#220 Nomad Diary. 4-10 January 2025. Brasilia, Brazil with Son Jeremy's Family. Nomad Notes: Looking Ahead to 2025: Travel Itinerary with Housesits Scheduled.

Brasilia, Brazil Scene on Evening Walk. Looking Toward Shops and Restaurants

Inside "Dia Dia" (pronounced: gia gia) a Warehouse Grocery Store

A Few of My Essentials for Living Out of a Suitcase

Essentials for Travel Sleeping and Close Quarters: Eye Masks and Ear Plugs

Hinges on Our PC Getting Evaluated by Darrell

Picture from Andrea at the Hospital with Quinn

Cooking Habachi Chicken in Jeremy and Andrea's Kitchen in Brazil

Habachi Chicken and Vegetables

Habachi Fried Rice

Saturday. 4 Today Darrell and I were up early and did a 40 minute challenging DDP workout routine called Strength Builder. Jeremy (our 3rd son born in 1991) makes amazing sourdough bread. This morning he made sourdough pancakes for breakfast. We have real maple syrup, fruits and walnuts for toppings. And dark coffee is always at breakfast time too. I am busy cleaning up the kitchen because it is one of the household chores that I can contribute to while visiting. Andrea and I walk a couple blocks to an eyeglass place where I’m getting a new prescription and ordering new glasses too. Once we are there, Andrea’s Portuguese helps communicate in ways that I cannot. She helps the whole process. We were there for 40 minutes and I selected and ordered 2 new pairs of glasses. One has magnetic sunglasses. They are ready in a week.I spend some time playing with Quinn (age 4yrs+3mos) in his sun porch playroom. We line up his matchbox cars on his wooden railroad tracks. Andrea and I go to the grocery store. She drives to the warehouse style store and we buy a lot of food for $200 USD. The prices are good for us in Brazil as the dollar is strong. After a late lunch, I take Quinn to his local playground for 15 minutes of swinging and then he plays in the sand for over an hour. The weather is lovely. It’s sunny, breezy and about 75 degrees. After dinner Darrell and I take a walk around the neighborhood and through the big apartment buildings following concrete sidewalks through beautiful treed gardens.

Sunday. 5. Jeremy, Darrell and I go to worship at the local church of Christ. I use my Google translate constantly to get more out of the sermon, prayers and presentations. Andrea cooks a nice lunch meal for us all. 

Monday. 6. Quinn’s adenoid surgery. Doctor noted that he had 80% of his airway blocked with his large adenoids! Later Darrell’s Mom told him that Darrell’s older brother had that surgery at age 5 for the same issue. 

On a Video Call with Son Eric and Owen and Esther in Alabama

Evening Out for Acai in Brasilia. Post-surgery Treat for Quinn.

Me and Quinn at the Indian Restaurant in Honor of US President Jimmy Carter

Darrell Playing Trains with Quinn in His Very Nice Sun Room

Tuesday. 7.-Wednesday. 8.

Thursday. 9. Jeremy is off work today. It’s a federal employees holiday in observance of the President’s funeral. Jimmy Carter died. I was a child when he was President! We went out to an Indian restaurant for lunch. It’s rainy and slightly cool today. 

Friday. 10. Today Andrea invited me to go to a market in Brasilia. We take an Uber there and back. She’s looking for eyeglass frames. At this huge market are vendor stalls. Eyeglasses are one of the stores that is here and there are 50 or more throughout the maze of aisles. I make it through two store with here and I go off on my own to wander through the maze. She texts me to find out where I am and we decide on a meeting time and place: 10:30 at the christmas tree. I found her shopping before we meet up at 10:30. She’s shopping on until after noon. I have given in about 11am, found a bench and sat reading. There wasn’t anything here for me to shop for other than maybe a protein supplement! Lol! I texted Darrell and we decided to wait to buy our supplement in the US so we don’t have to pack it and carry it next week. We get a taxi and get back to the apartment. The rain is coming down in showers on and off today. In late afternoon, Andrea and Quinn go do some shopping and he gets a surgery check up from his surgeon. Alls well with his recovery. At night I make some mushroom soup for dinner and then we play a hand of Contract Rummy. 

Nomad Notes. Looking ahead to 2025 and some of what I’m looking forward to:

January: 2 weeks here in Brazil with Jeremy’s family and our grandson Quinn.

Visit with friends in St. Augustine we met on our recent Antarctic Cruise.

A week at a resort in Helen, Georgia.

Sleep Study for evaluation of possible apnea.

February: Airbnb near Athens, Alabama. Time with Eric’s family. Owen(3yrs) Esther (1yr). Visiting other friends and family there.

March: Road Trip to Denton, Texas to visit Darrell’s 90 and 91 year old parents!

April: Drive through Utah and visit Darrell’s brother Steve and family. Calgary housesit. (40 minutes from Banff! A bucket list place to visit)

May and June: Housesit in Penticton, Canada. Possible visit with friends in Montana.

June and July: Housesit in Sequim, Washington. Boise, ID housesit.

September: Kent, England housesit 

October: Transatlantic Cruise with son Samuel London to Ft. Lauderdale

November: Possible trip to Brazil to visit Jeremy’s family.

We still have some weeks that are developing on our Northwest and Canada road trips. We also have weeks to plan for closer in for July through the end of the year. We have in mind to visit some friends and family along our way.

When making a forward calendar we are always aware of the iffiness of whether or not we will do it as planned. We are so grateful for our travels and our way of life to visit our friends and family, experience beautiful places and enjoy our life together.