Author Archives: A Star on the Forehead

Iceland in 4 days: Day 4, final day sightseeing

25 Friday Aug 2023

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“I can speak to my soul only when the two of us are off exploring deserts or cities or mountains or roads.” ― Paulo Coelho

Day 4. Drive to Jokulsarlon Glacier

We were going to have breakfast first, but at the last minute we decided not to wait until 7am and instead stop at some place on the way for breakfast.  To get to Jokulsarlon Glacier from Reyjavik takes approximately 5 hours.  In hindsight we should have done it in 2 days.  Michael ended up driving over 10 hours. I didn’t drive as we had not added my name to the rental agreement – originally we were getting a manual transmission car. 

The route taken is Route 1, also known as Ring Road.  It circles the entire country.  The whole trip is so worth, the landscape is beautiful!  We stopped to get coffee in the town of Vik at a gas station that had a snack shop.  It seemed like the only place around, as we didn’t want to leave Route 1.   We got coffee and muffins. I had a couple of bites of mine, but Michael didn’t touch his – that says a lot.  They were awful. We threw $15.63 in the trash.  The service wasn’t that great either.  The clerk forgot about our coffees, and we were just standing there for awhile.

Little did we know that right next door there was a coffee shop.  We saw a sign as we were driving away, we decided not to stop and just keep driving.  We had crackers and chips, and other snacks in the car.  We did stop back there on the way back. It is called lava Café and it is inside a clothing/souvenir store.  We got 2 small round pizzas -smaller than a regular slice, 1 croissant, and small Swiss mocha. Not that good, but edible. $20.22. 

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon sits on the southeast edge of the Vatnajokull National Park.  The Park is huge with many hiking trails and other activities.  On this trip we decided against any hiking because my hips have been acting up.  Plus, we didn’t really have time for much.

We got to the glacier and the parking lot was full, so we parked across the street at the parking lot for Diamond Beach.  Both parking lots are very convenient. 

We wanted to do a boat tour, but there was no availability.  We didn’t want to book beforehand as we had no idea of what time we would get there, just in case we made additional stops along the way.   The Amphibian Vehicle tour is $50.00 and it last 30 minutes.  The Zodiac tour, which can get closer to the icebergs, last one hour and fifteen minutes and it costs about $105.00.

We spent about 30 minutes there, taking it all in.  There are countless icebergs floating on the lagoon, that have broken off from the glacier.  We saw some ducks and a couple of seals. I took pictures of the ducks, but the seals were camera shy.  

There are restrooms and food trucks here.  I didn’t see anything I wanted to eat, so I just had a yogurt, one of those children’s squeezable ones, Michael had coffee.  $8.35

From there we walked back to Diamond Beach.  Diamond Beach is a volcanic black sand beach.  It is named Diamond beach because of the icebergs that wash up on shore resembling sparkling diamonds.  It is not a swimmable beach due to dangerous waves and tides. It is a beautiful shoreline.

We spent about 20 minutes there and then were back on Route 1 to return to Reykjavik.  There were also 2 waterfalls I wanted to stop at.  There are many along the way, but these are the two more famous ones.

The first we stopped at was Skogafoss Waterfall.  This fall is part of the Skoga River and can be seen from the road.  It is impressive, and visitors can get really close to it.   I got as close as I could without getting myself wet.  There is also a stairway on the side that leads up to a viewing platform at the top of the waterfall.  I didn’t go up as it would have taken some time. 

We probably spent 30 minutes there, but ideally one should reserve up to 2 hours for this stop to go up the viewing platform and to hike along the Fimmvorouhals Trail.  There is not a parking fee, but they ask for donations to use the restrooms.

Another 30 minutes from there, it is the other waterfall I wanted to stop at, Seljalandsfoss.  It is just minutes from Route 1. It is part of the Seljalandsa River.  It is smaller than Skogafoss, but still impressive.  At this one, visitors can walk behind the curtain of falling water, there is a path all around the back of the falls.  I didn’t do it, but I think it would be a lot fun to do it when one is ready to get wet. 

