What's a swordsman without an opponent to duel with? If you want, you can repeat the prior steps and make a second sword. It's usually more fun to get a friend to make one of his own however. That way, your duel will be a test of your craftsmanship as well as your duelling skills. Now that you have a sword, you could go the extra mile and make matching armour to boot. Armour may constitute a breastplate, grieves, gauntlets and even a shield. Part of the fun is thinking up ways to transform the cardboard you have into functional pieces of armour, but plenty of fancy designs are available online as well. Don't forget to decorate your armour! Anything from felt-tipped markers to glued-on construction paper can liven up your cardboard and bring the armour to life. If you're tired of working with cardboard, you can make great looking armour sets using crafts foam. Duelling is possibly the most enjoyable part of having a sword. It allows you to put your sword design to the test. If your friend has a cardboard sword of his own, you should lay down some quick ground rules and jump into it. Duels are most enjoyable when there are rules of how to win. Going in blindly usually results in the swords being swung as hard as possible and getting broken within the first couple of minutes. Bear in mind that the swords are relatively fragile when compared to real swords, and they should be used with that in mind. Start a cardboard fighting group if the idea interests you enough. There are already groups in existence where people meet up and play fight with cardboard weapons. Instead of starting one of your own with friends, you can look online to see if there's already a group in your city. Working some kind of live-action roleplaying (or LARPing) into the game can be fun if you're interested in fantasy or Medieval history. Cardboard swords are perfect for use in costumes and events like Halloween. Even if you have a costume in mind that doesn't necessarily befit a sword, feel free to mix and match ideas. You might be surprised at the response you get when you combine unexpected ideas together. Now that you're relatively experienced in the art of sword craft, you might go back to the drawing board and make a better kind of sword. Consider what was good and bad about the sword you made. If you were to make one again, what would you improve? There's nothing so helpful as hands-on experience, and you'll probably find the second sword is a lot easier (and more enjoyable) to make, now that you know precisely what you're doing.
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One-sentence summary -- Get a friend to make a sword. Make cardboard armour. Duel with a friend. Apply your sword to a costume. Develop an improved sword design.

In order to figure out what you need to change, it's helpful to take stock of your current situation. To get a sense of which pieces of your life you want to recreate, ask yourself a series of questions, and use the answers to help you decide what needs to change. Start by asking: Are you mostly happy or mostly sad? How is your self-image? Do you feel healthy and fit? Are your relationships healthy or toxic? Do you have dreams and goals, or do you just live day by day? What do you value most and what's important to you? What roles do you have to balance? Sit down in a quiet place and close your eyes. Once you're comfortable and calm, try to picture your ideal life. This might mean envisioning people or circumstances that you want to leave behind. While you are visualizing, you might choose to concentrate on a feeling that you want to create, such as peace or love. You can also try to picture a particular circumstance, such as an exciting new career. Once you have a vision, put pen to paper. Writing about what you want can help make it seem more concrete. Take some time to write about the things and feelings that you want in your recreated life. Choose a writing style that works for you. You can make lists, create detailed scenes, or even write dialogue about the way you imagine your new life playing out. You might write about a scene where you nail an interview for your dream job, for example. To do this, you can use pictures or objects that represent the changes you want to make. For example, if you want to move to California, you could keep a map of the state in your car. You could also create a vision board where you gather images. You might pin a picture of a house you like or someone you admire. You could also put applicable quotes and sayings.
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One-sentence summary -- Take inventory of your life. Visualize your ideal life. Write about your new life. Create visual reminders of your goals to keep them in sight.

Assimilating to a culture's ways is a very important part of feeling like you fit in and feeling "at home." Embrace their traditions and etiquette to get a feel for their way of life and to truly experience the country. However, if something doesn't make sense to you, don't do it! You still have your own mind. No culture is better than any other, and therefore their way of life doesn't necessarily have to be adopted. Take traffic rules, for example. If you see a pedestrian timidly crossing the street, you may wish to resist that Brazilian influence growing inside of you and let him or her pass. Never compromise safety or your happiness just to fit in. Going to Brazil on your own can, at least initially, be very daunting. To make the transition easier, find other expats to help pad the culture shock. They are going through the same thing, or have at one point or another. They can point you to all the wonderful "bits of home" they've cultivated. Brazil is huge and multicultural you'll be able to find certain comforts (brand names, certain foods, etc.) if you know where to look. In addition to expat friends, you need native friends, too, to show you the ropes. They'll know all the happening spots, the best places to get food, and show you a side of the country that expats aren't able to. They'll be the ones that give you the most memorable stories, too. Don't know where to start? You can meet people hanging out at cafes, clubs, at futbol games, or through your students if you teach them your language. What's more, some families love taking in foreigners. Next time a friendly looking older woman smiles at you, initiate a conversation just by saying hello and asking her name. You may be a few minutes away from a home-cooked meal! Many expats take trips back home often, or at least take many opportunities to travel. The pollution may get to you if you're in a bigger city, so you'll literally need some fresh air! Listen to your body and mind when are things starting to get to you? It's then that you need to take a break from life that way you can come back rejuvenated and ready to go. If Brazil does start getting to you, sleep on it. Don't write it off quite yet. Sometimes homesickness seems like it's staying forever, but it can be fought through. The rewards, stories, and memories will be virtually limitless if you stay!
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One-sentence summary --
Embrace what you approve of. Look for expat communities to be a part of. Make friends who are locals. Take a breather when you need.