Pé na Areia.

Well, that was interesting.  I have never done anything like that before, and I really don’t need to do it again.  That kind of 36 hour international speed run can definitely go in the “been there, done that” category.  To sum it up, I survived and have one dose of Pfizer Covid vaccine on board.  Was taking four flights, renting a car on a Brazilian driver’s license because my Oregon one expired, driving six hours round trip to just find a shot, dragging Life Cereal and the supplies for S’mores through customs back to Brazil, changing airports in Sao Paolo on the way home and only eating one meal in the US worth it?  Yes, barely.  I am now almost three weeks post shot number one, and I will have to wait until we return to US this summer for shot number two, but at least I avoided getting Covid on the way to get my Covid shot.   Being on a near empty 777 on both flights between Sao Paolo to Miami certainly felt pretty safe, and bizarre at the same time.  I think a 777 holds more than 300 people, and neither of my flights had more than 50 people on them, flight crew included.  Four economy seats to yourself is still not a first class bed, but it was certainly nice to stretch out.

And it is May, which is always an exciting month for teachers because it means the end of the school year is coming.  We have five and a half weeks of school left and are allowed to stay in our apartment for at least two weeks after that, which means we are starting to think about exactly when we will return home.  It is strange to be leaving our new home to return to our old home.  There are a million things to do, both to end the school year, and to end our time here.  We have accounts to close, things to sell, birthdays to celebrate, people to say goodbye too, of course, places to still try to visit. 

Speaking of travel, we took another trip just last weekend.  Yes, April was crazy.  Rio for a three day weekend, then a 36 hour trip for me to Florida the next weekend, and then to Maracaipe for four days last weekend.  And yes, once again, we found a magical spot on the the Brazilian coast.  We flew out of Brasilia at 8:30 on Friday morning and were “pé na areia”, foot on sand, by noon.  Morning snorkeling trips to natural tide pools, breakfast by the beach, surfing, dune buggy rides, beach walks for sunset, and trips to see sea horses made for a busy, but amazing four days. Once again, I’ll let the pictures do the talking on this one.  

Today was our first real attempt at packing some stuff up.  One thing that won’t be coming home is many of the girls’ clothes.  They have grown so much,  and we have shopped so little, that their remaining clothes might fit in a backpack.  Luckily our friends have a daughter who loves hand me downs, so anything that has survived our girls is finding a new home.  And as far as Brazilian stuff, we haven’t collected that much new stuff down here to bring home, so it will be photos and memories that make up the majority of our souvenirs.  Having all the stores closed for most of our time down here has really helped us limit our shopping.  Even when the stores have been open, the idea of just wandering around stores and checking things out has not been super appealing.  

Our remaining time here is already starting to fly.  We are hoping to end healthy and have a few more adventures to remember before we find ourselves back in Oregon.  Last call for anyone who wants to join us on an adventure in Brazil!

And despite the insanity of everything, I am already realizing just how much these last two years have brought us.  We have had the chance to really live and be part of a country we didn’t really know much about before we came.  Brazil, with all it’s flaws, is a country of beautiful people and places.  I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but there is something wonderfully different about Brazil and Brazilians that I will always be grateful for having experienced.  

Happy May to everyone! 

Be safe, be happy, and be well,

Love from Brazil,

Adam, Sara, Hannah and Lila

Some of our fishy friends from the reef.  

We didn’t realize just how far out the reef was from shore when we went the first time.  It ended up being quite a walk/swim, but worth it.

Mr Grumpy Crab.  Can’t remember if that is genus or phylum.

More fish friends

Hannah miserable again.

Decided to take a sailboat and local guide back to the reef on day two.  Even better than day one.  And yes,  Lila loves that she is the only one that has to wear a life jacket!

That is Hannah and Lila in one of the pools.  The darker reef around the pool is in about three inches of water.

More fish friends.

Sara and Hannah make a sea star friend.  

Exploring the area by dune buggy.

My new friend Spike.  I am standing waist deep in one of the pools and you can see the dry reef behind me.  The reef is only exposed at low tide and then only for an hour or so before filling back in.