#219 Nomad Diary. 28 December- 3 January 2024-2025. Brasilia, Brazil with Son Jeremy's Family. Nomad Notes: Our 2024 Travel in Quick Review.

At a National Park Lake in Brasilia, Brazil. Darrell, Quinn and Jeremy

Lunch in Our Neighborhood in Brasilia, Brazil

View of Some Modern Buildings in Brasilia, Brazil. Darrell at the Mall

Quinn in His Bedroom

Bird in Brasilia, Brazil

Night Sky in Brasilia

Saturday. 28. We were invited along with Jeremy’s family to a BBQ at one of his work colleagues' houses. We went and enjoyed visiting with many embassy families and eating delicious food too! 

Sunday. 29. Jeremy drove the three of us to worship today. I used google translate and could understand more of the longer speeches today. Definitely using google translate from now on! lol.

Monday. 30. We learned about how to go to a local lunch place, serve our food from a buffet onto a plate, get it weighed, eat and then pay with the ticketed weight. My lunch came to under $5 including a fresh juice. The exchange rate is in our favor for the US$.

Tuesday. 31. Tonight we played a game of cards with Jeremy and Andrea. I went to bed around 9-10pm. I slept good, and never missed staying up all night. 

Wednesday. 1. We had a slow and easy holiday morning. Darrell made pancakes for breakfast. Jeremy and Andrea took down their Christmas tree and put it away. I took Quinn to his playground and pushed him on the swing for 15 minutes. He played in the sand for another 15 minutes and was ready to go back home. Around noon Andrea found a place open and serving lunch. We enjoyed going out and eating an excellent meal there. We are chilling and doing computer work and reading today. 

Thursday. 2. Andrea booked our spa day today. Jeremy is back at work. Darrell is babysitting Quinn. I enjoyed a 2 hour spa treatment today. I was a massage therapist for 16 years but I have only purchased massages for myself. This was my first 2 hour spa experience and it was very nice. There was a foot massage with tea and cookies served in a private room. Then I had a full body massage followed by a head massage. I fell asleep a couple of times during my massage. It was a wonderful experience. Darrell got a notice for a 2 week house sit through his profile on trustedhousesitters.com that he was interested in. He sent me a text to ask if I would also be interested in this sit in September for a cat in Kent, UK. I was interested. So he applied and we were selected and approved within a couple of hours! We are looking forward to doing it and the location too! 

Friday. 3. Called an old friend today. We were both massage therapists near Burlington, North . Carolina about 20 or more years ago. Sarah and I often took long walks together. We enjoyed sharing our massage profession ideas and thoughts. We often taught each other stretching routines or techniques we learned in our various CE classes. We had a nice long catch up talk. She and her husband Bob went with Darrell and I on our first ever cruise. They owned a marina and spent a lot of time on boats. That was all new to us. We had a good time and that began our learning about cruising. Since then we have cruised many miles, days and cruise itineraries. Today I took Quinn to his close playground two times. I push him on the swing for a full 15 minutes and then he plays in the sand for a while. He comes to Darrell and says, “Papa, will you play with me?” Most of the time Darrell will go and play in Quinn’s room with him or out into his sunroom where he has his train set. After they have a playtime and Darrell is finished then he will come to me, “Nana will you play with me?” I usually play once a day, but chose to offer swinging at the playground when I can! Lol. Today I went out to his sunroom, and we rearranged his hot wheel cars while under his tent made with a sheet. Then we lay down and looked up at the clouds in the sky and said what the clouds looked like to each of us. A duck, an alligator, a dog, etc. 

Nomad Notes. Our 2024 year of travel in a nutshell:

January housesitting in New Plymouth, NZ

February road-tripping in North Island New Zealand

March: Cruise NZ to Australia; road trip and visit with cruising friends in Gold Coast; Great Barrier Reef, Cairns and Sydney

April: Sydney to San Francisco Cruise

May-mid-June: Athens, Alabama grandchildren Owen and Esther; other friends and family in this area; trip with my friend to Florida and time with my sisters. 

mid-June - Mid-July: fly to Brasilia, Brazil with Jeremy, Andrea and Quinn; 1 wk at beach resort near Recife.

Mid-July - Mid-August: Alabama road trip to Texas and road trip back to Alabama (3 ½ weeks near Darrell’s 90 year old parents in Lake Dallas)

Mid-August - Mid-September: Athens, Alabama near Eric, Erin, Owen and Esther; other friends and family.

Mid-Sept - Mid-Oct: 1 week road trip and stay in Kingsport, Tenn. (Darrell’s brother Glenn and wife); 1 week go to Asheville, NC for a house sit and end up in the big hurricane that left the town in a disaster zone. Back to Kingsport, Tenn.; 1 week at resort in Bayse, VA; Long weekend touring Williamsburg, VA; 5 day road trip Roanoke, VA, West Virginia fall colors, Creation and Ark museums, to Huntsville, AL (with NZ friend)

Mid-End October: Athens, AL, family and friends.

November 1-13:

Road trip Alabama-Panama City Beach, FL-Dunnellon, FL, -Boca Raton, FL, Park Truck for Antarctica Cruise.

Nov 13-Dec 18: 35 day Antarctic Cruise on Sapphire Princess Ship. Ft. Lauderdale-St. Kitts-Fortaleza, Brazil-Rio,Brazil-Montevideo,Uruguay-Buenos Aires, Argentina-Puntas Arenas,Chile-Ushuaia,Argentina-4 days Scenic Cruising Antarctic peninsula-Stanley, Falkland Islands-Montevideo, Uruguay-Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Dec 18-Jan 15: In Brasilia, Brazil with Jeremy, Andrea, and Quinn.

Some of my 2024 personal challenges and changes: 

I’ve decided that I’m an essentialist not a minimalist. 

July: I purchased an online book about improving my snoring and possible sleep apnea (Sleep Apnea Solution by: Dylan Petkus, M.D.). I began breathing exercises and improved my sleeping. I was also getting up every night for several years to pee about 3am. (At the end of January 2025 in Alabama I’m scheduled for an in-home sleep study evaluation. I have improved and continue to improve so I am hopeful about my results.)

August: I began taking daily drops of methylene blue after it was suggested to me by a friend and I read a book and online info about it. My nightly urination started to improve, but still was happening most nights.

September: I bought an online program called “The BuffMuff Method” by: Kim Vopni. It took me a couple of weeks to get through the information and get going on her daily exercises. I improved by staying asleep all night every night! I quit the exercises everyday, but in December rededicated myself to continue to do them. Darrell began his first diet ever in his life because of some lab results in regards to his liver enzymes. His doctor told him that losing 10-20% of his weight should be the solution and suggested low carb. Darrell increased his protein and began losing weight. I also began to increase my protein and push my discomfort with my current diet ruts and mental limits. I have enjoyed eating less sugar and my weight has gone down a few pounds. I feel good. It is not easy to travel and get consistency especially on a cruise ship (although we did pretty well) or in Brazil (lol.)

October: I turned 60. (woo-hoo, personal cheer).

December: I’m so glad to carry my own yoga mat in my suitcase! Darrell and I have done and continue to do daily DDP yoga for more than 10 years.