It's crunch time

It's definitely crunch time over here in the "Bound for Brasilia" household. We only have a few days left and are not ready to walk out the door at this time, though we're pretty darn close. Our upstairs is cleaned, vacuumed, and ready to vacate with the exception of our mattress/box spring that we're selling in a couple of days; we're also still using that bathroom since it has the shower. Sebastian's "stuff" has been moved from the downstairs bathroom (so I could clean it and shut it off) and moved upstairs. So I'm sharing a bathroom with two boys during our last few days in this apartment. We brought down one piece (our last piece) of furniture from the upstairs which we're about to sell in a couple of hours, and the rest of our clothes - those that are out because we'll either be wearing them the next couple days or the day of our trip. As I look around the first floor I want to say that there's still a lot in it, but that's because we're taking most of it with us. We're at 8 large suitcases, 2 carry-ons, 2 personal items, 1 trophy (that's too big to put anywhere), and 1 cat. The rest will be sold/donated/disposed of over the weekend.


I think, and hope, that I've taken care of all of the paperwork that it takes to move. I know it may seem that I'm organized and I believe that I am, but it's a lot to do. I'm VERY glad that I have my mom's support as far as her helping us with our mail. We're also very blessed to have such amazing friends that will take us to the airport and help us out once we sell our car. And now that we have a MagicJack we'll have a US phone number so we can make any calls to/from the US at no extra cost. 


Honestly, I'm afraid that putting into words all that I'm thinking and worrying about is just going to stress me out, so maybe I shouldn't. We've gotten everything done and will be ready to leave in a few days. I'm not going to stress out over things that are out of my control, and everything else we'll work itself out in the end. If we have any issues then we'll just cross that bridge when we get there. Moving itself is stressful enough; I don't need to worry myself. 


For now I just need to enjoy my last few days in the States and prepare for the fun adventure ahead of me. I love to be abroad more than anyone else I know (or close to it) so I need to feel excited and not worry because really, I can't wait to be in Brazil! [Oh yeah...and a special thanks to my new friend (really a friend of Renata's and now mine) who is going to take us all around Brasilia once we arrive. Yeah!!!]

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! :)

What's on my mind?

As I have less than a month before my departure, I've been thinking about...

• My crown breaking and although I had planned to have it fixed in Brazil (at a much cheaper price), looks like I may have to have at least a temporary crown put on by my dentist =(
• Needing to sell textbooks from graduate school because I don't have room to take them
• Glad I earned some money from selling my textbooks. Maybe I'll use it to pay the dentist.
• How I have an excuse to go shopping =)
• My new clothes
• Sales at the malls and shopping centers
• Donating clothes and household items to Goodwill
• Packing four more suitcases 
• What I'm going to do with my box full of books. Do I buy a duffle bag to put it in?
• Laundry
• Upcoming trip to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. The consulate again? YES
• Our imminent trip to New York state and seeing friends and family!
• How I'll miss my friends in Orlando and where our goodbye should be because people keep asking me
• Paying the rest of our bills, cancelling our utilities, cleaning up the apartment, and selling our bed and TV
• How I'm glad I'm no longer working

Wordless Wednesday: Car sold!

I sold my car!! Yeahhhh!!

(What a relief :)

I'll miss you. You were good to me.

A couple images from a couple moving abroad

It's true. We're all tired of it. 

Goodbye May. You were swell.

Ahhhhh! 40 something days left until we leave. I remember when we had 4 months left. I can't believe that it's already the last day of May. This month FLEW BY. 


I'm not just ending a stressful school year, but I'm realizing that I won't have much of a summer vacation this year. Turns out I only have about a month. I finish teaching this week, have final exams next week, and then 2 teacher work days to tie up my loose ends and move out of my classroom by the end of the week next week. That means a lot of grading, putting the finishing touches on my students' final exam, grading the exam (but I'm smart - it's multiple choice on scantron), and saying goodbye to my co-workers and students. Then we know what's next....


Once school's out I can focus on our moving preparations "full time" for a month before we leave. I've made my appointments to cancel our services, take care of the cat's business, and we've sold most of what we advertised on-line. That's what takes most of the time and energy and is not fun. Packing and sorting is not a big pain because I get to walk down memory lane as I do it. We also need to take yet another trip to the consulate in Miami and we have a 5-day vacation, if you will, to New York to spend time with my family and friends.


