms of nightlife, and access to lots of typical city things, but the flights to Rio or Sao Paulo were there if and when I needed them.
Any advice on immigrating to Brazil? What visas do Americans need?
I’m not sure what visas are needed – but I know that Brazil is typically very bureaucratic. So, applying and getting accepted for an employment visa could be quite a daunting task on your own. My employment visa was procured by the school and took many months of paperwork processing and even a third-party agency to make sure all my items were sorted out. The employment visa lasted for 2 years and I only needed to go through that process once. I am pretty sure Americans can apply for some kind of dual/permanent residency status if they live there for 4 years or longer. So, that’s a bonus if you go and love it and want to stick around. I believe that tourist visas are easy enough to get and extend if needed only for tourism.
Thank you Rachel for sharing with us your experience in Brasilia! It looks like quite a unique culture and I am sure that as a Music teacher you really enjoyed the celebrations! I hope you will be able to go back to see the things you’ve missed soon 🙂
