Miss, (Not), Love

As of today, we've been in Brazil 19 days. The experts say it takes 21 days to form a habit and I think we're just about there. Our days have found a disjointed pattern dictated by the weather and weekday. Good weather and (not Monday or Thursday morning), we eat and go to the pool. Bad weather, we eat and clean and play computer games. Once in a while we head out to the grocery store. Most days, I fit in some kind of exercise and Aidan and I both spend time reading too.

All that is about to change on the 31st, when the kids start school after Summer break. Until then, we're living in a sort of limbo, creating bad habits we'll have to soon break.

In our brief time here, I've kept an open mind and put my thoughts into three categories- What I Miss, What I Do NOT Miss, and What I Love....about my life in Brazil. Here goes:

What I Miss

My stuff. As most of you have heard, it will take up to six months to get out things shipped and cleared through customs. I miss having my own dishes, gadgets, cooking utensils, vacuum, and plain old rags.

Sudsing detergent. I don't know why, but nothing lathers up here, not dish soap, laundry soap, multi purpose cleaner. I really want some bubbles.

Garbage disposal. Having to scrape food into the garbage is something I'm not used to. Worse is having to empty the sink drain of all the food particles that sneak through. YUCK!

Water conserving shower head. I feel so wasteful every time I take a shower with this gigantic rain shower head. I don't even want to know how many gallons go down the drain.

Ziploc bags. They have a version here, but they're more expensive than buying glass storage containers.

Getting the mail. We get very little mail and the postal service here operates like the Pony Express. I miss my catalogues.

The neighborhood kids ringing the doorbell. I'm not sure if I miss them for me, or for Aidan and Camryn. There doesn't seem to be many kids in this apartment, though most Brazilians are still on vacation. I'd love to have some kids running through my house.

Going out for breakfast. Brazilians don't eat breakfast like Americans. I'd give anything for a Waffle House, IHOP, or Cracker Barrel about now. We may have to venture to the Marriot to have someone cook us some eggs.

Things I Do Not Miss (that I thought I would)

Cream in my coffee. I've started drinking it black again, or sometimes with hot milk.

American brand foods. Although you can get some recognizable brands, they are so expensive that I've tried to buy all Brazilian, which I've found to be as good or better. There's still nothing like a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos when you're feeling homesick though.

A clothes dryer. This one is a shock. We had every intention of getting one, but the store was sold out, so we had to wait two weeks. Now I'm not sure we'll ever get one. The clothes need no ironing and smell so fresh. The towels have a different texture, not so fluffy, but even that has become normal. I haven't decided 100% yet, but I'm willing to try for a while. Plus it's a good arm workout hanging all those clothes.

A backyard. I was very nervous about living on the 17th floor and not being able to put my feet on the ground, but I actually love the privacy. No one walks by the window, no one catches me sun bathing unawares, we don't have to water or mow. I'm thinking this will change eventually, but maybe I was more of a city girl than I thought.

Air conditioning. We live in a million dollar apartment and have no air and I love it. The design is such that every room has cross ventilation and the breezes blow through all day. I haven't slept better than I do here.

Things I LOVE.

The food. Everything tastes "more". The eggs taste more eggy, the butter more buttery, the tomatoes have flavor, the cucumber smell like cucumbers, the meat is lean and flavorful. The breads are bakery fresh. Very little is processed or chemically enhanced. It's amazing how much flavor is lost to preservatives.

The coffee. Need I say more? Coffee is an institution. It is rarely drank "to go". In fact, I haven't seen one cup of coffee in a disposable cup since I've been here. I had the best cup of coffee of my life the other night- at a pizzeria!

The beer. Beer is like water here. People drink it anytime of the day, but not to get drunk. It is served often in large bottles, brought to table in a chiller and is meant to be shared. Even cans of beer are poured into everyone's small glasses and then another one opened. I love the art of Brazilian beer drinking.

The people. They are so eager to help. They are very loving, passionate, and able to show their emotions easily.

The service. People in Brazil take pride in their work, whether they serve food at McDonald's or sweep the street. We have had the best service in restaurants and there is no excessive tipping. A 10% tip is included in the bill and it is very rare to add any additional. Brazilians traveling in the States must be shocked when they go out to eat.

The pride people take in their appearance. Woman especially, do not go out in their sweatpants or exercise clothes. They always are very put together, yet wear very little make-up.

The love of curves. Woman in Brazil have beautiful bodies, but they're not skinny or even very athletic looking. Most have dynamite curves and love to show off in their skimpy bikinis. The beach is quite a people watching place, but not if you're appalled by unperfect people. In Brazil, everyone seems to think they're perfect. No self conscious woman here.

I think I could go on and on about all the things I love, kinda like a Bride talking about her Husband on her Honeymoon. And like newlyweds, I'm sure the mad love for Brazil will wear off and settle into normalcy.

This time next year, I'll probably be longing for the smell of cut grass, the chill of stale air, be sick of the view, crave Velveeta, and long for a rude waiter asking "What do ya' want?" in English.

Yesterday was MLK day in the USA. It was just a normal Monday here, but I posted a portion of the "I Have a Dream" speech that really resonates with me and the life I live.

"We cannot walk alone. As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back." MLK

Whatever I miss, love, never care to have again, I'm not feeling it alone. For the family's sake, I have to keep the love for life in front of me, and always look forward to what's next. I can't look back to life in the United States and long for what was.

I will march forward in Brazil and try to live a dream. So far it's been easy.