How to weigh your luggage

I know I've mentioned previously that it's a good idea to take your luggage to a FedEx or other location that has large scales in order to weigh your bags before getting to the airport. I learned the hard way by trying to put 70 lb, HUGE, bulky bags on a small scale designed for people that it doesn't work very well. Um, yeah, it's pointless. Well, not completely a waste since I was successful in weighing our two smaller bags. The rest of them we took to our local grocery store (Publix); E made two trips and we got a general idea of how much each bag weighed. 


The only problem with making trips back and forth to weigh your bags is that once you get home you do a lot of rearranging. You remember that one bag was two pounds over and another was three over, but you have no idea how to exactly make them even without dragging them to the store to weigh them again. That is, until I discovered this....thanks to our friends/neighbors who had just bought a brand new Digital Luggage Scale. Our friend was over and she mentioned that her in-laws had purchased a handheld scale and that it can hold up to 88 lbs; she offered to lend it to us so we didn't have to go to the airport without a good understanding of how much our bags really weigh. Simple, small, and easy to use.

The scale that we used doesn't look exactly like this but it does the job, and you can change the unit from pounds to kilos to grams to ounces. All you have to do is place the bag upright on the floor near a staircase and stand on the (approximately) the third step up. Hook the luggage onto the scale and lift (and I mean lift because remember some of these bags weigh in at 75 lbs) and wait for the scale to give you the correct weight of the bag. I don't suggest doing this unless you're strong or want a hernia, so be careful. Luckily I live with a professional athlete. We were easily, and quickly, able to shift weight and volume among the 3-4 bags that we have that were a bit overweight, once we knew their correct weight. Turns out we actually have about an extra 5 lbs to spare overall. That's amazing news because I was worried about that.  


I feel a hug sense of relief, because we all know how stressful this move has been for me (well, for anyone). So we have almost 560 lbs of luggage - and that doesn't count our carry-ons. I'm not worrying about the weight on those because my carry-on luggage has never been weighed before and I'm going to avoid that at all costs. I know that the cat can only be 10 kg (about 20 lbs) including his carrier but we're safe there. What's left to do then? Finish cleaning the apartment, take a trip to the local GoodWill, pack our carry-ons, and meet friends for dinner.

I don't want to clean

I don't really feel like doing anything but moving already. I'm ready to go. When it came to deciding when we'd travel, it wasn't too difficult to choose a date since my contract begins on July 15th. I was out of school in the beginning of June and E could quit any time. I knew that we would need some time to get everything together and I wanted to stay for the 4th of July, so initially this week was when we were going to depart. However, I started to freak out a bit (for lack of a better word), as school was coming to a close, with all the errands/chores we need to do before leaving, so our tickets were bought for next week. We have until next week in the country.


Maybe one more week is the perfect amount of time. I mean, we are mostly packed, even with the set back of having to buy another piece of luggage, and most of our closets and cabinets have been cleaned out at this time. We gave away dishes, a crock pot, a blender, a clock, etc. to friends and even our maintenance man this weekend. The cat has been taken care of (with the exception of our trip to the USDA, but that'll be done in 2 days). So should we be ready? Yes, and I'd say we almost are. We have everything lined up with how we're taking all of our luggage to the airport (thanks to amazing friends!) so there's not much left to finish.


We've said goodbye to my family and most of our friends that we don't see on a regular basis. (That's the hard part I choose not to think about too much). So what is left to do? Oh yeah, clean. Our shopping is done. We're not working. We have to clean. We have to scrub down this apartment before we move out. I have some more papers to organize and then we have to throw away shower curtains and donate bed sheets. Then we have to clean. Clean. Clean. I'm not a lazy person, but cleaning is no fun. However, it's got to be done. Since I don't want to spend my last couple of days in the country cleaning, guess what's on the agenda for today? Breakfast and cleaning out our bedroom closet. At least once the hangers are all taken out and the few shirts hanging up there, I can clean it, vacuum the rug and close it up for good.