The path behind is closed in the winter because of the icy path. There are lights illuminating it, so people can still stop by on the rare times when it is dark. 

On the road, between these two waterfalls I saw a fence covered in bras.  We passed by it fast and didn’t have a change to stop.  I looked it up, and there are a couple of different stories. The most popular is that, around 2012 several bras were stolen.  They were later found strewn on the fence.  Ever since then travelers have been adding more bras to the fence.  It is such a whimsical sight.

Before we got to Reykjavik we made stops at a couple of places looking for a coffee shop, but failed.  We eventually stopped at Kronan supermarket and got some additional chocolate to bring home as gifts.  This bill was only $15.11.  A prior chocolate trip to Bonus Supermarket was $24.27.

We also got some souvenirs such as fridge magnets, shot glasses, and keychains.  I got only 1 t-shirt for my sister.  I normally don’t buy a lot souvenirs, but always get something for friends that collect those.  I have some receipts, but I am not sure what is for what. $35.82, $14.34, $58.51, $24.66 and $21.23.

We got to the hotel exhausted. I don’t even know what we had for dinner, but my guess is cheese and crackers at the hotel, as I can’t find a receipt for anything else.  Plus Michael was exhausted, from what we thought was the driving.  More to follow.

Iceland in 4 days: Day 3

23 Wednesday Aug 2023

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The Blue Lagoon

Day 3. Saturday. Blue Lagoon and Surrounding areas.

We had a 9am reservation at the Blue Lagoon, in the town of Grandivir. It takes approximately 45 minutes to get there from the hotel.  That meant that we had enough time to eat breakfast at the hotel – yippie.  I don’t normally eat breakfast until 12pm, but while on vacation there are no rules.

We got there right before our appointment.  We got in line and waited about 5 minutes.   The place is very busy, but also very clean and organized.

We proceeded to the lockers, showered, changed and met outside in the pool.  This pool is really big with many areas that one can be alone away from everyone.  Very, very different from the Secret Pool.

The Blue Lagoon

We paid $127.00 per person. It gave us 1 drink at the pool bar, the use of a robe and a towel and 3 face masks.  The first was a lava scrub to exfoliate,  the second was silica mud mask to deep cleanse, and the third was a choice of a moisturizing mask or anti-aging one… any idea which one I got? To drink I chose a strawberry prosecco and Michael had a beer.

We could have stayed there as long as we wanted.  There are a few restaurants and a café to choose from.  We chose not to eat there and left in a couple of hours.  We really enjoyed being there but wanted to explore Grandivir and the surrounding areas.

Fish House Bar and Grill

After leaving we drove around the Harbor in Grindavik. We stopped for lunch at the Fish House Bar and Grill. I had fish and chips… yes, I keep insisting on fish and chips, even though I always find the batter on the fish too greasy.  Michael had the Artic char with potatoes.  To drink, Michael had the Swiss mocha, I didn’t want anything.  I know better than to have Swiss mocha in a place other than a coffee or dessert shop.  The food was good.  The Swiss mocha, as expected, was bad. The bill was $64.27.

Hopsness Lighthouse

We then drove along the shore with no itinerary.  The place was deserted.  We came upon the Hopsnes Lighthouse.  All around this lighthouse there are remnants of shipwrecks and their history. 

We came across this blue box with a saint.  I imagine is a patron saint for the sailors. Or I could be totally wrong.

From there we continued driving West.  In about 20 minutes we reached Brimketill Lava rock pool.  It is right off the road, with a viewing platform.  From there one can see the beautiful force of the waves, and the natural pools it forms.  I read about people swimming in the natural pool, but I cannot imagine it.  Unless there is a day with absolute zero waves.

Brimketill

We really loved this place and were happy to have found it.  From there we drove to Gunnuhver  Hot Springs.  This is a very active geothermal area made up of mud pools and steam vents.

Gunnuhver

Iceland is so rich in folklore. In Brimketill the stories are about Oddny, a giantess or a troll. Here at Gunnuhver the story is about a woman called Gunna. Both interesting stories, but for the sake of brevity I am not writing about them.

