12 Things You Only Understand If You Grew Up In Campinas, São Paulo

I wouldn’t change growing up in Campinas, São Paulo for anything. Since growing up, I’ve moved to Chicago, but a piece of my heart will always be in Campinas. Here are 12 things you’ll only understand if you grew up in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil!

12. Every Easter you got a massive chocolate egg and your local supermarket looked like this.

You got one from your parents, one from your grandparents, …school, aunt, uncle…. So. Much. Chocolate.

As you got older you got less, though.

11. You may say you hate the Brazilian music style “funk”, but you’d be lying if you said you don’t secretly like at least one song. (Same goes for “sertanejo”).

10. You either loved or hated celebrating Carnaval, but regardless of how you felt about it, you still enjoyed getting a one-week vacation.

An American equivalent would be a Mardi Gra + Spring Break combo.

9. Your cravings for a big plate of strogonoff with “batata palha” and rice, churrasco, coxinha, and açaí never go away.

And I bet you also miss the ice cream at “Sergel” or “Sonho de Verão”.

8. For New Year’s Eve, you dressed in white from head to toe to watch the fireworks.

7. If you went to a kid’s birthday party, you definitely remember eating your weight in “brigadeiros” and getting a treat bag that looked exactly like this afterwards.

6. Even if you weren’t a member of the “Equestrian Society of Campinas” you’ve been there at least once.

To their “Festa Junina” (July Party).

Or because someone you knew had their “Festa de Debutante” (15th Birthday Party) there.

Or their restaurant/wooden playground.

5. “Shopping Iguatemi Campinas” pretty much sums up your weekend plans during your pre-teen years in 3 words.

and its expansion was so exciting.

And you got used to seeing dozens of cows (yes, cows) in the fields right next to it.

4. The “Feirinha Hippie” was too adorable to pass up and it sold pretty much anything you could think of.

Food, clothing, CDs, toys, accessories, paintings, furniture… the list goes on.

3. Cambuí’s bars + Laroc Sunset Club = your nightlife

And because the legal age for drinking there was 18, being considered a minor again sucks.

2. You had an awesome childhood if you had a stack of these somewhere in your house

But if you didn’t, you probably got to read them at your dentist’s waiting room

1. In middle school, your popularity was kind of defined by whether or not you had soccer skills and/or American clothing & candy.

Warning: If you’re living in Chicago now, swiping through the weather app can incite a little jealousy (and homesickness).

“Oh, you’re from Brazil? Must be hard adapting to the Chicago winter, huh?”
“Yes… yes it is.”