Prologue

When my friend Alex said, “You should come to Rio with us next time!” The year was 2004 and a lot had happened to me in that one day in August that had lead me to Alex’s dinner table. Between now and then we became close friends. I say this only to point out that this trip has significance beyond just going to another place. It’s something a friend and I have talked about doing for a long time. That is important for me. It is important that I live a life of “I wanted to and I did” as opposed to “I’ve always wished I could have.” And now, even if I had to go home tomorrow, I’ve been to Rio de Janeiro. I wanted to do it and I did it