Live from Brazil: 2014 World Cup!

Q: How did the idea of going to Brazil for the World Cup come into play?

A: We try to take an international trip every year. We went to Thailand and Malaysia in 2012 and missed a trip in 2013. So we had to go big in 2014. After waking up at 3am on a random Monday morning to buy our World Cup game tickets, we knew it was really happening. Once the tickets went on sale we were up refreshing the page over and over and over. It was mad funny because we had like 4 computers up in the room like some type of mission control cockpit but hey, it worked lol.   

Q: What were your expectations/assumptions before arriving to Brazil? 

A:

Justin - We knew that we'd meet people from all over the world, and it was cool to see that everybody was there for the same reason: to have a REALLY good time. The country pride was serious and people were repping their flags Haaaard! 

Akil - I don't think expectations could have been any higher for our Brazil Trip. We went to Thailand a few years before and on the plane back and declared it "the best trip ever."  When we started planning Brazil we were kind of antsy because the last trip we took was so good and we didn't know if we could top it.  As the plans for Brazil materialized more and more we started looking at each other like "wait, could this beat Thailand?" lol...

Q: Did it live up to the hype? What are some of your favorite moments? 

A: 

Justin - Definitely lived up to the hype. The food was delicious and the parties went on for days LOL. I'd have to say one of the best moments was when we got to the stadium in Brasilia and realized that we had dope seats. We just knew we'd be in a nosebleed section, but we ended up being 13 rows from the field!

Akil - Absolutely.  We did pretty much everything you could imagine (except hang glide over Rio smh), beach, parties, soccer matches, a little tourist stuff, street markets, met locals and hung out with them, met international folks and hung out with them.  Probably one of the best experiences there was leaving with friends that I still talk to today and will probably meet up with in some foreign city in the future or when they come to the U.S.

Q: You both have traveled to Asia and other parts of the world. How does Brazil compare?

A: 

Justin - For me, Brazil tops my list of destinations. I've been to Beijing, Malaysia, Shanghai, and Thailand but none of them top Brazil. I think a big part of it had to do with the atmosphere and draw of the World Cup, but I had the time of my life. Since I've been to every continent except Antarctica, that'll be my next adventure.

Akil - It's not really fair to compare Brazil for World Cup to Thailand. BUUUUTTT... lol... Thailand was REALLY fun.  We did basically everything we could do in the 10 day span we were there.  But we pretty much did everything we could do in Brazil/Peru as well and I think the fact that Brazil was more like a cultural experience puts it over the top. The music, people, environment and just atmosphere was something I don't think I'll ever experience again.

Q: What has traveling done for you? 

A: 

Justin - I think its given me a much more diverse perspective and appreciation for experiencing new things. It's easy to get wrapped up in the daily hustle, but traveling is my excuse to see what else the world has to offer. Traveling has built some very special memories and stories that I'll never forget.

Akil - It's just an eye opening experience as a whole.  Most times I travel to other countries, I try to go off the beaten path as much as possible. You end up meeting locals and getting tips on the "real" brazil or "real" where ever you are.  It makes you feel like you really experienced the country and the culture. I like that and want to experience that for all of the different places that I go.  I feel like it has a helped me become a more well rounded person... i guess 0_o lol.. 

Q: Do you have any tips for anyone thinking about planning a trip out the country and/or specifically to Brazil?

A: Don't travel with a big group of people.   Keep it to like 4 or less. Its much easier to manage people's needs that way and not have any bickering.  Just saying lol....

Don't over plan your days in a place like Brazil. There is more than enough to do and a lot of times if you keep an open mind, you end up falling into something really fun.  We woke up everyday and just went with the flow.  It allowed flexibility and freedom to just do whatever we felt like. 

AND.. If you're going to Brazil, save your money for the 2016 Summer Olympics. We'll be out there!