I also need to tackle the rest of the kitchen cabinets, the corners of every room, the ceiling fans, and anywhere the cat has been recently. The vet told me yesterday that I'm very organized and it was nice to hear, but it's true because I have to be. Now don't think I'm doing this all on my own. No way. E is helping with everything. He's good with tackling projects that need to be finished; it just can be kind of tough when you know you can't clean out everything because you still need to live here for another week. ......alright, alright, enough writing....time to get back to work. I don't want to clean, but there's nothing else to do.

Turns out there are 8

And so it is....7 suitcases is not enough. It has to be 8. We've already had to make adjustments  as far as what, and how much, we can take with us. But now we have to do it again - in the sense that we had to buy another suitcase. We realistically cannot take all that we had planned in just 7 bags. Although we don't want to pay more for excess baggage (which in the end will fall on my employer), it's better to pay now than to later go in search of the perfect coffee maker (that we already own), among other personal belongings and household items.


I'd prefer to spend $100 now rather than have to go shopping in Brazil where everyone says that many kitchen appliances, for instance, are over priced and at the same time made of low quality material. And this way, moving with 7 suitcases, we should end up with a bit of extra space for more towels, bedding, shirts for me!, and other miscellaneous items that I didn't want to leave behind (i.e. Sebastian's comfortable bed. He'll need something from home, too). I just wonder how we're going to get this all to the airport. Thanks to our friend who will help us get there. We'll have 8 suitcases, 2 carry ons, 2 personal items, and a (crying?) cat. Wish us luck!


Back to our suitcases....each one cannot exceed 70 lbs or we'll be charged extra (which defeats the purpose of us having to add one more bag into the mix). So how do you know if your bag is the appropriate weight? Well, we know that our bathroom scale won't work because it's too small. Only the smallest suitcases will fit. So we've been taking our suitcases to our local grocery store (Publix) since they have a large scale for the public to use. With our first 3 weighed bags we were in luck. They were between 63 - 69 lbs (of course we added weight to the lightest one); however, the 4th weighted 91 lbs! I had to take out heavy items from that one and that's when we knew we need another bag. We'll have to reweigh that bag to make sure that it's no more than 70 lbs. 


So we've completed most our shopping and packing at this point (living in Orlando means outlet malls and shopping malls everywhere). We also have about a week and a half before we're out. I think we've sold our TV, we have a pending cancellation on our TV/Internet, we only have one car and one phone to take care of, I've cancelled credit cards, changed our address with the post office, and we've bought a new carry on bag for me. I learned the hard way that the bag I had planned to take as a carry on to Brazil will not work. It only has straps; I need a rolling piece of luggage, so that's what we bought. If I'm carrying a purse with a laptop and Sebastian, I cannot lug around a bag like I did to New York.  



I'll feel more relaxed once we have at least 6 of our bags packed, weighed, and waiting in the corner ready to be moved (we're about half way there now). This way I can focus on the smaller things as well as spending time with our friends, like the Girl's Night Out coming up this weekend. We're almost there folks! :)

Echoes and piles

I feel like I'm surrounded by emptiness and well, piles. Sounds like an oxymoron, right?  I'd have to say then that with the exception of a foot or two up from the ground in certain areas of my apartment, there's predominantly emptiness in my home. Emptiness in the sense that I have been successful at selling most of what I aimed to. And there are only 2 piles and they are neatly stacked. I had to take everything out of the closets and until we decide if we're taking just suitcases, or if we will take a box and we actually pack, on the floor the books and other documents will remain for now. Plus, with our drawers and tables and bookshelves sold, where else do we put everything?


That's what the piles are made up. And the echoes? All of my artwork off the walls, large furniture gone, and apartment emptying.


You know, as I pack and simultaneously watch the news about the destruction that floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes have done in my country and around the globe, I'm left to ponder over the importance of materialistic goods and belongings that have meaning and bring memories. For instance, my pictures. I just saw on the news the other day that a kind woman who has found a number of photos and other personal belongings of flood victims in the southern U.S. (Mississippi I think) has set up an account on Facebook to try and reunite people with their valuable items. I think that the actions of this woman are admirable and I know that people are grateful for her kindness.