I want to be careful that this post doesn't just turn into a list of what I have to do before we leave. I  was just thinking about how time flew. Maybe it's because it's the last official month of school. I think that's it. My job was tough this year and part of me can't believe that I survived the school. Makes me really think about what my experience will be at a private, international school in Brazil. I've been working at poor, public schools for years and that's what I'm used to. Leaves me wondering how my experience will change in Brazil....how will I cope with teaching students who are more dedicated? Who come from education parents? Who have educated parents? Who really do want to go to college? It makes me anxious. I'm just going to have to be very observant and learn what I can about the school, the students, and the parents beforehand to try and prepare myself. I just know that if I can survive in an environment like where I'm working now, I can make it anywhere. 


It seems simple making the transition from students who fight you when you try to teach to teaching compliant students. I hope that it'll be easy and that I'll be able to modify all of my lesson plans to accommodate my students' needs and the school's expectations. Somehow I believe I will.


Right now I need to get back to grading papers on "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet", Act II, Scene I.

Driving Miss Davis

Moving to a new country means selling your car. Or cars. The latter is our case. We have two automobiles that we need to get rid of - as in sell - before we move. We have made the decision to first sell my car since I'll be out of work in a few weeks and my school is located only 6 miles from our home. This works great for me because my husband takes me to work at picks me up. It's like having my own private chauffeur.


It actually works great because he can take me to work and then can go directly to school from there; he can then pick me up once he's finished teaching his class. I love it because when he picks me up after work the car is cool and I get door-to-door service. When I drive myself I have to get into a steaming hot car after work and then wait for the hot air to escape out the windows while the air conditioner is cooling down. That takes time and makes me cranky. I'm also not a morning person so I enjoy being able to sit back and relax while someone else drives.  PLUS, I can always use the "I gotta go my husband is picking me up" excuse to sneak out of work once the bell rings at the end of the day. Not a bad deal.


So.....if you live in the Orlando are and are looking to buy a used car in good condition, let me know :). I feel like we'll be even more ready to move once at least one of our cars is sold. These things can take time and with everything else we need to do to tie loose ends, whatever we do now to move is less that we have to do later. That's what I'm hoping for. No stress as we reach July. Only shopping and packing. Shopping. Now that sounds like fun.


I think it's good "practice" for us to share a car for the next couple months. I mean, we're not sure how our transportation will be in Brasilia. See, cars are really expensive in Brazil and at the same time I'd love to be a one-family car. I think we can easily make this work. We just have to maybe plan out who will drive when. I mean, unlike Florida, Brasilia has public transportation so if we can't both be in the car one of us can depend on another form of transportation. There are buses, a metro, and taxis. And my school will pay for my transportation to work so we don't need two cars. But we will need one. However, at this time we don't intend to jump into any car purchase. We'll get a feel for things and take our time with buying a car so we can be smart buyers.


Obviously having a driver would be ideal, even though I do enjoy the independence of having my own car. But it looks like I'll only have a driver for the next 3 weeks of school. I'll be sure to milk it while it lasts.

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.

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.

Brazil in fewer than 90 days



I have decided (maybe long ago) that slow and steady wins the race. As I'm inundated with school and work, I have decided little by little to prepare for my trip abroad. I'm glad I've made that decision because there's not much time left.

We haven't gotten our tickets yet (the school hasn't bought them yet - gotta pick up my visa still), but we're guessing that we'll probably leave early-mid July, thus not leaving us with much time. Fewer than 90 days.

From now on I'll be packing, donating, throwing away, or selling something each day. I have actually been making a mental list of what anyone who's making the move abroad needs to keep in mind (well, it makes sense to me anyway). And I promise I won't become the queen of "lists".

- Copy all of your CDs onto iTunes to leave room in your CD cases for your DVDs. I like DVD covers as much as the next guy or gal, but really, they just take up space and are unnecessary. That goes for TruBlood covers as well (I think....)

- Question whether or not you've used an item in the past 6 months and would you need it in a different country

- My mother actually told me that she'd read that if you own something valuable and you're moving, and questioning whether or not to keep it, you can take a picture of it instead and then dispose of it. I did that with our wedding candles (sorry, I'm not taking them to South America) and my bouquet. These items have sentimental value, but are not "necessary". I took pictures of them and will now leave them behind. I have a wedding video and photo album anyway.

- I downloaded DropBox and will therefore save important documents on-line

- I contacted my school and inquired about opening up a bank account with a bank that is international and that has branches in upstate NY (where my 'rents live) and in Brasilia. I was told that's a good idea, which of course I already knew because I'm a genius :). Just kidding.