It was a good stop and very, very interesting to see, but we didn’t hike the whole area.  There is so much we wanted to do, we didn’t really spend enough time at any site.  From there we went back to Reykjavik, about 1 hour drive.

Upon arriving in Reykjavik we realized that today was the day of the Pride Parade.  It had been at 2pm.  I am sorry I missed it, I was told it was a lot fun.  Iceland is very LGBTQ friendly.  It was now hours later, but still the streets in downtown around the parade area and our hotel, were closed.

Reykjavik

Eventually we found a place to park and got to the hotel.  We changed and went in search of a place to have dinner.  The town was packed, but I saw an empty table outside a restaurant and was quick to grab. 

The name is 101 Bistro.  The waitress was friendly. I had a fish sandwich that had too much tartar sauce on it, but it was surprisingly good. Michael had pizza – not good, but he ate the whole thing – well, that is not saying much, he will eat whatever is in front of him. The bill was $54.26.  He has a beer.  I didn’t want anything to drink.

Skólavörðustígur, Rainbow Street on a regular week day

From there we walked to Skolavordustigur Street, known as the Rainbow Street. We had been there on the first day of the trip when we were looking for a market.  It had been empty.  Today it was busy, festive, with people all around the bars and the street. 

Hallgrímskirkja, Lutheran Church

Walking up Rainbow Street leads up to Hallgrimskirkja, an Evangelical-Lutheran Church.  We paid $19.73 both, to go up to the top and see the beautiful views of the city. I enjoyed seeing the town and surrounding areas from the top.

In front of the church sits the statue of Leif Erikson, a hero of Viking age Iceland.  I will write a following post about him.

Reykjavik view from the church

On the way back to the hotel we went to Gaeta Gelato again. I had a gelato after dinner.  This time there was a huge line.  I waited. I really wanted a Swiss Mocha.  

Then back to the hotel and get ready for the next day of long driving.

 “We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” ― Henry David Thoreau

Iceland in 4 days: Day 2

21 Monday Aug 2023

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Day 2.  Tour of Golden Circle tourist areas and the Secret Lagoon with Your Day Tours Group

We had breakfast at the hotel and proceeded to the appointed bus stop to wait for the minibus.  We were supposed to be there, ready to go at 8am.  The bus may show up between 8 and 8:30. This day it seemed our bus was the last to arrive, well after 8:30.  $114.00 per person.

While waiting for the bus we made friends with a couple from Long Island, NY.  Afterwards we kept meeting them in other places.  It was fun to keep seeing their friendly happy faces.

The bus was okay, I wish there was more space.  It felt a bit tight.  Our guide was a nice lady from the Czech Republic.  

Thingvallir National Park

1st Stop. Thingvellier National Park. This is one of the places that most symbolizes Iceland and its history. Many Icelandic major events have taken place at this site.

It sits in a rift valley, formed when two tectonic plates moved apart. It is impressive seeing the cracks and gorges throughout the park.

We were there for 45 minutes.  It went very fast.  We didn’t have a chance to see it all.

2nd Stop. Gullfoss Waterfall, Blaskogabyggo.  This is a gorgeous two step waterfall with several viewing platforms.  It is so incredible to be in front of nature when it exhibits such force.

Sigrid Tomasdottir, pictured in the plaque below, was the daughter of the owner of the land where this waterfall is.  It is been told that her father sold part of the land with the waterfall, not realizing that the the new owners wanted to use the fall and in essence destroy it.

Sigrid Tomasdottir

She then took on the part of the protector of the waterfall and embarked on a long journey to save it.  At one point, even threatening to throw herself in the fall. Fortunately, with the help of a lawyer that later became Iceland’s first president, the waterfall was saved.

There are also gift shops and cafeteria there. We were at this stop for 40 minutes and it was enough time to see it. 

Gullfoss Waterfall

3rd Stop. Woolmarket Myrkholt . This is a very small store in a farm, featuring homemade sweater, and other items from the local farms.