Now I feel that my laptop is important to have with me as I move to Brazil, but is it more so than the stuffed bear that my great-grandmother knitted me? Or my baby pictures and the drawings that I made for my mom when I was in kindergarten? I personally don't think so.


I am just left to consider the importance of what we own - our possessions. People work hard to collect "toys" and other materials - cars, TVs, computers, video consoles, iPads, expensive clothes and watches - but why? I mean, unfortunately a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake can destroy it all in an instant. But what a natural disaster cannot take away from us is our education (although we can lose our diploma), our memories, and who we are as a person (though it may affect us greatly). Maybe this is why I'd rather spend time with family and friends and travel, then buy a diamond ring, a new car, or a large flat screen TV. Nevertheless, I do understand that not everyone agrees with me and I try not to pass judgment. I just don't think that what is tangible is always the most important. 


With this being said, I feel like I should say that I'm not planning on moving to Brazil to live in a wooden house with no TV and only a few pairs of clothes. I just don't think that our electronics, fancy sunglasses, and Nike shoes are really what count in life. Relationships, experiences, and happiness are essential. Now I need to make sure that I have packed up all of my memories aside to take with me.

Our 4th city together

I was just telling my husband (E) tonight, as we took a walk outside, that we will soon be moving to our 4th city together. Sounds like more fun for us to experience together.

Can't wait for more adventure...him and me.

So far we have lived together in....

Manaus (Amazonas)



Clermont (Florida)



Orlando (Florida)

 And soon we'll be in...

Brasilia (Distrito Federal)

T-50 something days

When you have fewer than 60 days before you make an international move you really gotta get on it - that is, the preparations for moving. I realize that I've written blog entry after blog entry on moving and I don't want to beat the dead horse, but if I thought I were doing that, I wouldn't continue to write on the topic. Writing allows me organize my thoughts, track my progress, and potentially help others out there who are experiencing the same transition that I am. And I'd say, after reading the topics that people search for and then are directed to my blog, that I'm not the only person interested in permanent residency in Brazil or being married to a Brazilian, or moving to (Brasilia) Brazil.

I did get a lot accomplished this week as far as taking care of business.

I posted about the little things a few months ago because when you're settling elsewhere there is much that you have to think about. For example, yesterday I called AT& T to change our plan, make sure that our service is going to be cancelled by the middle of next month, and then inquire about pre-paid service so I can pay for my phone service during our last month here before I use it. You can never trust a cell phone company in the U.S. and I don't want to get stuck with a bill I don't know about. This has happened before and I will not go through that again.

We also need to cancel our cable by next month since that service is paid a month in advance. We have decided to not take our flat screen TV with us and my husband is ready to sell it, though I am not sure I am. Not yet anyway. If everything else is gone, at least leave me with trashy TV, the news, and Family Feud. But if we do sell it by the end of next month, we don't need cable...but please, Internet until the day we leave.

Our PC is gone. This was a tough decision for me because the monitor was large and having a desktop is convenient. In addition, I thought about not having to back up all of our documents, close iTunes, transfer music and files and how nice that'd be to not have to worry about any of that. Also, if I'm going to get into translation in Brazil, then it'd be wonderful to have a PC and large screen monitor. However, there's only 2 of us in this house. Do we really need 3 computers? Seems a bit too much. Plus, the monitor would be a pain in the butt to transport, as would the heavy PC, it's keyboard, etc. AND, most importantly, I'm finished with graduate school (thank God!) so it's no necessary, right? Well, turns out we don't need it. Bye bye HP desktop, hello laptops forever. And anyway, backing up our files and restoring the system was not that big of a chore.

I did like writing my blog posts on that computer since the keyboard and screen were much larger than my 13" laptop that I bought for school, but ce la vie. It's not a big deal and I know that I'll get used to using this laptop for everything. It'll just take time. And really, it's not like they don't sell PCs and monitors in Brazil, even if they are more expensive that here. Hey, maybe we'll just buy one on a trip back to the U.S. in the future if we feel the need to. Regardless, that's not an issue we need to take care of at this moment.