- Take breaks from packing/sorting/throwing away and go for a walk. But not too late (especially if you live in a dangerous city like I supposedly do)

- Remember if you're married/attached that you're not moving alone so constantly verify plans with your "someone special" so he or she is included and can have a say in how things go - even if he or she doesn't care

- Buy a Kindle (great investment)

- Post on Facebook that you're selling your belongings

- Read expat blogs and visit forums of the country you're moving to; people tend to give good advice from past experiences

- Visit on-line stores and buy poster tubes because you can't take the frames with you

....and this list could go on and on. Hopefully it'll be helpful to someone making a "big move". I know that it would have been for me. Then again, you learn as you go. I'm sure that if I wasn't so organized and didn't plan so much, that I'd be a hot mess. I mean, you can't plan too much, but you get my drift.

Good luck.

What to take?

I have started making lists of what we are going to take with us to Brasilia. It has to be more than one list because we have to decide first what we're taking that we already own, and then we need to make a separate list of what we're going to take that we still need to buy before leaving. (That's the fun part, and the reason why I'm wearing the clothes I own now and not going shopping until later). Gives me something to look forward to, besides the end of the school year and my imminent departure.

This list making really is not complicated, even though I first found it overwhelming.

I have recently been doing my research. I've read expats' blogs (those that live in Brazil), searched on-line, did my own inventory in my house, did my own mental search of what is available/expensive in Brazil, and of course, spoke with my husband. Together we are compiling lists (since I like to be organized and am worried of forgetting anything) of what's important.

Most of the lists is made up of electronics - from laptops to our awesome coffee maker to our wireless router. But other valuable items include my Kindle, Eliton's DJ equipment, our stylish lamp from IKEA, and our scale. Then of course clothes, vitamins, shoes, books, school supplies, etc.

As I sort out my household items and belongings, it strikes me as interesting how I can look over my apartment and decide what is most important in my life and what I can and can't live without. Is is possible to put 20 something years into so many boxes?

I remember distinctly how before E arrived in the U.S. (because I had left Manaus before him to get us settled down on this end) I travelled to Rio for 10 days to meet him. I had a (very) large suitcase full of everything that I'd need for a (pre-marriage) honeymoon in Rio de Janeiro with me. When I met E at the hotel I noticed that he had maybe two (small) suitcases. He had packed his 23 years of life into two small suitcases and that was alright with him.

Well, if you don't own a home, then how much do you really have? Are those belongings important? Do you really need them? I am not by all means religious, but when you die, doesn't everything stay behind?

With that said, I am going to throw away tangible memories that I don't need to carry across the globe with me. My mom told me recently that she'd read about people taking pictures of themselves with their valuables before they throw it away, because don't we know that a picture is a lot less to carry around then that "item".  Not a bad idea. And again, I'm going to embark on a new journey and start a new life, so won't I just accumulate more "stuff" below the equator?

If anything, it gives you something to think about.

Bye bye smart phones, we don't need you

We have done it. The impossible? The inconceivable? We have switched from our iPhones to "real" cell phones. No more data plans. No more Internet, Facebook, GPS, picture SMS. Oh what will we ever do? The answer: nothing. We'll use our new phones to make calls. Imagine that. Oh yeah, and of course text, though neither E nor I wants to do as much texting with the keyboards our phones have. It's not as easy now.

E made the first step about a month ago. He had been complaining about his smart phone for weeks until he finally got fed up and took my old Motorola Razor phone to our cell phone provider and changed his plan, removing his chip from his iPhone. He could still use his iPhone to play music in the car and at home, as well as use the Internet on it, but everything else is gone. Does he miss it? No. Not at all.

So instead of missing his phone, E has only made comments about how much better the "old" phone is in comparison to his smart phone. He's really happy with his decision and encouraged me to do the same if I wanted to.

Today I took the plunge. I had been thinking about making the change for the past few weeks, and today I did it. I bought an old school Nokia cell phone. No camera. No frills. No nothing. I actually wonder if I went to the extreme, though the phone is of great quality. Anyway, we have less than 3 months before our cell phone contract is up and we were going to discontinue the use of iPhones at that time, so what's 80 days? I have a camera if I want to take pictures. I have a computer if I want to check my e-mail and/or go on-line. Who needs a GPS on a phone if there's one in the car? And actually having a phone whose battery doesn't die after 2 hours of wonderful.

