Taking a sabbatical leave to Brazil: an experience explained by Johannes

Have you ever wanted to travel somewhere but you always keep thinking "I wish I had the time to do it", or "I can't leave my job just for a couple of months"? Probably yes, like most of us.

There are some experiences that require time, and sometimes it can be hard to fit that dream into our adult life. However, experiences are important because they enrich us. Travelling and exploring other parts of the world and cultures can open our minds by showing us different perspectives of life. And that, can add a lot of value to a person's day to day life and job!

At SysEleven we understand the importance of giving our employees the opportunity of pausing their jobs for a little bit so that they can live a dreamy experience, so taking a sabbatical leave is one of our most successful benefits.

Johannes from Marketing decided to take two months off to travel to Brazil, and he explained us his amazing experience there.

Hope you enjoy it!

Two-month sabbatical in Brazil: What I planned to do and what I actually did

First of all, Brazil is amazing. The country has everything I need. The friendliest and happiest people, impressive nature, a diverse culture, and good food.

What I did

I was in Rio de Janeiro for two months, from December until January. 5 days a week I had language lessons at Caminhos Language School in Ipanema. I had 4 hours of classes in the morning and some homework (which I didn't do every single day), and we had some time off at the end of December. I completed Portuguese level A1.

Mais Caminhos

The language school is part of the NGO Mais Caminhos. The profits from the language school go to the NGO Mais Caminhos, which promotes education and maximises the potential of underprivileged children and teenagers from Rio de Janeiro's communities.?They do an amazing job.

I also spent some of my free time volunteering, which allowed me to meet many Cariocas (people from Rio) in the age of 20-30 years old who got access to a better education thanks to the Mais Caminhos support. Some of them were able to study and are now they are giving back to the community during their free time.?It's nice to see that the NGO's work is successful.

If you are not born privileged, life is not easy in Rio; the differences in society are huge. Also, Rio de Janeiro continues to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world, which has a major impact on everyday life and growing up there. Mais Caminhos makes life there a little bit better and their support is worthwhile.?

Freetime

I spent my free time with the other students (mostly Gringas and Gringos like me) from the language school classes, and the people from Mais Caminhos. We played football, went to the beach, did Churrascos, partied at Blocos… life in Rio is outside, nobody stays at home.

One highlight was New Year's Eve on Copacabana beach.

What I actually had planned

2022: Two years ago I wanted to visit some friends in Brazil. Before my first day of work at SysEleven, Covid started and my plans got cancelled. Thanks to Lufthansa, I could postpone my flight for so long without any problems.

October 2023: I wanted to do a tour to the Amazon jungle of Eirunepé. I wanted to climb with monkeys, sing with parrots, and swim with caimans, and I also have a friend working there. However, the plane that was supposed to take me to the jungle crashed at the end of October, so I decided to take alternative and go there by boat.

December 2023: There was a persistent drought in the Amazon. My destination, the small town of Eirunepé was not accessible anymore: not by plane, not by boat, and there are no roads. But, at the same time, I already liked Rio de Janeiro so much that i decided to stay.

Also, the city and state of Rio de Janeiro had an incredible natural forest feeling kind of light.

So, in the end, I didn't really miss the real forest. I really enjoyed my time in Brazil. I couldn't have imagined it any better.?