I’m getting ready to leave Brazil for the holidays, and maybe 10 days or so before my flight, I start to get emotional. Even though I’ll only be gone for a couple of weeks, I get even more attached and want to hold onto every ounce of my Brazilian life. I order suco de acerola instead of Coca Cola. I forgo my iPod as I walk to the grocery store so I can listen to the sounds of my surroundings. I take pictures of the street art and trees I pass everyday that usually goes unnoticed. I start to notice the beautiful yet ordinary things around me, and I realize: this is my neighborhood.