It all started with reading the newspaper (gasp.)

I came across an announcement by the Prior Lake Rotary Club, seeking applicants for an exchange trip to Brazil.

The brief notice asked for people who lived or worked in the area to apply for a “Group Study Exchange Program” to Brazil.

Hmm.

I kept reading, looking for a catch.

The requirements? You must be age 25-40 (check). You must have worked in your profession for at least two years (check). You must gain approval from your employer to travel and study abroad for a month (…need to check, but probably…)

As I read on, I realized I could apply.GSE Team Brazil: (from left)
Emily Geyer, Joanna Miller,
Leah Sedler, and Tasneem
Baldiwala, all of Minneapolis.

After listening so often to the local school district’s emphasis on global perspectives during meetings, I realized that this was a great post-college opportunity to gain something I’d missed out on.

I prepared an application.

The Prior Lake Rotary Club accepted me as a candidate and passed the packet on to Rotary District 5960, which spans portions of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

I got a call a few weeks later to attend a three-hour group interview.

Three hours?

With somewhat clammy palms, I prepped for one of the most intensive interviews I’ve had. I found myself in the company of impressive young professionals from major corporations, along with a panel of Rotarians who asked the hard questions, as we moved through subcommittees for “questioning.” After a brief individual presentation and a wrapup, they gave us each feedback and said they’d let us know.

Waiting.

Waiting.

I totally blew it.

No, you did OK.

Nope, you, for sure, totally blew it.

Waiting.

Then, of course, when I least expected it, my cell phone rang as I was heading out the door to run errands. Our new Team Leader Melanie Mogg of Little Canada, Minn., said I was selected to travel and work with journalists in Brazil from the end of April until June.Tasneem and I hit the books at
a Minneapolis Community
Education Portuguese course.

The trip, funded by the Rotary Foundation with a gift from the local Rotary to cover costs of a uniform and a portion of the travel Visa, didn’t have a catch, but we would begin a months-long effort to speak conversational Portuguese by our departure date, as well as learn about the culture and country.

As the first person to ever depart on a Group Study Exchange through the Prior Lake Rotary, I’ve been navigating my way through the program since then.

My other teammates? Tasneem Baldiwala, a 3M Company analyst, Emily Geyer, a U.S. Bank marketing project manager, and Leah Sedler, an English as a Second Language teacher, all of Minneapolis.

Together, we’re meeting weekly, if not more frequently, to attend Portuguese courses – you may also find us listening to Pimsleur audio CDs in our cars or using Rosetta Stone on our computers or with our noses in a “Portuguese in 10 Minutes a Day” book.

As the trip nears, I’ll keep Prior Lakers posted on our progress, setbacks, findings and, most of all, adventures as we explore Vitoria, Brazil during May.

Look for photos and updates on my blog at www.plamerican.com. I hope to share this experience with the community as the adventure unfolds.

Joanna Miller can be reached at (952) 345-6375 or jmiller@swpub.com.