Make-up has always seemed like a functional endeavor to me. I was never very interested in raising my own make-up skills to that of an artistic level. It always did a nice job of making me look more awake – and my skin less greasy – on a daily basis. Besides that, I couldn’t much be bothered. Continue reading To Make-Up or Not to Make-Up
Crossfit Gymnastics Level 1
When I initially joined my first Crossfit class, it included a few Pull-ups and of course there were a few members doing what I at the time felt like was a very unsafe variation of the movement, in my head I felt like I would never try those because it seemed super risky for your shoulders and spine.
Jersey Strong: Training at Home
My face lit up as I read my coach’s message on WhatsApp. “Your progress is impressing me a lot. Imagine you in January!” Continue reading Jersey Strong: Training at Home
Why I Learned Portuguese
It’s not uncommon for Gustavo and I to have the following conversation when I speak Portuguese in the wild.
“Okay, I definitely said that right. Why did s/he talk to you after I obviously indicated that I understand Portuguese? We even had a full conversation in Portuguese before I said I was American!”
After a heavy sigh from Gustavo, he usually explains something along the lines of, “I know, but people just aren’t used to foreigners speaking Portuguese.”
Continue reading Why I Learned Portuguese
Huehuehue: Weird Brazilian Slang
When I first met Gustavo, it was via Skype. My coworker and I were talking with him, confirming some plans for our upcoming trip to Brazil. Invariably, at some point, he typed something I’d never seen before:
We Have to Talk About Pizza
Sometimes I joke with Gustavo that our favorite hobby is collecting passports. Between the two of us, we have three, in addition to a vast collection of visas and passport stamps. Continue reading We Have to Talk About Pizza
Prepping to Go Home
Ela vai voltar pelos Estados Unidos em algumas semanas, Gustavo has been explaining to friends lately. They laugh as they look over at me to see me doing my little “I’m going home” dance. It’s not just going home, it’s going back to the home I prefer, the one I’ve actively (finally) chosen, the one I’m lucky enough to belong to, to have been born into. Continue reading Prepping to Go Home
A Maçã a Day: Going to the Doctor in Brazil
It probably goes without saying that the United States leads the charge in many areas, except health care. Talk with anyone outside of the States about American health care and they’ll start with a baffled, “But why?” Continue reading A Maçã a Day: Going to the Doctor in Brazil
Our First Solo Competition
One of the things I really like about Crossfit is that it can be accessible to very many people. Anyone can be a Crossfit competitor. Your job, as an athlete, is to do your best, until you too can prove that you’re the cream of the crop. Continue reading Our First Solo Competition
Our First Anniversary
Married, that is.
Gustavo and I met almost three years ago, on my first trip to Rio. Life has changed so much since then. Continue reading Our First Anniversary