Hello, we are Alexa Santillana, Allan Peralez, and Steven Garrido Hidalgo, and we were three of the students in the Hopkins Intersession Brazil – Health, Politics & Cultural Studies in Bahia study abroad program. Although it was just a little over two
weeks, our schedule was packed with plenty of lectures and excursions that kept each day productive and exciting!

Our second day in Salvador, we had an Afro-Brazilian dance class led by Antônio Cozido. And wow! It was such a workout, but it helped our group lose our inhibitions and feel more comfortable with one another. And it also introduced us to the word “axé,” a word Antônio would have us shout multiple times after power posing. Axé is a word from the Yoruba language, and it’s a religious greeting in the Candomblé religion, as well as the name of a music genre created in Salvador which is sort of like a samba-reggae mix. From what we have read and learned in Salvador, when used as a greeting, it serves as a “votive greeting of happiness (Diálogo Brasil). And we share this, because the word axé really encapsulates the overall mindset we had throughout the trip.

We thought of axé when we met and went dancing with our host moms (who only spoke Portuguese, surprise surprise!), as we hiked to and trekked through the ancient Lapa Doce Cave, as we donated backpacks to impressive young students practicing Capoeira in Lençois, and as we took a tour of the Nova Sussuarana community to learn about sanitation efforts there. It was a reminder that not just in Salvador, but in life, we should greet every new experience and discovery with happiness and an open mind.

In sum, if you’d like to learn and have fun in a vibrant new city with fascinating history and a beautiful culture, this program is the one for you!