I really wanted my first blog from abroad to be full of optimism as I am in the early stages of fulfilling a life long aspiration to journey. I have always wanted to travel and it is happening now on the largest scale imaginable. Did I mention I am a homebody with a tendency to isolate?
Post crazy last few months of simplifying (a dirty word in our house meaning to throw out), selling, packing and giving away stuff, lots of stuff (in a free pile on the side of the Kula Hwy.) I would like to report that I am in travel bliss; however, this is not my reality… I keep having emotional ups and downs… super-high highs and tearful lows all while trying to stay really optimistic, centered and chill for my daughters.
I think of myself as a glass half full type of girl, but the last several days have been rough. Exhaustion, off food schedules and the fact that I am constantly packing up our stuff. Did I mention? I loathe packing. Coupled with the fact that I am in shopping withdrawal is super-intense.
As I sit and type this, Grace (my youngest) turns to me and kisses my arm and tells me how much she loves me. I think to myself “I am a good mother”. At other moments like seeing the Haleakala Waldorf newsletter I think “I am definitely scarring them for life”.
Uprooting us and traveling for a school year was a challenging decision. Am I self-centered and indulgent for not putting this off until they are grown? The truth is we are not doing this so much for our children as with them. I need this! Will they benefit? I hope so. Will they be damaged? I pray not. Most of our friends support our decision to do this, of course they are well-traveled themselves and know the incredible value of experiencing different cultures. It is important to me to have this personal growth while it can still impact my mindset and life.
We have finished our first week of homeschool. Figured out mail chimp and managed to write a couple of posts. Our first airbnb was a dream. Then we spent a night in a little Villa Quinta de Carma in a charming Parish town of Freteiras we spent 4 hours driving back and forth and across the Island to find. We booked this place through Agoda and never received a bill from the owner. We will have to turn on the cell service for the day and contact them to remit payment, as they have yet to email us our bill.
I keep repeating the mantra “the Universe is conspiring in our favor” this seems to help when we finally get up the courage to try the bidet only to have it leak. Or find ourselves in need of changing houses at our second airbnb after only two nights due to the long distance from everything, lack of wifi and faulty plumbing.
Yesterday I had 40 mins to buy groceries before our scheduled taxi arrived, I became consumed with buying food that would make us feel at home all the ingredients for feta cheese wraps for Scarlet, cinnamon sticks and oatmeal for Grace, and tiny little jars of jam for Eleanore. In my excitement of loading the basket with vegetables I failed to realize until checkout that you are meant to weigh in advance and print our a barcoded sticker for each item. As the produce was at the front of the store; therefore at the bottom of my basket and consequently at the end of conveyer belt, in a attempt to conserve plastic bags I hadn’t even bagged them. As the line grew behind me and the customers became more and more agitated, the only words I could understand were “muito verdura” much vegetable. I apologized and tried to communicate to forget about the vegetables but the cashier was lovely and Insisted “rapido” fast, as I tried to explain that I was late for the taxi and my family was waiting. My pulse was elevated I was uncomfortable, to say the least, in the end all was well the taxi was held by Bernie and the meter was running and we made it home. Simple everyday life made slightly more challenging, sometimes it is nice not to catch every word uttered about you in Portuguese.
Tomorrow we move to Sintra, Portugal to an airbnb that costs double what our current place does ($149)…. God, I hope there is an amazing little dress shop just around the corner.
- New Words in Portuguese:
- Garfo= Fork
- Garoto= short coffee with milk
- Pastilha= Bubble Gum (very difficult to pronounce)
- Verdura= vegetables
- Muito= much, a lot
- Frango= chicken
- Batata= potato
- Leite= milk
Stroh Ohana Travelogue 