The Joys of Moving... Internationally (Part 2)

Okay, more pictures this time!  We move into our own house this afternoon, and we are very excited!!!  There is still a lot to be done and a lot more to be bought, but we have thoroughly enjoyed our beginnings. One thing I've observed:  The customer service here is amazing!!  Whether looking at the most expensive of household appliances or just picking up a can of hairspray, store employees always greet us, ask what we are looking for, and then show us exactly where to find it.  Then they proceed to describe each type of the item and differences between brands, etc, making recommendations of what they feel would be best for our situation.  Once we choose the item we want, they then take it to the check-out counter for us and hold it while we look at other items.  When it's time to check out, everything is waiting for us at the counter and we just have to pay.  Now, with things like furniture or kitchen appliances, I love this system!  But hairspray or toothpaste, well, some things I think I can figure out on my own. :)  (Two exceptions I've found are grocery stores and 1 shopping center that is probably comparable to Walmart.)

Now, on to the fun stuff!!  PICTURES! :)  I recognize this is not the best picture to see Tiago or Elissa, but my main goal was to show the stairway.  It just happened to be Lissie's first place to explore.  I'm not sure what material the steps (and counters) are actually made out of, but they are definitely some sort of stone, maybe granite... or maybe something cheaper...

Here is one view of our kitchen.  The funky-shaped door on the left is our churrasco (barbecue). 

And now we have... a Microwave!!!

This is our bedroom with our lovely, soft bed.  (Apparently in this area, most people prefer to buy firmer beds.  We got some funny looks when we asked for something softer and with springs in it.)  Not much else in here yet, besides a few clothes we brought with us.  

The Joys of Moving... Internationally (Part 1)

It's hard to believe it's only been four days since we left the US. We've been so busy this week that it feels like we've been here forever! So here's a quick run-down of our travel experiences, and some observations I have made so far:

First MAJOR hurdle – the flight here! Our biggest worry at this point was the weight of our luggage. I know, this probably sounds silly as there are so many other much bigger things we could worry about. But moving our entire lives (as much as we possibly could fit) inside of four suitcases and 3 carry-on bags meant some VERY heavy bags!! On international flights, this is not a big deal as long as they stay under 70 lbs each. But our last flight was a domestic flight bought separately from the others. The baggage weight limit for domestic flights = 50 lbs PER PERSON. With unknown charges for extra weight. Yeah. But we decided it was worth it to us to pay any extra fees in order to take as much as we could anyway, and hope for the best!

Well, thanks to some VERY generous grandparents (who I think were willing to do just about whatever it took to get their granddaughter closer to them) Elissa had her own seat on each flight – which, incidentally also meant we could bring more luggage! :) The first flight began with a teary-eyed goodbye to my dear mommy who was SO nice to drive us to the airport (and in such nasty, snowy weather conditions!!! Yeah, she's pretty much the best. :)). We had a quick connection to Miami, during which Lissie enjoyed looking out the window and exploring her new surroundings. She had a great time, so much so that we did not even have to get out our secret weapon yet – the portable DVD player with various “Wiggles” DVDs. In Miami, we had a bit of a layover – about 3 hours I think. Have you ever tried to keep a toddler happy in a busy airport for that long?! I was thinking “If only airports had playgrounds...” and shortly discovered that in a way, they did. :) They're called “Moving Walkways.” They provided hours of entertainment going around and around in circles! At first I thought we had made such an original discovery, but after a while we noticed another mother and her toddler doing the same thing. Lissie and the other baby squealed with delight upon seeing each other, and ooooh what cuteness!! They were even wearing matching outfits! (Awwwwww!) I think the airport personnel were glad when our flight finally loaded...

I'm a blogger!!!

I've resisted for so many years, but now that we will be a hemisphere away from family and friends, I've decided to give in and join the blogging world. :) For anyone who hasn't already heard, Tiago and I are moving to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. Our flight out is Wednesday, January 12. Lots of people have asked us the same question about our plans: WHY? I guess the shorter answer is "because Tiago has a job there." But for those who haven't heard the longer story, here goes:

Even before we were married, we have discussed the possibility of one day living in Brazil so that I can learn to speak Portuguese and get to know his side of the family more. But we knew we wanted it to happen at a time that made sense for our family and would be minimally disruptive. For example, he needed to be an American citizen first, or he could lose his permanent resident status while we were gone. He also needed to finish his degree as colleges/universities in Brazil are very different from the US and ideally, he would find a good job here first to get experience in his degree area. So we did not expect to make such a drastic move for at least a few more years. As most of you know, Tiago finished his degree in May 2010, and has been job-hunting for nearly a year now, mostly looking for biology-related or laboratory-type jobs. In the meantime he has gotten to be a stay-home dad for Elissa (which has been great!). Well, after very few responses to many many job applications, of course we began discussing other options, one of which was working with family in Brazil. As you can imagine, this was definitely not my first choice. But we prayed for guidance and studied out pros and cons for all options, and we received answers. The answer I received was simply "Trust my husband." Tiago then told me that he felt we needed to move to Brazil, and that it should happen at the beginning of the new year. I was still skeptical at first, seeing that he still was not a US citizen at the time and I thought for sure he would have to wait at least another 6-8 months just for the next step in that process. So I wasn't quite convinced, still insisting he needed to be a citizen first, but he felt very sure everything would work out. The next day I checked the mail and we had received a letter from the immigration office regarding his next appointment, and we found out that the timing would work out almost perfectly! (I think that was Heavenly Father's way of saying "See? I told you to trust him." :)) So then we were both on board with the Brazil plan, and everything has fallen in to place one step at a time, to make this move work.

There are still many challenges ahead for our family, but we know that challenges are a part of life no matter where you live. And we know that we are going where our Heavenly Father needs us and if we follow the Spirit and keep the commandments, He will continue to help us through difficult times ahead. Meanwhile I am planning to keep everyone updated on our adventures - both good and not so good - through this blog. So stay tuned!!! :)