Brazilian girls...how?

Now that this trip seems to be a go, I have to figure out the parameters for making G & K Brazilian... Talking to a live person at the Consulate might prove impossible, so I might just have to chance it and show up with cash, pictures, birth certificates and passports and hope for the best. The trip to Chicago could happen next week.

Not much else goin' on...

A week later...

And not much progress on any of it. I guess a lot has been happening in my mind. I'm thinking of several articles I can try to write and get published, geared toward teens and children for different magazines. Gotta plan some more on that. If I can get some articles published, it will make getting a book published easier, supposedly. So I have many ideas. We'll see if I can make them happen.

I have had my eyes opened to two things. I have a tendency to be lazy and a tendency to be selfish. So both of those are working against me right now since I need to get my butt in gear to make things happen. My selfishness isn't helping cuz I'm not getting much sleep (toddler sleep, nightweaning issues) and am a bear when I don't get enough rest.

Anyway. Gotta call my aunt, although not the way I did last time! The 5 minute call cost $19.55!!!!!! YIKES! crazy phone bill.

Updating...

Haven't done much lately on here. THere is so much to do in real life, let alone update this blog!

For the trip, I have done a few things lately.

I started and mostly completed a 'book' more like a portfolio of what our trip is going to be like. This is for G who has a very difficult time with change. It was fun to do and I just need to make a final page, I think, to tie it together. It has already helped with good discussions between us and other family members too!

I have a large plastic tote already filled with things I cannot forget to take! I went to Kroger the other day and just looked for small toys, travel things, first aid components, etc. that were on sale. Then I did the same at Kmart. I have a lot started for our entertainment kits and also first aid. This way I can slowly accumulate things when they are on sale and it won't cost so much in one lump sum!

I have yet to purchase our in-country tickets. My aunt hasn't gotten back to me yet about whether she can get a better deal than I can. She has friends who are travel agents and might get good discounts. I"m getting nervous that I need to get this squared away quickly...

I just printed up all the stuff for getting travel documents for the girls. I found out that I can register them as Brazilian and then get them Brazilian passports. Which might make sense instead of having to buy them visas to get into Brazil. So I have to figure that out. Then, Brazil also requires travel documents signed by both parents when children are travelling with only one parent, so we have to figure that out. Might require a trip to Chicago by the whole family. We might Megabus it and make a 2 day trip out of it!

I'm drilling the girls on Portuguese phrases. They are such mimics. Their accents are near-perfect. Especially Katya's!

Our camera has died, or the batteries, not sure. So I need to find out what we can do about that!
We were thinking we'd need to buy another camera anyway since Will wants one in Spain as well. But having to buy 2 cameras sounds excessive. Will's dad offered his camera, so we can borrow that one. I just want to fix the one we have so that if something happens to it, I won't feel terrible. It's worth about $25 now since is only 3.1 megapixels and close to 4 years old. Crazy, since we spent almost $300 on the thing when we bought it!

So there you are. It felt good to get that all down in writing and out of my brain storage!

paz
rachae;

Solo travel with children - bad idea?

I've traveled outside the U.S. approximately 5,229 hours in my life. Of these hours, about half were solo, without parents or partners. Even the travel I have done with my partner has been as the leader, the one in charge.

In all my experience of traveling by myself in Latin America, I've had two guidielines for my safety: 1. Be as inconspicuous as possible. 2. Don't carry anything obviously valuable with you. These two rules have helped ensure my safety traveling alone in Brazil and Colombia.

The first rule must be understood in context. I have pale, freckled skin, blue eyes, straight long blonde hair, a combination that is guaranteed to stand out in countries where the majority has brown skin, brown eyes and brown hair. Even so, I blend as much as possible with the other young, single female backpack travellers and am often able to convince Brazilians and Colombians(due to a near-native accent)that I am Brazilian.

Following the second guideline is really a no-brainer. I don't wear jewelry or watches, carry a small point and shoot camera that fits in my small purse slung diagonally across my chest, and my hand is on said purse at all times. When going alone to the beach, I don't even carry a purse, just a towel to sit on or sometimes nothing at all. The one time I have had something stolen was when I broke this rule and wore a necklace that looked like gold (but wasn't) and was reading the newspaper while walking down a crowded street. The necklace must have looked valuable so some guy ripped it off my neck as I was walking in broad daylight in Bogota. Enh, said with a shrug, I should have known better was my attitude when it happened.