When we were there, we spent a few minutes with the horses housed there.  They have sheep also, but they were all scattered around the land, so we didn’t get to interact with them.  

We spent 20 minutes there and to me was fine, since I had no interest in shopping.

Geyser hot springs

4th Stop. Geysir, Haukadalu – A field with many erupting hot springs.  The most famous is Strokkur, referred as the son of Geysir.  

It is hard to time its eruption to get a picture, so one has to stand there ready to act. We were lucky we got to see several.

This location is where we stopped for lunch.  I had fish and chips and Michael had the vegetarian quiche.  We repeated that same order in various places.  I had a coke and he had a beer.  I had a chocolate cake and he had a cheesecake. They were all good.  $45.00 for the meals and drinks and $21.05 for the desserts.

This stop was 1 hour and 15 minutes. It felt like it was enough time to eat and see the geyser, but I wouldn’t have minded having more time to walk around the hot springs more.

Strokkur

5th and last stop. The The Secret Lagoon, in Fluoir.  It is the oldest geothermal pool in the island. I was very underwhelmed by it.  It is small and it felt slimy under my feet.  I would pass on this one next time. I agree with a reviewer that said: “it is neither a secret or a lagoon”. 

The stop was for one and a half hour.  I didn’t stay long in the pool, but took my time in the shower afterwards.  In this and every pool in Iceland,  they really stress upon the need to take a shower completely nude before getting into your bathing suit and going into the pool.  It is really interesting to see the dynamic in the showers.  Some are very free with their bodies, while others wanted to run and hide.

I forgot to get a picture of the Secret Lagoon, but here is the sign 🙂

I am not sure what time it was when we got bag to the hotel.  We weren’t hungry. Besides lunch, we spent the day eating snacks in the bus.  We had gotten them at the market the night before. We spent $35.82 and got chips, cheese, cookies and chocolate.

I also bought water.  Believe it or not, I was having a problem with the taste of water, and was trying to see if the bottled water would be better.  I know it is the same water and a waste of money.

Iceland has one of the best waters in the planet.  It is said one can even drink from natural sources such as streams and rivers. So clearly, the problem was me.  For some reason, it felt heavy on my tongue, and totally unpleasant to drink. That feeling/taste was still with me for a whole day after arriving home.   

Gaeta Gelato

After leaving our backpacks in the hotel, we went a few doors down to Gaeta Gelato. We both had small cups of gelato.  I had 2 flavors, passion fruit/mango and tiramisu.  Michael had a coffee with chocolate chunks.  They all were delicious.  $15.24 for both.

In the end it was a great day! The tour was great and has its pros and cons.

Then back to the hotel and get stuff ready for Day 3.

“We only know a tiny proportion about the complexity of the natural world. Wherever you look, there are still things we don’t know about and don’t understand. […] There are always new things to find out if you go looking for them.” ― David Attenborough

Iceland in 4 days: Day 1

18 Friday Aug 2023

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“To the complaint, ‘There are no people in these photographs,’ I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.” ― Ansel Adams

Day 1.  Arrival and visiting the are northwest of Reykjavik.

Please forgive the misspellings of names and locations.  I tried my best to recollect all the places we have been, in the right order, and correct spelling, but I probably failed miserably.

I have included some of the prices we paid for items such as food, etc, so you have an idea if you ever decide to visit.

Our trip was last minute, so I am sure that we overpaid for flights and hotel.  We used Delta Vacations and paid $3,252.16 for the flight and hotel.  We were happy to use Delta vacations.  The flight alone was showing up as $1,600 per person.

We landed at Keflavik International airport in Reykjavik at 9am.  We got through Immigration.  Uneventful.  I noticed that I was not told “Welcome” by the agent.  I like to think that everyone is happy to see me arrive 😊.

We got our 1 checked bag and cleared customs. We then waited in line at Hertz for about 30 minutes to get our rental car.  It was a long wait, but we were so happy and excited to be away that we didn’t mind.

Michael wanted a small Suzuki, but they upgraded us to a bigger Skoda sedan.  The car rental bill was $767.36 for 4 days.  We joked that he got upgraded because he is probably the only person that buys all the extra insurance they offer. 

