It’s snowy in Chicago now, and the temperature is below freezing. Getting out of bed is a daily 10-minute painful ordeal. Every morning when that alarm blares, you know the last thing you want to do is leave the comfort of your warm cozy bed and the twenty million layers of blankets and comforters that you’ve burrowed into. Alas, as responsible adults, we must get up and face the Artic world waiting outside our doors. For now though, let’s transport ourselves to Brasil, where it’s the start of summer now, and imagine that delicious feeling of the sun caressing our bare skin, the feel of sand between your toes, the sounds of the waves crashing on shore, and the sweet smell of caipirinha wafting from the beach stalls by the famous boardwalk of Copacobana…

 paradise on earthoutside the majestic Copacobana HotelCopacobana Beachstreet musicianLago Rodrigo de FreitasIpanema Beachone of the many sarong vendorssweets from the bakeries around Copacobana