I write all this to say that I'm a pretty confident traveller. I'm not easily frightened of trying new things or making new trips. If I had had unlimited funds as a teen and young adult (am I really past this label already??), I would have travelled the world over by now, I'm sure.

However, now I am scared. In July I will be embarking on a journey which inherently flaunts both of my safety guidelines. I will be solo adult traveling to Brazil with the two most precious people in my life, my two daughters, ages five and two. As any mother knows, my children are indescribably valuable to me which breaks rule number two. And just to be truthful, it is difficult to be inconspicuous with my little girls in the U.S. where blond and light-eyed children are commonly seen, I can't imagine even attempting inconspicuous in Brazil.

to be continued...

Getting back to this...

I have a blue folder I can take everywhere with me and jot stuff down. It is getting much more use than this blog. But I have lists for everything in there! Gear list, questions to ask, things to do, etc.

I just decided tonight how to plan the trip and when to go where. We are throwing down the extra cash to get from my aunt's (who lives in Anapolis, not Goiania, jeez I can't believe I made that mistake!) to Recife where I grew up.

The plan is to go straight to Recife once we get in the country, spend two weeks (a little less) there and then go to my aunt's to spend the remainder of our time. I have scheduled it so I get two Sundays in Recife, that way I can meet up with the most possible people who I used to go to church with! I am so excited, I can barely function.

I wonder how easy it will be to update this blog while I'm there? HMMM...

This evening I am writing an essay on how I feel about travelling with the two most precious things in my life, my girls... Never done that before!

Well, just lost my first post to this blog.

Here's a map. Our tickets take us to Sao Paulo. My aunt who we are visiting lives just southwest of Brasilia. We are bussing it to my aunt's in Goiania from Sao Paulo.

The question is, how do we get to Recife? Recife is home, where I grew up, northeast coast. Do I spend $1,200 more dollars to buy plane tickets up there? Or do I spend considerably less money but much more sanity bussing it (3 days or so) up to Recife from Goiania then plane to Sao Paulo before we leave?

HMMM. Gotta work on that...

Here is my beginning post for my travel blog. Please ignore the maternity clothes below...

So I have the tickets. They have been purchased. YIKES! Over $2,000 gone gone gone. But not used up yet. :) I feel this will be well worth it. I just have to convince myself how I am going to travel with and parent two little kids solo for a month without completely losing my mind.

So this will be rambling about that...when I get the time.

Cropped under the belly jeans by Motherhood size small.  

Super cute - like new - under the belly jeans. Size small Motherhood Maternity.  

Extra soft and comfy drawstring yoga type pants. Black by MOtherhood Maternity size small. Excellent used condition.  

Super comfy cargo pants. Khaki - by Motherhood Maternity. Size medium. 100% cotton. Well-worn. See stain in next photo. Won't show with certain maternity tops.
 

Bleach stain on cargo pants.  

Comfy Overalls. Denim blue. By Santa Fe Blues, size small.  

Stretchy comfy cropped pants. Motherhood maternity. Small. Black.  

CUTE suit. Black with White trim. by Take Nine Maternity Size 7/8. Barely used. Has a zipper in front so you can choose to show more cleavage (or not). Shelf bra - soft cup.  

Great workout swimsuit. Royal blue by Take NIne. Size 9/10. Soft cup shelf bra lining. Pretty simple suit. Good used condition. 

Workout shirts. Short sleeved. Cotton. White one is In Due Time Size Medium. Some small stains. Second one is Navy blue V-neck by Motherhood - Medium, used condition. Last one is Black rounded neck tee by Baby and Me Size small, excellent used condition.  

Detail photo for white shirt.  

Like new MOtherhood Maternity Size small Long sleeve button down. Sky blue. 97% cotton/3%spandex.  

Gorgeous, like new White Gap Maternity top. Size Small. See detail picture. 94% cotton/6%spandex.