#271 Nomad Diary. 27 December 2025- 2 January 2026. Bringing in the New Year in Brasilia, Brazil. 2025 Year in Review.

Me and Grandson, Quinn, age 5 yrs + 3 mos. Coloring My Neurographic Art.

My Neurographic Art Intentions.

Jeremy and Quinn Chilling at Home with a Russian Movie.

Saturday. 27. I had a call with our travel friend, Tricia, today. She’s been working since June on Celebrity Cruise line as a ‘Destination Expert’. We met Tricia, and her husband Gary (now deceased), in May 2022 as we were just beginning our retired Nomad-life adventures. They taught us many things about traveling from country to country. Today Tricia told me that on her presentation on the ship, she has a country counter, and she has visited 175 countries in the world! Wow! She told me interesting details about her job as well as answering some of my technical questions. In 2026, she plans to only work 4 months on Celebrity ships, and travel back to her home in Brisbane, including visits with her daughter every other month. It was great to catch up to hear about her life now. We stay connected through Whatsapp. She has taught me that having friendships around the world is possible. When we think of each other we send a message.

I thought of my friend, Laura, in Tennessee. She and I texted back and forth, also on Whatsapp. We made plans to take a road trip to Indianapolis in early February. We contacted my sister, Annette, and booked a day to do emotional ‘EPT’ work in her office, the Cargioli Center. We will enjoy our time together and get to visit with both of my sisters, Annette and Linda, for a brief reunion.

Sunday. 28. We walked to the Brasilia church today. We leave about 8:40 am and expect it to take just under an hour. It’s cooler this morning than it has been. We really enjoyed the 2 ½ mile walk. There was some thunder and it made Darrell want to pick up our pace. When we arrived at the church building, we got a drink of water and took our place. We don’t speak Portuguese, only understanding a few words and phrases. The people remember us as their US visitors and welcome us with hugs and “bom dia” and “Tudo bem?”. We each use our google translate to get most of what is being prayed, spoken, etc. It’s often wrong, but overall, I could follow along. Jeremy arrived to be with us through the service. Afterwards, the three of us walked back to the apartment. Andrea was busy cleaning as she normally does on Sundays when we are here. This day she was deep cleaning and organizing items for their upcoming move to their next duty station. For dinner, Jeremy cooked Feijoada, a Brazilian meat and black bean stew. He made the full dinner serving it with: black beans, rice and quinoa, and beet and cabbage slaw. It is a very delicious and satisfying plate of food. I kind of wish that I had watched him in the kitchen doing it! He did go over the details of how he is making it now that is different from how he made it last year during our visit. I watched him last year, and made it one time in the US, but then forgot. I had made the pot of black beans which is common for Darrell and I to make and eat in the US. We usually opt for Mexican-American flavors that are different from this Brazil specialty.

I made a piece of neurographic art this afternoon. I pulled a large piece of drawing paper out of the recycle pile and used the markers that were on the dining table from Andrea’s cleaning. Quinn came and commented and did a little bit of additional art on mine.

Brasilia Summer Blooms

Brasilia Summer Tree Blooms

Brasilia Summer Bloom

Tropical Brasilia Plant

Science Experiment with Quinn and His Mom, Andrea.

Beautiful Brasilia Walkway

Beautiful Brasilia

Brasilia Walkway

Monday. 29. Stayed in the apartment all morning and afternoon. We woke up about 5:30am when the sun is coming up in Brasilia. We have blackout curtains that keep our bedroom dark, and a space air conditioner keeping it cool and consistent for sleeping. Today’s work out before breakfast is our ‘easy’ one, Energy routine from ddp yoga. Darrell made pancakes for the 3rd day in a row. We have some left overs for at least another morning or two. Quinn has eaten pancakes most days that Darrell makes them. Andrea goes on and off with eating a pancake, and Jeremy will usually have at least one. We read after breakfast and then played back and forth with Quinn like taking turns. Andrea was gone for an hour and a half. We were eating our lunch about 11am when she returned. It is very hot, in the high 80’s F. The sun is intense making sunglasses and shade a must. We usually go for an evening walk as a way to get out when it’s not so hot. As I’m sitting here working on this diary, I hear the crash of thunder outside. We’ve had a lot of dry days so having some rain in this rainy season would be ok. I’m thinking of a couple of friends to call using whatsapp, and catching up.

Tuesday. 30. About 6 miles of walking today. Avoiding rain showers. Having fresh juice, pineapple and mint, at a cafe. Splitting a cinnamon-walnut roll. Andrea planned dinner: Lebanese burgers and cucumber salad.

