MEMORY IN MOTION: RIO CARNAVAL
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RIO
After months of preparation, working out and getting myself in shape, I was finally going to Rio for Carnival.
Let's be honest, anyone who's ever seen Carnival knows what that means. Between the samba schools, the bodies, the energy and the heat, you want to feel good in your skin. After all that build up, the time had finally come.
That familiar edge I always feel before a long-haul trip was starting to kick in. I remember feeling deeply grateful because this had been sitting on my bucket list for years. I had earned this one.
Brazil would be my first time in South America, and I arrived with an open mind. Then, on the first day after an incredible day at Ipanema Beach, I caught the flu just two days into the trip. I thought to myself, so much for that.
So, there I was, rationing my energy, counting days and doing mental math about how I was going to make it to the main event. Online creators had warned that this happens more often than people admit, so yes, start taking your vitamin C before you go.
GETTING MY RHYTHYM BACK
II wasn't in bed the entire time though, even if I had to be selective. I skipped a few nights out and, as the medication started to work, my body slowly came back online.
One morning, after a good night's sleep, we headed to a bloco de rua (street party) in the city. By the time we arrived, the streets were overflowing with music, heat and bodies everywhere. We'd come to see Anitta one of Brazil’s hottest popstars, surrounded by what I later learned was more than a million people dancing under the hot Rio sun. It was wild in the best way.
Somewhere during that morning, I realized I wasn't thinking about being sick anymore. My rhythm had returned. From that point on, I paced myself, resting when I needed to and saving my energy for what was coming next, the Sambadrome.
SOMETHING TOOK HOLD
The night of the main event at the Sambadrome felt electric. We arrived early, around 9 p.m., knowing we'd be there until sunrise. Once the parade began, time disappeared. As the first samba school entered, I remember thinking, how could this school possibly have finished last? It was breathtaking.
People often describe Carnival as a party. What unfolded in front of me felt like storytelling, history unfolding in real time. It was truly a physical experience. I came as observer looking from the outside to feeling like a part of it.
As each samba school entered, the batucada carried something that felt ancestral that took hold of my body. At some point, I realized I wasn't tired or sick anymore. I was fully there like I had planned to be.
I danced with my arms raised, carried by the singing procession until sunrise. When the glorious procession of last school crossed the avenue around seven in the morning, I finally understood why they had won.
WHAT I TOOK HOME
When I left Rio, it felt like something familiar had been returned to me. A reconnection to my heritage. To my people. To the deep roots that connect Brazil and the Caribbean where my family is from.
Brazil, with its mélange of cultures and its refusal to forget the past, left me with something I didn't expect. It reminded me that sometimes the body understands things before the mind catches up. And maybe that's exactly what checking of our travel bucket list is supposed to do.
If Rio Carnival ever crosses your path, say yes. It's one of the most extraordinary experiences I've ever had, and one I'll never forget.
Have you ever been to one of the many carnivals around the world if so, what was it like? Tell us in the comments!You might also like these related articles: I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER: STOCKHOLM