My husband and I often talk about how there is so much to do in Brazil anyway, so I doubt we'll spend that much time in the house on the TV and/or computer. When it comes to the TV, I told E that he can make the decision to whether he wants to take it with us or sell it. I was never that into large, flat screen TVs, although I did appreciate it once I had it. We bought the TV that we have because he wanted it, so it's up to him. We were originally going to take it, but as E thinks about the shipping costs and all he has decided, as of now, to sell it. So I guess that's what is going to happen. Either way is fine with me.

Another aspect of moving that we need to think of, besides the kitty of course, is excess luggage. We'll need to buy new (super) large suitcases and take all of my books out of boxes, decide if there is anything in there that I don't need, and pack them into suitcases. I know I have done this (sort through my books) a hundred time, but each time I decide that I don't really need x book because frankly, if I haven't read it yet, or in a few years, than I'm not going to bother. That's what the Kindle is for anyway, aren't I correct? That task of sorting through the boxes won't be hard, but it'll take time. I'd say that moving abroad is more about taking time than hard work. You need to clean, throw away, call utility companies, sort out your bills, scan, organize, pack, buy, and shop around. I also spend time posting ads on-line, answering e-mails, arranging meeting times with potential buyers, and driving to complete our tasks.

Agenda for this weekend: more cleaning, more laundry, more organizing, unpacking boxes, and more phone calls to tie things up. The PC may be gone, but the speakers aren't. I'm glad that I have YouTube to keep me company. 90s hip hop music makes working on chores almost fun :). Check out  Jaheim and one of my favorites by Lucy Pearl and turn your speakers up.

Time to get back to work....until later....

TAM Flight July 2011

The school has bought our plane tickets! 

I am relieved and excited that we will be officially leaving for Brasilia in almost exactly 2 months from now. The school bought us tickets with TAM even though each ticket was $500 more than the cheapest airfare. Their reasoning is because Copa arrives in Brasilia at an ungodly hour. Regardless of their reasoning, it was thoughtful, kind, and will save us so much money because....dare I say it....the best part of having our tickets with TAM is that they allow excess baggage on their flights!

Paying for excess baggage is extremely inexpensive (in comparison to shipping companies). Can you imagine $150 for 70 lbs?? That's amazing! Now we can take our most prized belongings without having to worry to much. We can't be foolish, especially because we have a domestic flight that may not be as generous with all of our baggage, but we'll see how that all goes.

My husband wanted to take his smaller suitcase which is ideal for domestic travel, but not so much for international-I'm-trying-to-shove-all-that-I-own-into-2-suitcases-that-can-only-weigh-up-to-70-lbs trips. Now that we don't have a limit we can take it all. I mean, within reason of course. We don't want to prevent the plane from getting off the ground because it's so full of coffee makers, blenders, a DVD player, and my books.

TAM also allows pets in the cabin as long as they're 10 kgs or less. Our cat is there, but with the carrier his weight cannot exceed 10 kgs so he's on a diet from now until July. This won't hurt him; he's a bit overweight. The only real concern should then be that the carrier case that we have is too large per TAM's pet policy. What's the solution? Buy a soft carrier that we can manipulate to look the right size.

Now we've flown with TAM in the past, but unfortunately we never bothered with frequent flyer miles. This time we'll get 'em. I guess then that it's a good thing that we have to fly all the way to Sao Paulo to turn around and head north to Brasilia.

Anyway, no need to start worrying about the cat, the long flight, or anything else. We're grateful that the school is looking out for us and that we are able to fly on the date that we chose. With our flight to New York next month and then of course this one, we have a lot to look forward to. I LOVE to fly and am excited to have the tickets in my inbox.

the Queen of rubbish

Today I feel like a woman of waste management. Between yesterday afternoon/evening and today, I must have carried out about 4 full trash bags along with empty boxes and other rubbish to the giant garbage dumpster.