Wednesday. 31. About 6 miles of walking today- again. I have enjoyed having the opportunity and ability to walk these daily distances. The morning is sunny, clear and hot. We stopped into 3 grocery stores and they were full of shoppers and the lines for the cashiers were long. I think that people are getting their food for the next couple of days. We got back home for lunch, and luckily missed the afternoon rain storm.

Thursday. 1.

Call with Grands in Alabama, Esther and Owen. Son, Eric also in Picture.

Andrea Making Chicken Meatballs in Her Brasilia Kitchen.

Me and Darrell at a Cafe in Brasilia

Friday. 2. Texting with friend Grace and enjoying our conversation. Setting up a lunch date with my sister, Linda, when Laura and I go to Indianapolis together. 

Nomad Notes. I’m counting down our last week here. I’m looking forward to our travel back to the US. Our time here is nice and I’m filled and ready for our next adventure.

My 2026 list for what I’d like to work on for myself:

Personal flexibility: currently, Darrell and I do daily ddp routines before breakfast. I’ve got interest and a little experience with Block Therapy from our time in Canada. I’ve also started watching and doing extra Youtube videos about improving flexibility especially for getting up and down off the floor. I began watching and learning from EddieMoves for increasing my hip flexibility and more.

My diary: keep on writing and tracking our travels.

Keep doing a little Portuguese every day. Currently using duolingo, but considering getting some used workbooks.

Keep doing Neurographic drawing. I began in March 2024, and recently have done more drawings. I’ve also enjoyed sharing what I know with several friends and family.

Going to visit my sisters briefly in February. Also doing some intense emotional work (EPT, Emotional Polarity Technique) with my sister in Indianapolis during my visit. 

Food influences from Jeremy: Japanese cabbage slicer (lol). –get one online. 

Family: more time with Darrell’s Mom, our last living parent. Visit with Jeremy, Andrea and Quinn before they leave for Russia. Later around Christmas 2026 meet up with them somewhere, possibly London.

Getting creative with showing up for our grandkids, Owen, Esther and Quinn… How do I show up in their lives with my grandma-love, but I’m not there with them?? How do I show up when I am there with them?

Nutrition: Methylene Blue for mitochondria; Other possible items: dmso for inflammation (?); Marine collagen with vitamin C and infrared light for my hips (?).

Continue eating about 20% protein diet, or higher. (20-30 fiber per day and limit to about 20 saturated fat)

2025 in Review

January 1-15 in Brasilia, Brazil. (2 weeks)

Jan 16-24: Road trip, visit friends in St. Augustine, Florida; Spend a week in Helen, Georgia.

Jan 25- Mar 13: Stay in Airbnb near Athens, Alabama (6 1/2 weeks). Learn about Darrell’s eye condition and continuing and complex treatment plan. Visit our sons, families, grandkids, and friends in the area.

Darrell Begins Regular Eye Treatments for Retinal Vein Occlusion.

Darrell Turns 65.

March 13-15. Vicksburg, Mississippi Visit Battleground, airbnb.

March 15-31 Visit Darrell’s Mom, Dad, Sister and Niece. Stay in airbnb in Little Elm, Texas, near Denton. (2 weeks)

April: Road trip: Amarillo, Texas; Gallup, New Mexico; Moab, Utah (Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Touring with my Brother, Wayne and his wife, Chris). Tooele, Utah (visit Darrell’s brother, Steve and Janine and some of their kids and grandkids, our nieces and nephews.). Idaho Falls, Idaho. Butte, Montana. Kalispell, Montana (visit friends who lived in Georgia 40 years ago). 

Calgary, Alberta, Canada: (2 week Housesit for 2 cats, with travel interruptions. Darrell took 2 trips back to the US: 1. for an eye treatment in Huntsville, Alabama; 2. We both flew back for his Dad’s funeral in Mt.Vernon, Illinois.)

Airbnb in Edson, Alberta. (drive to church in Edmonton)

May: Edson, Alberta. Valemount, British Columbia. Vernon, BC. (three airbnb’s about a week each)

May 18- Jun12th Penticton, British Columbia (House sit 3 cats, almost 4 weeks)

Jun 12-17 White Rock, British Columbia (airbnb)

Jun 17-24 Alaska Cruise Roundtrip Vancouver, BC. Juno. Skagway. Ketchikan. (sailed 1 week, with my former, 2001-08, work friend, Sarah and husband, Bob)

One night Burlington, Washington

Jun 25- July 5th Sequim, Washington (1 ½ week house sit with 12 Birds and 2 cats)

July 5-8 Moscow, Idaho (visit with church friends Larry and Stephanie and kids)

Salmon, Idaho (beautiful view airbnb)

July 9-13 Boise, Idaho (house sit)

July 13-25 Road Trip: Tooele, Utah (Darrell’s Brother, Steve’s house); Savery, Wyoming (old ranch airbnb); Chappell, Nebraska (airbnb); Papillon, Nebraska (Darrell’s Brother, Jeff’s house); Muscatine, Iowa (bed and breakfast); Westfield, Indiana (Sherry’s sister, Annette’s house).

