I’m a 23-year-old Leo from a small town in Brazil called Flores da Cunha in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A couple of years ago, I became “almost famous” as the “Slang Guy” in a twitter post that took a humorous look at American slang from a Brazilian’s perspective.
The tweet garnered more than four million views, and was trending for months in Charlotte, North Carolina, Houston, Texas and New York City. I was featured on the BuzzFeed website, and even did an interview with the Karson & Kennedy radio show in Boston.
So, here’s the story about how the tweet came to be—and about the best summer of my life (they’re related, trust me!). This was the summer that I spent in Texas, USA, as part of the Lions Clubs International’s Youth Camps and Exchange Program.
The Texas Lions made me feel like I was part of their family.
Becoming a Leo
I got involved in the Leo clubs through a friend who invited me to a meeting. I thought, “Wow. Volunteering—how nice.” I’ve always wanted to do something for my community, so I started helping people at some of the service activities that my Leo Club, LEO Clube Flores da Cunha, hosted.
Then, one of my fellow Leos told me about the Lions Youth Camps and Exchange Program (YCE), where you get to travel abroad, and a host family lets you live with them in their home for a couple of weeks. Lions also host camps where young people from all over the world come together to participate in service and activities—and have some fun. The YCE really appealed to me, so Lions Clube Flores da Cunha became my sponsor club, and they got the ball rolling.
Everything IS bigger in Texas
I had the opportunity to travel to Texas at the end of June in 2016 through the YCE, and I’m really happy that I did because it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I didn’t know too much about Texas, but I’d heard that there were a lot of cowboys, and people wearing cowboy boots, and that everything was big there. I couldn’t wait to explore my larger-than-life host state!
When I arrived in Dallas, it was there, in one of the biggest airports in the world, that I met my host family. They took me to lunch, and I ordered a giant hamburger with French fries—the perfect meal for a new Texas arrival. We had a great time getting to know one another, and the days I spent at my host family’s home were awesome. At night, we’d take walks with their dog, Teddy, and marvel at the crystal-clear night skies with a million-and-one glistening stars.
Then I spent a week at the Julien C. Hyer International Lions Youth Camp with young people from the four corners of the world. We hosted a talent show for our host families, and gave presentations about the United States and the countries each of us is from. And we played sand volleyball, soccer and basketball. On the Fourth of July, we roasted marshmallows over a crackling campfire and made a delicious chocolatey treat called s’mores. We all became very close to one another, were endlessly happy and felt loved. We knew we could count on each other.
The Texas Lions and my fellow campers visited amazing places like the Palo Duro Canyon, Jacob’s Well, The Alamo in San Antonio, The University of Texas at Austin and Blue Hole Regional Park in Wimberley. We played baseball, laser tag and volleyball at pool parties, and went bowling. We toured museums, and visited amusement parks and the Dallas Cowboys stadium.
When I got famous
Now for the famous part. I’d studied English for seven years, but was unfamiliar with American slang. When I came to America, there were some words that I hadn’t learned in class, so I asked my host sister, Chandler Hoagland, to teach me the meaning of some terms, like “swag”—which means “cool”—or “bucks” which refers to “money.”
On our way to a rodeo, she began tweeting about me and my adventures with American slang. By evening’s end, the tweet was getting a lot of traction. People were retweeting, liking and commenting about the tweet. Some girls tweeted that I was cute. I laughed, but was thankful for all the kind comments I received because it was a positive way to make the world a better place.
Getting famous was fun. My friends from the youth exchange wanted to take selfies with me, and made jokes like “Oh, you’re late because you’re a celebrity now.” A guy stopped me on the street to tell me he was following me on social media, and that many others were following me, too, and sending messages. All of a sudden, people wanted to know more about me.
So for all you fans out there—here are a few personal tidbits. I love learning new things! I’m a law student, focusing on international and environmental law, and am studying Spanish, French and English. I play the piano and a little guitar, and have been singing in a choir for seven years. I volunteer for the LEO Clube Flores da Cunha in southern Brazil, and serve as its campaign director. I’m also the social media director for Distrito Múltiplo LEO L D
2018/2019.
Not goodbye. Just see you later.
As our youth exchange came to a close, we gathered for a final dinner. Here, we shared food from each of our contries along with a generous helping of compliments and sentiments. Almost everyone was in tears. Happiness and love permeated the room, as did hope—hope that the whole world could be like this. A world in which Lions bring young people together from many different countries and cultures, and where each person is respected and accepted, and everyone lives in harmony. What a magical evening this was—one that I will never forget.
I went home with more than just great memories. The food was so good that I gained ten kilos—22 pounds!—in the five weeks I was there.
The Texas Lions made me feel like I was part of their family. They were so kind to me, and for that, I will always be thankful.
It’s true. Everything is big in Texas. The parking lots are big, and the soft drinks are huge, even if you order a small one. Everyone has a big truck. But the biggest thing of all is the hearts of my Texan Lion friends, family and foreign students. Their big-hearted warmth, generosity and love has changed my life for the better...forever.
Learn more about the Lions Youth Camps and Exchange Program.
Leo Leonardo Romano Nery is a member of the LEO Clube Flores da Cunha in Brazil.