I am going to keep my iPhone and take it with me to Brazil since I use it as an iPod, but I'm unsure if I'll use it as a phone there. I guess we'll see how safe I feel carrying around an expensive phone in my pocket.

E has decided to sell his iPhone now since it has a cracked screen and it has been sitting on the counter since he began using the Motorola. I do think, however, that he will buy another smart phone again in the future.

When we get to Brazil we'll make the decision as to the best phones and cell phone plan for us. At least in the meantime I'll spend a lot less time on my phone. I'm almost looking forward to not being so dependent on it.

Leaving for Good

There is so much involved in "leaving for good", and with that said, I don't just mean the emotional aspect, or even the physical act of packing. I mean the ins and outs of leaving everything behind, and then actually getting on an airplane with your bags, laptops, valuables, and my kitty. Once you've arrived in your new country you then have to do what? Move in to your new furnished, or unfurnished, apartment? Set up Internet connection? Find your belongings that you nervously shipped and pray to _____ (God?) that they're all intact? With so much to do, do you know where to begin? When? Overwhelming, huh? It is, but it's also all feasible.

When moving abroad for an indeterminate amount of time, there is a lot more that goes into planning than just what to pack. In order to organize my scattered thoughts, I have separated our tasks in order to avoid the possible sense of feeling overwhelmed. I'm going to avoid the "settling in" part for now, but you have to think about that in advance in order to be organize yourself and plan appropriately.

Immigration

1. First and foremost, you need to apply for your visa (whether it be the work visa or the permanent residency visa) because that takes time and let's be real, you can't work/live abroad legally without the permission
2. You will also need to register with the federal police once you arrive, and you should also let the closest embassy know that you're there - to stay
3. Once you've settled down, you'll also need get all of your documents like your ID card, the country's version of a SSN (CPF in Brazil), and anything else you'll need to assimilate into society.

Packing

This is the most difficult part, in my opinion. There's only two of us, and we did just move 2 years ago so it's not like we have a plethora of belongings, but I'm sentimental and the hardest part for me was deciding what I think I need. I did successfully clean out my mom's house of my boxes and such last year, so at least all that I own is in one place. Here.

I suggest beginning by throwing away, donating, and selling that which you know for sure you're not going to take with you. Once you have done that, you can pack much easier. For instance, I have gone through all of my books more than once asking myself if I'll read them again, I've donated or given away a number of books, and then I bought a Kindle. Now I feel that I'm prepared to pack the books that I will be taking with me. So far I have two boxes of those that I could not live without, that I will use if I ever give private English classes, or that I know for sure I won't need over the next few months. Don't pack items that you'll need next week. Unpacking is no fun. Oh yea, I forgot, I have boxes of books at school and more to buy. Ugh.

I'm also selling furniture and household items that we won't be taking with us to Brazil. I'm grateful for all of the people in central Florida who need bookshelves, tables, chairs, and TVs and will take mine off my hands.

Now as I sit on my couch waiting for a woman to come and buy my chairs, I start to panic a bit that I'm selling too soon; but then I remember that the fewer items that we have in our apartment means less to worry about packing. See, we need to find a shipping company soon and plan on shipping our belongings to Brazil before we move. For this reason, it's ok to sell now. Plus, my friends and family understand this and I know no one will feel uncomfortable if we have fewer chairs or they eat dinner on a tray for a night or two.


Oooh, you have to think of that when you move abroad?

1. Our cell phone plan runs out weeks before we leave, but I don't want to keep it for another 3 weeks because I won't be here to pay that last bill and I don't want to be screwed (again). We'll need to buy a cheap-o phone and/or a prepaid plan to take care of this.
2. We're selling both our cars. To whom? When? How much? We'll have to deal with this in a few months, but doesn't hurt to think about it now. At least I'll be done working about a month before we move; this way we can easily sell one car sooner than the other, and then just have to deal with the one right before we leave. This leads us to car insurance. At least we'll get a bit of a break during the last month.
3. Any last bills will have to be taken care of on-line, paid in advance, or with the help of family (thanks, Mom!).
4. Our cat. I know I've mentioned it before, but he's important and is going on the plane with us. It's a bit of a pain in the ____ that he needs to get checked by a vet and all only 10 days before our departure. I mean, why not a month?

I know this is a lot to think about, but it's also not an extensive list; it could actually be much longer and more detailed. I didn't even get into the settling part, but that's mainly because I'm working on taking care of that with my future employer.

Hopefully this information will be helpful to anyone who is contemplating, or already in the "leaving for good and then settling" stage.