I get asked the following question all the time: Becca, if you love Brazil so much, why don't you move there already?!
I know, I know. I ask myself that question, too, sometimes. But it's really not that easy. I have a number of friends who just picked up and went, without a job or a plan, and had the time of their lives... for a few months, maybe a year. I think that is awesome, and I live vicariously through them while they are abroad. But because I'm looking to move to Brazil, for a few years, if not for good, I'd like to go there with a stable job that affords a me a comfortable lifestyle I can maintain for an indefinite time.
I am fortunate, though, to have a great job, here in New York, that feeds my Brazil addiction and allows me to stay up to date on everything that's happening in the land that holds my heart. My buddy from college, Alan Perlman, also has a sweet gig as a surveyor (he travels the world and calculates the cost of living in different cities) as well as a blog where he interviews young professionals pursuing not-your-average careers. I was flattered when he wanted to feature me and my work at Sulia. Check out the interview and Alan's blog here: http://www.the9to5alternative.com/blog/real-time-tweeting-with-becca-alper
You are correct. Just picking up and moving to Brazil can be an incredible, unforgettable adventure, but will likely mean spending some time living on poverty wages in un-air conditioned houses with a rotating cast of freaks and drifters. Getting an American company to relocate you there and pay you in dollars is a much more comfortable, sustainable way to go about it.
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