One part Jersey. One part Rio.
It’s been a while. We haven’t posted much to this blog, nor to our YouTube. Now that we live together – permanently – it feels like there’s less time for online activity because we’re spending more time together in person.
We’ve exchanged Whatsapp and endless browser time for actually being together. Continue reading 6 months later
A friend of ours shared a catchy video on Instagram the other day called “Carioca não ta ligando pra nada” (“Cariocas don’t pay attention for anything.”) Continue reading Brazil Blinders
Over the past month, I’ve begun to perfect my elevator pitch when it comes to explaining where I’m from. “I’m from NJ, but we just moved here after spending a few years in Brazil with my partner, who’s from there.” The inevitable response is something along the lines of, “Ooooh, Brazil. Wow. Why would you come back here?!” Continue reading “Why did you come back here?”
Around 3:00 a.m. on Monday morning, I woke up. My alarm wasn’t set to go off for another hour, but I just kept twisting and turning in the dark. My dog side-eyed me to make sure I didn’t wake him up just yet. I grabbed my phone to pass the time.
May has been a whirlwind so far.
Gustavo is packing everything up in the apartment and canceling all our services. In just four more days, he leaves Rio to set up our home permanently in the United States. Continue reading A Week in Bangkok
Last month, Gustavo and I celebrated him being approved for his CR1 (Conditional Resident, or “green card”) in the United States. When we first started dating, our original plan was to stay in Brazil for a few years to save up some money and, for me, to experience life elsewhere for a bit. Afterward, we’d move to the US.
I remember the first time I stepped foot in this apartment. Gustavo had moved in earlier that year and, still, barely had any furniture. As a result, his place was a hub to gather before heading out to parties in the city. The wide-open layout meant everyone could drink, dance, and take pictures (god knows there were a lot of pictures) before heading out into the night.
Continue reading Saying Goodbye: Our last week together in Rio
This month, Gustavo and I had our interview a the US Consulate in Rio. Rather than just coming down for a short trip, we decided that I would stay for about a month – both so I could join him for the interview and so we can start clearing out the apartment. Continue reading Visiting Rio: Beach, spa, and ramen
It’s a little bit unfair. Gustavo is a huge fan of anime and is much, much more familiar with Japanese culture than me. But I ended up being the one to visit first.
When I started working in web development thirteen years ago, I realized that there was a very visible ceiling on how much money I could earn in my profession in Brazil. (For reference, I’ve always worked on website development using the WordPress platform.) Continue reading Learning English for Remote Work – Pt. 1
