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.

It's the little things

When it comes to moving (abroad) it's the little things that you have to take care of being departing. That often means the tasks that you don't think of right away, not because they're insignificant, but because they're not as obvious.

For instance, we had an XM radio hanging around the house that E bought years ago, and discontinued to use not even a year later. So this radio and all its accessories have just been sitting neatly in the box, collecting dust in the closet. So what do you do with it when you're moving to another country and know that you're never going to use it again (even if you could)? You SELL it! And you do so AND make a profit. It's not like the buyer knows how much you paid for it; you sell it for what it's worth (used, of course).

It's amazing what a difference selling the little things can do to help you reach your goal of emptying out your house.

It makes me feel a sense of completion when I slowly notice that I have less and less to do as we prepare to move. We still have so much to do with the shipping, selling our cars, goodbyes, final trip to New York to visit my family, finishing up our jobs, taking care of our bills/finances/mail, etc. etc. that at least seeing a near empty closest and cabinets make me feel a teeny bit relieved and accomplished.

Another of the "little things" that we should deal with before going to Brazil is that of our driver's licenses. In Brazil I've been told driver's licenses are expensive and a long drawn out process to get. In Florida they're cheap and easy (which of course would explain why there are so many poor drivers in this state). On a side note, it's more expensive and more difficult to get a driver's license in New York state - where I got mine from years ago.

We've decided to get an International Driver's Permit (IDP), take our Florida licenses with us, and pray to the Brasilia DETRAN gods that getting a Brazilian driver's license will be relatively painless to get. [For the application to apply for the IDP, click here. The AAA is supposed to be the only legal organization that issues the IDP, or the IADP, for those who will be driving in Central and South America.]

These are the "little things" (among others) that I can't forget to take care of here, if I want to make our lives easier, maybe even while putting money into our pockets - or at least prevent us from having to spend more once we arrive in Brasilia.

Shipping media mail to Brazil

Tonight I received the teacher handbook from my school in Brazil and it was full of helpful information and great tips for someone moving to Brasilia. Makes the trip even more real and me an even more very excited and anxious person!

In addition, I found out that there IS a way to ship books and other printed matter to an international address. Great news! I thought that media mail was only a treat for us bibliophiles shipping books/magazines within the United States.

This is what my school sent regarding "m-bags":

"The cheapest way to send books from the USA is M-Bag through the U.S. Postal Service. Mbags

are a special service to send books or printed matter to an international address at a

reduced postage rate. It usually takes one to two weeks, but it might take much longer. Send

books in your name to the school. Be sure to pack all books in strong boxes!!!"

For more information, visit the USPS website:

260 Direct Sacks of Printed Matter to One Addressee (M–bags)

261 Description

261.1 General

M-bags are defined as direct sacks of printed matter (see 261.22) sent to a single foreign addressee at a single address. There are three types of M–bags: Airmail M-bags, International Priority Airmail (IPA) M-bags, and International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) M-bags. All M-bags are subject to the following conditions of mailing:

1. Maximum weight of a sack: 66 pounds (including the tare weight of the sack). Lower maximum weights apply to certain countries. See the Individual Country Listings.
2. Availability: All destinations that are referenced in the Individual Country Listings for Airmail M-bags, in Exhibit 292.452 for IPA M-bags, and in Exhibit 293.452 for ISAL M-bags.
3. Identification: PS Tag 158, M–bag Addressee Tag, must be completed and attached to the neck of the sack.
4. Postage: The applicable postage for Airmail M-bags, International Priority Airmail (IPA), and International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) must be affixed to PS Tag 158.
5. Extra services: Certificate of mailing is available. Registry and insurance are not available.

261.2 Eligibility

261.21 Printed Matter

Printed matter is admissible in M-bags. Articles that meet the definition of “printed matter” include newspapers, magazines, journals, books, sheet music, catalogs, directories, commercial advertising, and promotional matter. “Printed matter” is defined as follows:

1. Papers upon which words, letters, characters, figures, images, or any combinations thereof appear.
2. Papers that do not have the character of a bill or statement of account.
3. Papers that do not have the character of current and personal correspondence.

