How We Ended Up So Far South

Well, I’m at “home” with a sleeping baby, two kids at school and not much else to do. Finally, blogging time! I have so many blogs running around in my brain, I’m going to have to just start somewhere. Here is a little background on how we ended up here.

An international assignment is something we’ve talked about for a long time. In fact, before I was even pregnant with D, I made a trip to this very town for the company and took loads of pictures to show DaddyHealy as a potential temporary location for us. We asked to be put on “the list” of potential expatriates (a word is essentially defined as an emigrant. We usually shorten it to “ex-pat” and use it to refer to ourselves and other non-natives on a temporary assignment.)

Seven or so years later, the town looks very much the same. I would guess it has around 15,000 people, and there are a few larger towns within 45 minutes of here, but no major metropolitan areas nearer than 6 hours. That is one of the things I really like about it here. There is no McDonalds. There is no “American school” or “English school.” We cannot hide behind a neighborhood that is like a mini homeland (a little American Village to make us feel at home as you might see a China Town in large US cities). We just have to mingle, to learn, to adapt, and most of all, speak Portuguese.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for the comforts of home, but in my eyes this whole experience would be a waist if we didn’t take advantage of being somewhere new. From my past experiences abroad, when the familiar is available, it is hard to avoid. When it is not available, you really begin to experience things and appreciate the culture. That’s what I want for myself, what I want for my marido (husband), for my fihlos (children).