Final Notes

Well, since the name of this blog was Rio de Janeiro life, I feel compelled to terminate it. We no longer live in Rio and the life we had there has changed to one of different circumstances. Now the frustrations are newer and the enviroment a bit more organized. We enjoyed our stay in Rio de Janeiro, but all things have their season and now we face a new way of life. I hope to continue this blogging on a new level. Life is meant to be remembered, cherished, and shared.

Victory, then New Challenges

Well, we arrived a few days ago in Philadelphia. Great city! Beautiful place, cleaner than I imagined. We rented a car and have been exploring the neighborhoods. What a difference from Rio de Janeiro. Just speaking english for a change is pretty cool. We have already made a list of places we would like to live, and last night saw one of the potential schools for Mickael, in south Philly. Today we go to meet the administrators of the schools and make a decision where best to put him. We are all excited and some of the stress that we acquired during the last few weeks is starting to wear away and be replaced by new challenges and concerns. Now comes the part where we bury the seeds and see if they take root.

Emancipation

I told my wife yesterday morning that we were being taught a lesson (or lessons) in patience. We found out that she can travel without her Brazilian passport since she has an American one, whew! Today we embark on a new adventure! The buildup has been exasperating. We have been at each other's throats for a few weeks now. I stepped back from the scene last night and took a look at how this has strained our emotions and nerves. "Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger." I am sure our relationships will be fortified by this, but there are still miles to go before we realize just how much.

Almost There!

Wow! What started three months ago is nearly complete. We are leaving tomorrow! We decided to stay in a hotel for the first few days to check on the locations of Mickael's schools. After that, I am not sure if we will go to a temporary or permanent place. A lot of stress the last few weeks, and it seems to be reaching a cresending climax. Rosana lost her passport a few days ago and we have been frantically trying to find it. Not sure what the implications are yet. I have always said everything happens for a reason....but this?

Packing, Arranging, Planning

We found someone to rent our apartment in Rio. They are a group of Italian students who will stay 6 months. Arianna, Gregorio and Alissia (I think her name is). I think another person may join them as well. Now we just have to sell the car and finish packing. The wife has been stressed, and I can feel the growing pains from these wings we been sprouting. We are praying for direction and consulting sources for contacts .

Making the move!

Well, all those loose ends are getting tied up. The moving companies are negotiating our freight, and just who will take the apartment for short term is still up in the air. A few people and assorted couples have visited but still no one has commited. Our faith is not diminished however as this just causes us to pray and visualize even more! Mickael is antsy, the wife is a bit flustered since she is the one who worries the most. Me, well, I am doing what I can to research and make a plan of attack once we get there.

Aiming for the Target!

When we decided to make this move, it was pretty much out of necessity and desire. We love an adventure, but life here has become a bit redundant. Opportunities are rare, and we had decided twice before to move to the U.S. but it never materialized due to manifesting money or a job. This time it looks like the real deal, we are decided and determined to make this one a reality. A lot of negativity faces us, on both sides, the economies being the biggest. We have always manifested what we needed, when we needed it, whether it be a car, a job, or a place to live. This time we are testing fate, strengthening our wings, and pretty much flying solo. It should be interesting.

Details, Details...

There is so much to consider, what to take, what to sell. We have to manifest someone to rent this apartment as well. I am starting to feel more like it is becoming a reality. Still a bit surreal. I mean, it is not like just moving to another apartment, or moving to another city. It is moving to another CONTINENT! We have done this before, but always had some kind of connection. This time we are winging it, completely! The bond that we share, the relationship, is sure to grow. Mickael is so excited, he wants to know each day when he comes home what kind of news and progress we have made. Faith in God a must.

Making Plans

We have moved a few times, back and forth from the U.S. to Brazil and back. We have always had a cushion to land on, a job or place to stay. This time, we are pretty much winging it, at least as of right now. We do not have any friends to speak of, no job perspectives, and nary a place to lay our weary heads. Now, I know it sounds absolutely crazy, and I would be worried if it weren't for faith and love. Seems the more time we spend together, the stronger and more confident I feel that what we are doing is but the next step in our journey. When that eagle first jumps off the cliff, he has faith that his wings will carry him. When the astronaut is sitting on the launch pad, he has faith in the engineers to put him out there and bring him back in one piece. So now, as we wait for our place on the tarmac, to jet into the unknown, my faith lies in the Creator, and in the love we share, to get us through, and give us peace.

Philadelphia Here We Come!

After a lot of research, and some soul searching, not to mention consulting the I Ching a few times, we decided to move to Philadelphia. It has always been Mickael's favorite choice. We heard both good and bad things about both places but Philadelphia being so near New York, wellll....we couldn't resist. There are still a lot of details to be worked out, but at least we have made a decision and have something in our scopes.

Decisions, decisions...

We finally decided to leave Rio for sure. We have studied our options and narrowed it down to either Miami or Philadelphia. After looking deeper into the pro's and con's of each, we decided maybe Philly was the best choice. Now comes the chore of getting all our stuff in order, finding a school for Mickael, the details of taking our dog, Harley with us, and of course, a job and place to live. It should be interesting, abeit a little scary.

Peace

Just a day after we had decided to seiously consider a move back to the U.S. because of the violence here in Rio de Janeiro, our sister in law's grandfather was shot dead in a robbery downtown yesterday. Evidently when he stepped off the elevator, the robber was waiting. When he resisted giving up the money, the robber shot him in the chest and he died. What compounded the tragedy was that his daughter was with him and witnessed it. May he rest in peace.

Hippie Fair on Sunday

We went to the famous Hippie Fair in Ipanema on Sunday. It is located on Praça General Osorio (Visconde de Piraja and Teixeira de Melo) It is much more organized and of a higher quality than the last time I went. A lot of jewelry, handbags, stones and decorations. Our friend Maya bought some candles and a few gifts to take back home. It was fun. After that we went to Galeria on Teixeira de Melo where they have a boutique on Sunday and DJ who spins good dance music. Afterwards we ate at the new Gula Gula on Henrique Dumont (very nice and good food)

(Photo by Maya)

Stones and Crystals in abundance

There is a store, in Recreio, past Barra da Tijuca, and it is called Legep. They have evey kind of stone and things carved in stones (pyramids, tables, balls, eagles, animals etc) Every time we go there I am even more fascinated at the beautiful things they have drug out of the earth. Our friend Maya was mesmerized by the wealth of volume that they have there, especially since her parents are both geologists.

Botafogo Bay

Another really cool (and free) thing to do in Rio is go to Botafogo Praia Shopping and go to the top floor, beyond the restaurants, at the back, there is a veranda that looks out over Botafogo Bay and Sugarloaf, I guess for photos, the best time to go is in the afternoon (4-5pm) but anytime of day is fine, try to pick a nice clear day, since you can see all the way to Niteroi.

Confeitaria Colombo

There is a beautiful restaurant downtown in Rio called Confeitaria Colombo. It was built in 1894 and has the most incredible decor. Massive Belgian mirrors frame the dining area and antique glass vitrines house everything from bottles of wine and liquors to photos of yesteryear. We had a nice lunch downstairs, since the area upstairs was quite expensive and our time was limited.

Started my blog...

Today is May 15, 2008 and Maya helped me create this blog. She is here in Rio from Seattle. Not sure I will post a photo a day like her but I will definately try to keep this current (and alive)