Six Miles Above the Amazon

 

https://wikitravel.org/en/Brazil 

   There is something special about writing 35,000 feet in the air and then posting it in my blog. Up until recently, that just wasn’t possible. Of course, it was always possible to write on an airplane, but I always had to wait until I landed to be able to post anything on my blog. This all changed when the airlines began offering Wi-Fi in the sky. So, for $17 I bought 4 hours of Wi-Fi and am writing this post and texting with a few folks at the same time. It is very cool.
     I always expect to write something more intense or profound at high altitudes. Maybe it is just the fact that I am aloft that gives me lofty ambitions. When I used to travel a lot for business, I often got to sit in Business or First Class. That gave me a feeling of being a bit more special. Probably, I was also that since I felt a bit more special whatever I wrote should be a bit more special as well. The bottomless glass of whisky available in the premium seating might have also contributed to the belief that I was capable of being more profound than my sea level self.
     These days I am in coach. Thanks to my lifetime status with American, I am usually able to sit in the extended leg room section. I greatly appreciate that as it does make flights to China the past two summers and now this overnight flight to Brazil much more comfortable. It also allows for more room for my laptop. This time is even more comfortable as the middle seat in my row is empty. So, all in all, it is relatively civilized, and I barely miss the whisky. The warm mixed nuts? That is another matter altogether.
     I am travelling to Sao Paulo. It is a trip of twelve professors, students, and alumni of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management of North Park University. Every year, we organize an International Experience trip where we pick a country or city to visit. We spend time visiting businesses and nonprofit organizations. We also get two to three days for pure tourism. Several of the students take a for credit course tied into the trip. They are required to keep a journal and write a paper about their experience. I keep a journal and write blog posts just because it is what I do.
     I tend to be involved on these excursions when the destination city or country is in Latin America: basically, my old stomping grounds. This was the case when we went to Costa Rica two years ago and also this year where Sao Paulo is our destination. I have not been in Sao Paulo for eleven years and it will be good to be there again. I will get to visit with old friends and even tour a factory in which I spent a lot of time.
     In Costa Rica, my connections were really valuable in setting our itinerary. For this trip, my connections are only responsible for two of the eight site visits. We have two North Park alums in Sao Paulo, Felipe and Deborah. Felipe was a student in two of my classes and has arranged for us to visiting his father’s text book distribution business. Deborah graduated from our Music School and, while I never knew her at North Park, she has graciously arranged a trip to Sao Paulo Symphony for a behind the scenes tour, seeing a rehearsal, and meeting with the executive director!
     Look for a few more not for credit blogs.