July 25-Sept 19 Madison, Alabama (8 weeks, airbnb. Visit family, friends and doctors)

September 19- October 11. Flight to London.(1 week in England with rental car) Pembury, Kent. Boscastle, Cornwall. Bournemouth. Northern Lights (2 weeks) Cruise Roundtrip Southampton. Trondheim, Norway. Tromso, Norway. Alta, Norway. Narvik, Norway. LeHavre, France.

October 11-26. (2 weeks) Transatlantic Cruise (with son, Samuel). Southampton. LeHavre, France. Bilbao, Spain. Vigo, Spain. Madeira. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Sherry turns 61. We celebrate our 42nd Anniversary.

October 26-Nov 22. Harvest, Alabama (4 weeks. airbnb)

We decide to spend the summer of 2026 in Alaska.

Nov 22-Dec 1. Hot Springs Village, Arkansas (1+week airbnb. Visit with Darrell’s Mom and Sister)

We book 2 cruises going to and from Alaska through Vancouver. (May and September 2026)

Dec 1-9. Harvest, Alabama (1+week airbnb)

Dec 10-Jan 5. Brasilia, Brazil. Pirenopolis. (almost 4 weeks visiting Jeremy, Andrea and grandson, Quinn)

We get booked for 2 House sits in Flower Mound, Texas, to be near Darrell's Mom. One is in April and one is in September-October. (2026)

Some of our 2025 totals:

On a cruise ship: 5 weeks (Alaska, Norway, Transatlantic)

Near Athens, Alabama: about 20 weeks (near 2 grandkids: Owen and Esther)

Near Denton, Texas also with Mom and sis in Arkansas (Darrell’s Mom (Dad/2weeks near the end of his life) (3 weeks)

In Brasilia, Brazil with Jeremy, Andrea and grandson, Quinn (about 5 weeks plus overlap into previous and next years covering Christmas and New Years)

House sits: about 8 weeks (Calgary, Alberta; Penticton, B.C.; Washington state; Idaho)

Time with various friends: about 2 weeks.

Time with various family members (not grandkids or Mom): 4+weeks.

While looking at and thinking about this 2025 schedule, it feels disjointed. I think part of our change with Darrell’s Dad passing away, is difficult to fully assimilate. It’s a process of love and life that must be accepted, grieved through stages and individual perspectives, and ultimately softened with faith in Christ, kind-hearted, calming and ongoing friendships. 

Another disjointed feel that occurred this year was the process of Darrell’s eye treatments with no certain prognosis. He has told me that he feels like he’s tethered to his shots and treatments. I feel like he makes his care routines look easy. If it were me, I don’t think I would want to keep going like he is going. We aren’t the same person, and he still wants to go and keep traveling and moving for now. 

These two life events that have changed and shaped him and me and us, have caused more airplane rides for us both. Darrell’s done a couple more plane trips than me to get his doctor visits completed. Traveling by airplane, before retirement was more enjoyable for me. It is now quite matter-of-fact to get from one location to another. I focus my attention on my hydration, my nutrition, my comforts and details of packing and essentials that I am needing for my trip. 

This past year, besides the discomforts of the long air flights, or the long travel days, the most uncomfortable travel for me was the road trip from the Northeast US to the Southern US. We tried to stay 2, 3 or 4 nights along our way. We stayed at some very cool and out-of-the-way places (Idaho, Wyoming, Penticton, Sequim, Muscatine, etc), and enjoyed learning some history along our way. We shared friendships, stories, family ties, and good food too. The Highway traveling was uncomfortable for me, I think because I was tired and probably bored with the long drives– although we saw many lovely vistas. I felt like I wanted to stay longer and go slower. I wanted to be more embedded and less transient. 

These thoughts have combined to plan for 2026. We pushed through our decisions of how to shape our coming year of travel. We delayed making plans until we got through our resistance to making a plan and decisions. We arrived together in a coordinated and compromised agreement for where we will move next, how long we will stay, and how it is changing us as we continue our nomad ways.