Cheers to Not Going Alone

I've been doing more and more thinking about the actual day that we move to Brasilia and may I say, I'm increasingly becoming more excited. Big surprise, I know. See, the last time that E and I really traveled internationally together was when he moved from Brazil to the U.S. (I say "he" because I arrived first and then returned to get him). We have traveled outside of the U.S. together, but our drive across the Canadian border to Niagara Falls and our cruise to the Caribbean don't really count. I mean, we don't even have stamps in our passports to prove we even left the country. Therefore, now that we're moving all the way to Brazil, I'm feeling quite excited. You know how I much I love to travel. travel. travel. And travel abroad is even more exhilarating. Add that to moving abroad and you can imagine how I feel. The thing is that I love to live overseas.  

It's actually kind of funny that each time that I graduate from school/college I'm simultaneously preparing for a move abroad. In high school it was my adventure to Bolivia to be an exchange student. Two months after my college graduation I embarked for Brazil to spend a year teaching in the rainforest. Fast forward 7 years and I've graduated again and now I prepare to head off to Brazil (again) in fewer than 6 weeks. Each time in the past I was going alone, unfamiliar with my destination, yet extremely excited about the adventure and the unknown. But this time is different. Brasilia is still a city I can only daydream about since I have never visited it nor thought much of doing so in the past 5 years or so. However, I'm not going alone. I don't have to worry (though I never really did previously) about not having any friends or not knowing too much about what to expect. Yes, I've been to Brazil before, and even lived there, but I still don't know what my life will be like there - as an expat in the capital with a job similar to the one I have here.

This time, this move abroad, I will not go alone. I will go with my husband. Oh yeah, and the cat :).  Not only do I get to travel again with E, which I love, but I also will be able to hold someone's hand as I move from my old life to my new life. I will already have a friend, I will know someone else who's going through the same uncertainties as me, and I can double my luggage allowance. 

Travel. Travel. I love Travel.

I can't believe that I haven't devoted a post entirely to my amorous relationship with TRAVEL after all of these months of writing. Or have I? I've written so much about South America, and Brazil (of course!) in particular, but have I mentioned, apart from my introductory page, how addictive travel is for me and how I feel like I need it, like a junkie needs heroin? Well, maybe not that much. But I get cranky when I don't travel. That's a fact. I get stir crazy.


Now I guess it was the post I wrote the other day about the four cities E and I have lived in that made me want to continue talking about travel, and specifically about where E and I have been together. When we met - in Manaus - years ago, Mr. Bound for Brasilia was not the least bit interested in travel. Really. I mean, he travelled from his house to mine, from his school to mine, from my house to his family's sitio, and believe you me, as nice as those city buses are, they sure do take some time to arrive at their destination. However, we all know that's not the travel that I'm talking about.


The first trip that we ever took out of town together was to President Figueiredo, Amazonas and we visited this town just once, but it was unforgettable. I remember distinctly that it was during the World Cup in 2006 so there was a lot of football watching and drinking and relaxing. I had been to this municipality previously, but not with E. And for sure we had a good time swimming in the Rio Negro (a tributary of the Amazon River). 


The issue, though, that I have with posting pictures about my travels is that if you remember I've sold my scanner and am therefore unable to scan any of the pictures that I have from our trip. Along with that, most of my pictures are not stored on my laptop. I was going to "steal" from my husband's Facebook album of pictures that I took, but it won't let me do that. *pouts
But that's OK. I mean, what is Google for any way? 

For your viewing pleasure...

P.F., Amazonas

And then probably just a few weeks after that trip, we visited another small town in the state of Amazonas called Balbina. We went with friends on this trip and stayed at a cute hotel that was quiet and quaint. We visited waterfalls and went swimming in the cool Amazon River. I still have pictures from this mini vacation that I've saved in our first album. Of course I can't scan them, so I found this on-line to show off the town of Balbina.

....because once we moved to the U.S. we had a great time travelling and exploring. 

Our first real trip within the United States as a couple was to Miami Beach; I knew that E would love the beach, the nightlife, shops, and restaurants. I was right. We had a blast!

Miami Beach

Along with travelling around Florida (all over Central Florida, to St Augustine, and Miami), we've also driven and flown to New York a number of times. As I'm from upstate New York and my family continues to live there, I was able to show E the hospital where I was born, where I graduated high school and college. Since we'd met in Manaus and I'd experienced E's city, lived in his hometown, and met all of his family members, it was important that my husband see where I come from. 

In New York we've travelled from Buffalo to Long Island (basically, from the western most part of the state to the eastern most). We crossed the border to Niagara Falls a couple years ago to see the waterfalls and last summer spent an extended weekend in New York City and L.I. We'd actually been to NYC a couple of times previously together, even watching the ball drop one New Year's Eve.

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

E's favorite part of NYC

In addition to our trip to New York last summer, we also took a cruise to the Bahamas - to Nassau to be exact. It was literally the perfect vacation. We cruised, we swam, we drank, we relaxed on the boat and on the beach, and went snorkeling (one of our favorite outdoors activities). We can't wait to go again! Look at the amazing view of Nassau...

When I look back on our 6 years and 6 months together (anniversary today), the memories flood in, as well as our multiple trips and vacations as a couple. This makes me grateful and excited for more! ...oh yeah, and I hope I'm not forgetting anything or leaving any travel out.


Wait, how can I forget our trip to Louisville, Kentucky last summer for my sister's wedding! The weather was perfect, the bride gorgeous, the wedding was beautiful and the setting breathtaking. E and I visited the Louisville Slugger factory, the Mohammed Ali museum, Churchill Downs, and just spent valuable, priceless time with my family.

Churchill Downs - Kentucky Derby

And how could I forget our most recent trip? In December 2010 we visited Atlanta for an extended weekend. We went for my interviews with the international schools in South America, but we definitely took advantage of the time we had in Georgia and visited some great friends (both couples are Brazilian/American), went to the Coca-Cola Museum, and walked a little bit around downtown Atlanta...

Next month we'll be back in New York state and the following month we're heading back to Brazil.