The gas bill was $168.25.  We drove 3 out of 4 days, for about 20 hours or more. We did a lot driving.

After finding our car in the rental parking lot, we searched for the nearest bakery.  I always need to check the local bread situation. We chose Sigurjonsbakari in Keflavik.  It seemed to be mostly frequented by locals, and I like that.  The bread was forgettable, but perhaps I ordered the wrong one.  To drink I wanted something similar to a café mocha, and the girl suggested a Swiss Mocha.  OMG! It was delicious.  Very similar to my everyday concoction made of coffees, chocolates and creams – only better!

They line the inside of the cup with chocolate fudge then they add the mocha mixture, which I assume includes chocolate and milk, then they brew espresso on top.  They then add whipped cream – which I would love to have the recipe, as this whipped cream didn’t turn into a oily mess.  Then they added chocolate shavings. Heavenly!

Since it was way too early to check into the hotel, we decided to drive northwest.  The landscape really hit us we drove for hours, stopping at different places on the side of the road to take in the enormity of the place.  It is so different to what I have seen before – Keep in mind I haven’t been to many places, such to the canyons in Grand Canyon and even the waterfalls in upstate NY.  We stopped at a waterfall in Helgafellssveit. Probably the smallest we have seen in this trip, but still beautiful and very accessible from the road.

We also stopped at Gestastofa Visitor center, where a very helpful clerk gave us a map and described the local sights.  We decided to give up going to the Snaefellness National Park, as it was another long drive and a long hike from the road.  Instead, we drove towards Stykkisholmur.  

Once there, there didn’t seem to be many choices of places to eat, so we decided to try the fish and chips truck.  $37.99 for 2 fish and fries order. I could have done without it. It was not to my taste.  The fish too greasy, and there was some weird seasoning that gave me a bad after taste.  I am not mentioning the name of the food truck, as I know I can be very picky when it comes to food. Michael ate all his food.

We walked around and contemplated taking a boat tour.  Well, Michael wanted to, but I knew it was going to take too long and we had a long drive ahead, so we just took in the sights from the lighthouse. It is really idyllic and it reminds me of the village from the show Doc Martin.

We got back on the road, now driving back south towards Reykjavik.  On the way we stopped at Borgarnes. Another beautiful town with a beautiful shoreline and the most charming coffee shop I have ever seen. It also had a killer view from the outdoor patio.

   It is called Blomasetrio – Kaffi Kyrro.  It is whimsical with various couches and very eclectic decoration.  Michael had soup with bread, and then quiche and salad.  I had only the Swiss mocha, and a couple of slices of toast that came with Michael’s soup. $46.35 for that order.

After eating and then walking along the shore, we got back in the car to drive to the Hotel Centrum in Reykjavik.  I was happy with the hotel.  It was a small room, but the location was great and the breakfast was delicious. We only had breakfast at the hotel 2 out of the 4 days as the other days we needed to get out early and the breakfast only started at 7am.

We joke now that the best food we had in Iceland was the bread at the hotel.  Please forgive us uneducated and spoiled tourists.

The hotel is both the red and beige buildings

Getting back to the day, we located the hotel, and realized that there was no parking.  It never dawned on us to ask beforehand if they had parking.  Luckily we found a spot not too far.   Parking on the street using the Parka app was a total of $37.76, mostly for Day 2 of our vacation, when we took a group tour and left the car parked.  Parking is charged from 9am to 6pm.

We checked in and went out looking for food.  Because it gets dark so late, we had no idea it was already 10:30pm.  We were turned away by most restaurants.  It turns out that on Thursdays nights they close the kitchen at 10 o’clock. Not sure about the other days.

Every restaurant we stopped at, pointed us to Tapas Barinn that have late hours.  The waitress there was happy to welcome us. To drink I had a passion fruit mojito – yes, even in Iceland I have to have passion fruit.  Michael had a beer.  We shared bread with hummus and other sauces, pan fried char with sweet potato puree, patatas bravas, broccoli and cauliflower with a pomegranate sauce.  It was okay.  I am a fan of tapas, but this didn’t really make me want to go back.  There was no tacos or empanadas.

