A Trip to Rio

A Trip to Rio

Julia and her family waited to get into the stadium. The huge crowd made her nervous. She did not remember Rio de Janeiro being so busy last time her family visited from New York. " It's because of the Olympics, " her cousin Gabriela said.

They finally got to their seats. Julia heard different languages all around her, from Chinese to Russian. Her family spoke Portuguese so fast that Julia could not understand. She felt alone.

The opening-night festivities began. Everyone screamed and cheered. Julia wanted to be excited, too. But their seats were so far away that she could barely see. The loud music made her head hurt. Julia had been looking forward to this trip to Rio. It was a rare chance to see her cousins and other family members. Now, she just wanted to go home.

The next morning was quiet. Suddenly, Gabriela burst into Julia's room. Her little brother, Chaz, followed. “ There's another Olympic event today! " she said. Julia did not really want to go. Her head began to hurt again, but she smiled and got ready. The families walked through shady streets in Gabriela's neighborhood. The block ended at a park. Gabriela grabbed Julia's hand and ran through the trees. They came out on a beach.

Julia stopped and stared. Rio was beautiful. Tall buildings stood along the water. A big mountain rose behind them. “ That's Sugarloaf Mountain, " Gabriela said. White sails floated on the blue bay. It was an Olympic boat race. Julia's headache went away.