It all started when E took out a small suitcase from the back of the closet. One that I'd kind of forgotten. It's his so I don't pay too much attention. Plus, I'm only thinking about LARGE suitcases at this time. Anyway, that's when I realized where all of the translations I'd done in undergraduate were. Imagine if I'd thought to look there a couple of months ago when I was preparing my translation resume and searching for those translations. Oh well. Now I know where they are...and other important, as well as unimportant, documents.

Ah, not only did I find my translations, and pictures/souvenirs from our honeymoon in RJ, but I also found my report cards dating all the way back to elementary school and my birthday cards from my birth day.

And as we pull out empty boxes of literally every electronic device we've bought in the past 2 years from our laundry closet, it makes me question why we think to keep it all. I guess....just in case we'll need to return the PSP or laptop? But we won't. I don't know why we have them, but I'm sure E does since they're mostly his. Well, now we know we don't need them so they've been trashed. Along with old notebooks, syllabi from school, cup holders, and a giant mate cup that I bought in Porto Alegre years ago.

It turns out that we will probably be taking an airline to Brasilia that does not allow excess baggage during the month of July. What does that mean to us? We're now not taking our flat screen TV or our PC/monitor, among other belongings. We'll have to be very selective in what we choose to take, as well as what we choose to ship.

I'm beginning to feel even more of an urgency to get my act together in selling/packing/throwing away. E started it as he packed up new clothes that he's decided to wear only in Brazil and took out that above mentioned suitcase full of papers. And....we went to a party last night where everyone repeatedly asked us, "so, when do you leave?". Of course I was reminded that we literally have 2 months to the day left so we need to get on it.

I mean, I thought we were just going to sell a bit, pack up, and then take everything else with us on the plane. No need to ship out anything before we leave. Less to do and plan. Now it looks like we need to throw away more, sell more (i.e. the TV and PC/monitor), and take less. That makes more work. I mean, it's not as easy as just selling the PC, for example. I have to transfer all of my music on iTunes from that PC to my laptop and then we have to clean it out and then we can find a potential buyer.

I'm so glad that I'm organized and do my research.

In the meantime, at least this weekend, I'm the queen of rubbish, although a cutely dressed one. I'm also a hustler and a saleswoman. I mean, we did manage to sell our laptop desk and our coffee table just this afternoon to two different women. We may not have much shelf space now, but that's ok. We'll deal.

Now, I better get back to work.

Two Week Notice

Although I've known since the first weekend in December that I had the job in Brasilia, I decided it best not to tell my employer. I had a number of reasons for not saying anything, and I'm glad that I kept my mouth shut. In fact, I only confided in two of my fellow teachers who I knew I could trust.

Well, it's now been 3.5 months and the end of the school year is close upon us and I felt like it was the time to notify my bosses. I scheduled a meeting with them this week and although only one could make it, I let her know. This is my supervisor who I respect and have enjoyed working with this school year. In response to my news, she hugged me, told me she'd cry when I leave (and I've only been working there since August!!), and wished me luck. My "bigger" boss, the one who hired me, didn't react in the same way; it seemed like he took it personally, but he did offer to be a reference in the future so that was cool. And of course he also wished me well.

My two week notice, if you will, was given on Monday in person, by word of mouth. Today I received my letter of intent in my mailbox - like all of the other teachers. So I have now put in writing that I am resigning before the 2011-2012 school year. Feels good. Best decision I've made in years. However, I will miss the WONDERFUL, professional, supportive co-workers that I work with. But as we know, all good things must come to an end.

The Waiting Game

I don't like waiting because I'm a relatively impatient person, yet here I am playing the waiting game. I guess it's not the worst thing in the world, but it's no fun either.

I feel like I'm waiting for a lot right now. I'm waiting for the Brazilian consulate to send my husband's new passport so that I can apply for my permanent visa. In other words, I'm also waiting to apply for my visa.

I'm waiting to take my comprehensive exams at the university so that I can graduate. Then again, this is not a bad wait because I don't want to take them now. 

I'm waiting for this school year to come to an end. I don't mean because I dislike my job, but because school + work = exhaustion and so I'd be happy if the school year was in the end of February vs the beginning of June. This would also give me more time to focus just on packing and moving.