This restaurant has great reviews, but I would have been happier with the regular fish taco and empanadas. Perhaps my palate is just too pedestrian. I realized I should try the local cuisine instead of looking for the same every day food, but Michal and I are not really adventurous when it comes to food.  The bill was $101.05.

We got to the hotel and passed out.

“For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life – the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding
atmosphere which gives subjects their true value.” ― Claude Monet

Playing house, and on the way to Iceland

09 Wednesday Aug 2023

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“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Hi friends,

I have a lot to write, but once again I am using the excuse of lack of time. Work is insane, no time for anything, even though my co-worker has returned from her 3-month medical leave. I am trying to get a lot done to be able to go away for 5 days.

So, this is just quick hello and an update on how things are going with Michael. We have been together now a whole six months from the time we exchanged the first email.

Michael has been living with me for a whole month now.  It has been so easy.  No stress, no problems.  I imagined there would be some growing together pains, but there is none.  There is only bliss.  So much laughter is heard around in my home.

I think we are really being very open and receptive of each other.  I am learning how to go to bed early and he is learning to indulge a little more when it comes to food.  That is just the beginning… We plan on learning from each other and with each other, and becoming the best versions of ourselves.

Tomorrow night Michael and I are leaving to Iceland.  It will be a quick getaway.  I plan on not checking emails and not think about work at all.  It is only 5 days but I think this quick time away will do me wonders.

I am looking forward to traveling to some place neither of us has been to before.  It is our plan to see the world, so that in a few years we can decide where to retire.

I hope to take pictures and post them here along with some notes about my trip. I know I have made such promises before.

Got to run now… bags to pack.

Thank you for following along my dating journey, and for always providing me support and the kindest of words! You make my life better!

Blessings to all!

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” ― Marcel Proust

Eager to start reading Cassa and Cindy

13 Thursday Jul 2023

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“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” ― Anatole France

Look at what just got delivered:  Books from my two new favorite writers.

I know I am a little late to this party, but I want to celebrate these beautiful women and their books.

The Scars We Don’t See by Cassa Bassa from “Flicker of Thoughts” https://flickerofthoughts.com/

and

Re-Create & Celebrate by Cindy Georgakas from “Unique Times With Cindy” https://uniquelyfitblog.com/

Major congratulations to Cassa and Cindy.  Their blogs always inspire me, so I am sure I will be even more inspired by their books.  

I applaud the effort, dedication and love that went into creating this two gorgeous books.  I am sure I will enjoy reading them, and will come back here with a review. 

Until then, I just want to say: You go girl!! I am so proud of you both!!

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway

 

 

One way ticket

04 Tuesday Jul 2023

Posted by in Daily Life

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“I’m choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I’m making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone is doing something that bring them joy.

M is on his way to NY on one-way-ticket.  I am excited to see him again. After being together 24 hours a day together in Brazil, I miss him.

I am surprised that I am not the least bit worried or anxious about sharing my apartment, and life with someone.  It feels right!

We haven’t talked about long term and yet we know it is forever.  We don’t have any set plans, but loose ideas.  He is coming to NY, and we will play house.  I will go to work and he will do whatever he wants to, because he is retired.  We will probably take some short trips here and there. 

At some point, when he goes back to Florida, I will go with him and will set up my office in some little corner in his home. I envision a future working remotely from Florida, Brazil, and anyplace else we decide to visit.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

M already bought us the Epic skiing pass, so there will be a lot skiing this coming winter. Or so I hope.

I am hoping that his discipline and healthy habits will rub off on me.  Not sure what he can gain from me…, but I think we make perfect partners.  Those are my expectations. 

Reality always prove to be much different.  But, what I know is that, the Universe conspires to give me what I want, expect and work for.  I expect happiness, fireworks, excitement, joy and peace.  I work for it.

In this new phase of my life, I pray for guidance.  and I give thanks. I am grateful for what I have, and for all the amazing things that are coming!

