It took incredible persuasion on my part to convince both my mother and father to let me travel to Brazil on my own. I was still a baby in their minds, even though I was 16 years old. Naturally, I thought I was an adult, ready for anything the world had to offer.

I was not a problem child, I argued, so why not allow me to go to Brazil? My father responded that most kids my age went on vacation to a relative’s home in another state, not all the way to another country like Brazil. Ultimately, my father relented due to the intervention of my grandparents, the assistance of my mother and my own tenacity.

My First Brazil Trip
My purpose in going to Brazil was to collect tropical fish and one fish specifically — discus (Symphysodon spp.). I was successfully keeping and breeding these fish and wanted new blood.

My problems in planning the trip were gargantuan, although I never discussed them with anyone. To start with, I could not speak Portuguese (the language of Brazil). And I had never fished for nor collected tropical fish.

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