And more than anything, I'm waiting for July to come so I can move to Brazil and start off on my adventure.

There is no grad school in Brazil

Don't believe everything you read. For example, the title of this post. There are graduate schools and programs in Brazil. A lot. But none for me! I am beyond excited that I will be graduating this semester and that I will never have to do this again - grad school + a stressful job. It's hard. Really hard. (But it was worth it).

It's taking me 2.5 years to finish my Master's since I work full time. I've taken 2 classes a semester and even a class over the summer (for 2 summers) in order to complete my program in the shortest time possible. I was aiming for 2 years, but what's one more semester?

I am feeling a little bit of relief as I begin my final semester at UCF, but at the same time, I have to take my comprehensive exams in April so that means a lot of studying and added pressure because I HAVE to pass them. Which I will. I'm taking a semester long class to prepare me to succeed and I have a number of resources to help me study. And of course, wonderful classmates.

But you see, it's not just graduate school that stresses me out. It's my job. In fact, E called me today after work and when I answered the phone he asked me what was wrong. What was my response? "A mesma merda" (the same sh*t). Different day. It's not necessarily the school or my job, but working in general. You all know. You have a job. Maybe even a stressful job. But in my case I can talk to my husband and we can remind each other that we only have 5 months left. We can put up with our jobs for 5 more months. Can't we? (we ask ourselves)

Don't get me wrong. I love being a teacher. LOVE it. But it's stressful. Public school teaching, especially in Title 1 schools, is not for the faint of heart. I'm strict, and I can be fun (and funny), and my students generally like me, so it does work itself out in the end. But I'm ready for a change, and on that note, I am looking forward to working at a small, private school where education is valued in the homes of the students. I don't want to have to deal with the state dictating every move I make or every decision either.

I am also really looking forward to having some freedom as to what (novels) I can teach and to have smaller classes so I can do more with my students. I'm especially interested in the bilingual aspect of the school, even if I will only be teaching in English. As an Anthropologist (even if just in my mind and on my undergraduate diploma), working at an international school should be fun and I am excited about that.  

Only 5 more months of work and 6 more months in the United States and I'll be there.

Making Progress

I have now collected almost all of the documents that we need to move forward with registering our marriage, hence moving towards the goal of applying for my permanent residency (spousal visa). Once I filled out the necessary forms, I had to have my signature notarized for the statement that I had never been married to a Brazilian before I married E. We also need two Brazilians to testify that we were both single before we married (though how they would know I have no idea). Apparently the Brazilian consulate takes their citizens' word for it. Anyway, a good friend of ours agreed to be one of the witnesses so we took a trip this morning to the bank to have his signature notarized at the same time that mine was notarized for my letter of never being married to a Brazilian before. I'm grateful that we were never married before because then we would need to show divorce papers and that appears to be a pain in the behind. Like I said before, the consulate is not asking for too much from us, it is just time consuming because we need to rely on others for assistance (for signatures and notiarizations). For more information regarding registering your marriage in the Brazilian Consulate in Miami, you can read about it here. Sorry it's in Portuguese; I couldn't find a translation on their website and it seems that each consulate is unique in what they require for marriage registration so it's not worth it to direct you to another consulate.

Basically, to register our marriage in the consulate in Miami we need (as it applies to our case):

1. The original and copy of our marriage certificate
2. E needs a Brazilian document (like his passport or birth certificate) which has his parents' names on it
3. For E (the Brazilian) - the notarized document that has two signatures from Brazilians confirming he was single before he married me
4. For me (the foreigner) - the original and copy of my passport or my driver's license and the original and copy of my birth certificate; a declaration (letter) that has been notarized confirming that I had never married a Brazilian before
5. The application to register our marriage in the consulate
6. A $20 money order

I am relieved that I can check most of this off of our list as what needs to be completed. Since I am more uptight organized than E, I have taken on this "chore" rather than ask him to do it. Plus, I did all of the immigration paperwork for him to live/work in the U.S. so I feel almost like a pro at this.