And of course, today I give thanks for having Freedom – in every sense of the word; and to everyone that has been a part of that.

“When you make a choice, you change the future.” ― Deepak Chopra

Accidently Blonde

29 Thursday Jun 2023

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“When something goes wrong in your life just yell ‘PLOT TWIST’, and move on” ― Molly Weis

While in Brazil, I went to my hairdresser to get highlights.  I wanted what he had done a couple of times before, some caramel highlights on my dark brown hair, along with extra hair conditioning.

When he was done and started blow-drying my hair we both realized I was now blonde.  He had put in too many highlights and they were all very light.

He apologized and said that my hair reacted to the color very fast. He offered to correct it. I said it was okay.  I already don’t like having too many chemicals in my hair, so the idea of additional coloring was not appealing to me.  Plus I had been there already 4 hours – I just wanted to get home.

After he was done styling it, he took me to a back room with better lighting (where they normally take before and after pics). He thought that perhaps it would look darker.  His face dropped – it looked even lighter. 

When I got home my family was shocked.  After they recovered, they said they liked it.  Then we all waited for M to arrive (he had gone to Pilates – I had skipped to go to the hairdresser).  My family was more curious than I was, to see how he would react.

When he arrived and saw me, he was speechless for a second, and then said: “You look beautiful, you look like a model”.

The pictures below don’t do it justice:  In person it looks much lighter, and it actually looks beautiful when it is styled (below is bedhead and just washed).

I will make the best of it.  It is only hair, and I am not the type to stress over appearance.  Who knows, I may discover that blondes do have more fun!

 

“Beware of her fair hair, for she excels
All women in the magic of her locks;
And when she winds them round a young man’s neck,
She will not ever set him free again.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

M survived 3 weeks with my family in Brazil!

22 Thursday Jun 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message, Dating, Finding Me

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“No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.” ― Elbert Hubbard

I arrived from Brazil on Saturday.  M went straight to Florida.  We were together 24/7, and just got along beautifully.  We miss each other.  He will be coming to NY on July 4th.  I am swamped at work, specially at the end of the month.  My assistant is still out.  So he is giving me space to catch up with work.

He is the one! Yes, I am announcing it to whoever care to listen! I am being extremely bold when I say this is forever.  It feels like forever.  I am going to enjoy this “forever” for as long as it lasts.

My family, like the majority of Brazilians, are very welcoming.  Everyone embraced him right away.  It helps that he is an extremely loveable creature.  He is kind and unassuming, always trying to help others.  I love his generous heart!  My family truly loved him and welcomed him as part of the family.

I had warned him that this would be a work trip.  At times he hinted at wanting to go surfing, etc, but there was no way I could make that work this time.  The beach he wants to go to is very far from my town.  He is now floating the idea of renting a house there for a month this summer.  At this point, I feel I am tied to NY, at least for the next few months.  But I am remaining open minded.

As I mentioned prior, while in Brazil, we painted, cleaned, shopped, did Pilates, spent time with friends and ate.  I ate like the world was coming to an end.  Unfortunately, I have several extra pounds to show for it.

M is vegetarian and stays away from sugar and carbs.  That is, until he met me.  He is not fanatical about his diet, so in Brazil, to be polite, he indulged.  He probably ate more sugar and carbs in 3 weeks than he did his whole life prior.

I normally don’t overindulge in Brazil, but with the excuse of having him try different treats, I did. I figure that in future trips we will tone it down.  There were 3 meals that we did as a family.  Breakfast, lunch and afternoon coffee.  Dinner was just a snack, unless we were meeting friends out.  Those times around the table with my family and friends (there are always a friend or two stopping by) are precious.

We had dinner out with friends 4 times.  We had so much yummy food.  I will be posting about them in following posts. The food in Brazil is unbelievable! Well, I am biased.

We also managed to take a couple of day trips to the town where my sister used to reside and still has an apartment – Poços de Caldas, in the state of Minas Gerais.  We took the cable car to Cristo Redentor (Christ, The Redeemer).  Every town in Brazil has the statue of Christ.  The most famous one is in Rio de Janeiro. 