261.22 Other Articles

Certain other articles may be enclosed in M-bags, provided that all of the following conditions of mailing are met:

1. The articles being sent are limited to discs, tapes, and cassettes; commercial samples shipped by manufacturers and distributors; or other non-dutiable commercial articles or informational materials that are not subject to resale.
2. The articles are related to the printed matter (see 261.21) with which they are being mailed.
3. The articles are affixed to or are otherwise combined with the accompanying printed matter.
4. The combined weight of each printed matter mailpiece and the related articles may not exceed 4 pounds.
5. The M-bag must be accompanied by a fully completed PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN 22 — Sender’s Declaration (green label), which is to be affixed to PS Tag 158, M-bag Addressee Tag.

261.23 Mail Not Sealed Against Inspection

M-bags are not sealed against inspection. Regardless of physical closure, the mailing of an M-bag, including an airmail, IPA, or ISAL M-bag, constitutes consent by the mailer to inspection of the contents.

Going once....going twice....sold!

My husband told me this afternoon that he feels like he's in Brazil. He means that in his mind he's in Brazil; this of course was said as he was taking off his t-shirt while driving. To my delight, he's constantly talking about the move, and since it's almost March and I've applied for my visa, we're starting to feel like we're really on our way. I can't concentrate as much at work and when I'm supposed to be studying. I read blogs and make lists and dream of Brazil. Probably not the most responsible thing to do, but I can't help it. I'm excited.

I have started to post ads on-line about the sale of our belongings and to my surprise have received a lot of "hits" from interested buyers. We are basically going to sell everything, with the exception of our valuables, my books, and our electronics. Anything that is of value in Brazil, or a rarity, is what we are going to ship down, or take with us.

The first item that we sold was an old laptop. It was one that I bought when I first moved to Florida and used extensively, especially when E was still in Brazil and the phone and computer were our major means of communications. The laptop was easy to sell and we received a good deal for it, considering it's age and current capabilities.

I am also working on making arrangements with people who are interested in buying our furniture - desks, bookshelves, drawers, etc. My goal is to sell everything little by little so that we're not overwhelmed later and so we don't sell all of our furniture now and spend weeks or months sitting on the floor and with no place to put anything that is left behind.

Also, my family is planning another trip to Florida before we leave and I can't ask my parents to sleep somewhere uncomfortable because we sold everything.

In addition to selling things, we will also need to buy items that we want to have in Brazil. My husband wants a GPS (well, he's wanted one for years), and I want a Kindle. I never thought I'd ever want an e-reader because I love books: the feel, the smell, the pages, etc.; however, as I started to think more about the lack of English language books in Brazil, I decided that it was something that I couldn't do without. So I got excited about the Kindle and figured if E was going to get his GPS, then I'd might as well put them on the same order.

I also plan on buying DVDs of shows that I know I'll want to watch in the future - like Tru Blood and Sex in the City. What I don't already own I'll need to make sure I purchase before we depart, and I'm afraid that is just the chip off the iceberg. Well, at least all of the shopping will be fun.

And next thing we know, we'll be in Brazil before we know it.

books, Books, BoOkS, BOOKS

I love books. Seriously. I LOVE them. My husband can vouch for this because he's always making comments about how I'm always reading, and that I have a lot of books. I actually bought a new bookshelf this year because I needed another home for my books, and I still have school books next to that shelf and on the computer desk.

The issue that I'm now being faced with is that I can't realistically ship all of my (beloved) books to Brazil with us. Plus, I don't think E would appreciate it if we were spending all of our shipping/moving allowance on my books. Completely understandable. The dilemma then is finding a home for my books - either in boxes on their way to Brasilia, in the hands of friends and families, or in the trash. I know this all seems too soon to worry about, but I am a planner and I want to have an idea about what we're taking with us and what it is we'll leave behind. Plus, because books are heavy, I'd prefer to ship them before we move. I know the United States has a special "media mail" rate and I am going to find out if I can do the same, but to Brazil.  I'll send my books my boat; I don't care as long as they get to their destination safe and sound.  So, I need to start thinking about this now.

I guess I have my work set out for me.