Unfortunately, the day that we were visiting it, it was a foggy day. They are renovating the area, and there are ziplines, bars and other attractions, but on this foggy day nothing could be seen.

We also took a couple of day trips to the countryside, including to the Pico do Gaviāo (Hawk’s Peak)– It is a mountainous area famous for paragliding.  Gorgeous!

I will write more about our trip to Brazil as time permits.  In the end, M loved Brazil and Brazil loved M.  If anything, this trip made us see that we do belong together. 😊

“Pursue what catches your heart, not what catches your eyes.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Alive in Brazil

12 Monday Jun 2023

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Dia dos Namorados

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” ― Albert Camus

Hi Friends,

This is just to say I am alive 😊

I haven’t had a chance to go check your blogs and see what you all have been up to. For that I am sorry, and I hope everyone has been well.  I will be back to the US next week and hope to have more time to get back to my cherished friends here.

Life in Brazil has been incredibly busy.  Not only I had tons of things that I wanted to get done around the house, but I am also working remotely – my functions plus some of my co-worker that remains out being treated for breast cancer.

Here is a summary of what I have been up to since I arrived here on May 26:

  • I bought a car for my brother. Dealing with the dealership, insurance, Detran (Brazilian DMV), details about paying, etc, it all involved several days.
  • Painted my mom’s second kitchen and eat-in area. Some workers that worked on some water damage made a complete mess of the walls and floor. Not to mention the fact that they didn’t cover anything.  In April, when I saw that mess, I mentioned that I was going to clean it and paint it, when I returned – many doubted, but I did.  I am very proud of that.
  • I painted my brother’s room as well. This room is adjacent to that kitchen and it needed some refreshing. It was also a chance to re-organize and clean it.
  • Organized my brother’s room. My brother is not an organized person, so every time I come to Brazil, I make improvements.
  • Put contact paper on all the kitchen cabinets. Detailed job. I had a friend that is unemployed at the moment come and help.  She has been priceless in helping me with the cleaning and organizing.
  • I cleaned a small little house I have for rent. Again, I had my friend help. Actually, she did most of cleaning. I also had to have the yard, cleared of overgrown grass and trees. I contracted that work for a small fortune – everyone here things I overpaid.
  • M and I go to Pilates every week day from 1 to 2pm. Even though he works out hard at the gym every day while in the States, he is finding out that Pilates can be challenging.  The instructor has been targeting some dormant muscles. I should be in Pilates right now, but I am catching up on work, and I am stealing a few minutes to do this Update.
  • Speaking of M, he is fitting right in. He has been helping me with everything. From cleaning, painting, decisions about the car, to doing the dishes and cleaning. He is a keeper. Everyone here adores him, even though there is still the language barrier.  He has been working hard at trying to learn Portuguese.
  • There is always a stream of visitors at my house. Friends, old and new, that come to have coffee with my parents. Most come every week, other now come more often because I am here. That has always been the routine with my family. We never go to people’s house, they come to us.  Which, now that I think of, is the opposite for me in the US.  I hardly have anyone over; I often go to people’s house.
  • Today is “Dia dos Namorados” in Brazil, somewhat similar to Valentine’s Day in the US, but not that similar. This holiday is all about boyfriends and girlfriends.  went out and got me that beautiful sunflower.  Here in my town is hard to find cut flowers, we find mostly the actual plant to be replanted.  He also bought all kinds of chocolates for the rest of the family. 
  • I was able to have a couple of outings with friends, twice for dinner and twice for a day trip to the country.  I hope to share pictures and stories when I return.

I am feeling so exhausted mentally and physically – there has been many frustrating and angering moments. But I am also so so blessed to be able to be here with my parents, to be able to better their lives in little ways, and to have M. next to me. I believe he is the person I have been waiting for.

Wishing everyone many blessings, small and large. I hope you have many reasons to smile, but even if you don’t, smile anyway.  The reasons will come!

ps. sorry for typos and errors, no time to edit.

“…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.” ― Pema Chödrön