Sunday May 16, 2010
Guilford, Vermont
USA
Today makes 11 days since the start of this newsletter. Much has happened since I began to write this and recording our journey has had many skips and starts….
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Day one of a more than 24 hour journey home, we left Nossa Hotel in Cidade Eclectica at six o' clock this morning. We spent the last two days there so we’d be closer to the airport as the paperwork to travel with Rocket required subsequent trips to the airport since Monday. A small mix up at the airport turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we were rushed onto an earlier flight than anticipated because TAM was unable to find the confirmation on the last leg of our trip for baggage space for Rocket. They wanted us to have plenty of time in Sao Paulo to work with United Airlines to resolve our travel issues. It saved us two additional take-offs and landings, as the original flight had us flying from Brasilia to Cuiaba in Matta Grosso onto Campo Grande in Matta Grosso do Sul and then to Sao Paulo, over a nearly six hour period. Instead we took a direct flight and were here in less than 2 hours. Before long we were able to discern that the confirmation for Rocket was associated with Paul’s reservation rather than mine and since he was already traveling with Paul there was no more room for him to also travel with me. Ahhhh airlines are delightful, are they not?
So we are spending the day in the airport while we await our 9 pm overnight flight, eleven hours in route from here to Chicago and another two hours afterwards to Burlington. It’s fine. Having spent most of this last year in South America I have learned the art of patience and waiting long times no longer ruffles my feathers. I have no urgency to be anywhere and I can now be peacefully where I am even if it’s at an airport.
My abilities with the language of Brazilian Portuguese have improved to the stage where I no longer fret overly much at being able to communicate as needed. I have in fact taught complicated psychological models and systems, like the Enneagram and Ego Development to friends in Portuguese. I have spoken to people in Portegnol (a combination of Portuguese and Spanish) whom I once was unable to conduct even a basic conversation, thanks to my time with Uta. So even without the aid of a friend to translate I have dealt with complicated affairs at the bank and several factions of authorities at the airport and veterinarians and agriculture departments. I leave Brazil with a sense of satisfaction at having acquired this skill. I feel confident that I can bring people here now as a guide should that opportunity present itself in the future.
This is something I would like to pass along. It would give me great pleasure and honor to act as a tour guide to accompany groups to Brazil whether to come for healing with John of God or with the numerous mediums at Cidade Ecletica, to visit and know the esoteric places where there are many different kinds of spiritual work being done or the ecological places where the landscape reveals magnificent arrays of waterfalls, the tropical birds in their magnificence and the flora which offers an abundance of natural medicinal and healing properties. I may perhaps plan to return during the coldest of the winter months should you or someone you know wish to accompany me.
Friday May 7, 2010
En route from Vermont to Massachusetts
After many hours of sitting around the airport waiting to check in for our second flight from Sao Paulo to Chicago, we had our first unpleasant encounter with an American company, United Airlines, as a representative of the company approached us in the line with the bad news that there was no way we could travel with our dog in his “un bolted” although formerly FAA approved kennel. With an unpleasant and overly authoritative attitude, he barked this news upsetting my then sense of calm state of acceptance at our long travel day. I admit, I lost my cool and burst into a short spell of tears ands rage directed at everything American in general. Sixty dollars and forty five minutes later Rocket was sent off to his eleven hour flight, two hours early in a new and larger FAA approved kennel, but not happy with the situation as he was quite at ease in his old familiar and very cozy one. Typical to most upsets, which are never really about what they seem, I was disappointed with my lack of emotional control and the fact that “they got me.” I was probably ready to be pissed off at any sign of anything associated with the US government and the fact that I was reluctantly returning to subject myself to their invasion of my personal freedom, not to mention that there always seems to be somebody with their hand out for my money.
That behind us we next had to pass through Brazilian immigration and wait while they reviewed our passports to allow us the ability to leave without imposing a fine upon us for staying beyond the 90 day period stamped on our passports. Knowing this could be a problem, we had taken the time to visit on separate occasions both the federal Police at the airport and the Ministry of Labor who were reviewing our permanent visa applications as well as having our friend visit the attorney who had an appeal process in progress to reverse the denial for our original application. With a paper in hand that showed our process was underway awaiting determination we were prepared to have this encounter. Just another delay for beaurocracy from the governing slave masters….
We did after all choose a mercury retrograde time to travel in, so what did we expect, smooth travels? We boarded the plane on time but sat on the runway an extra hour before take off. Assigned to the row that has wonderful extra leg room, but no space to put your stuff under the seat in front of you, we waited for the movie screen to drop down from the ceiling having heard a garbled announcement that the movie was about to begin. However it was half way into the start of the movie before we realized it was being shown on the individual screens located on the seat backs and since we didn’t have seat backs in front of us, it occurred to us to ask, “hey, what’s the deal?” and be shown that we had a flip up screen attached to the underside of our seats. No big deal, just another little example of the mercury retrograde.
It wasn’t a bad night really. I’d quickly recovered from my former upset with United Airlines and the FAA and we both managed to sleep. But before that we had two really cool interactions with men in our row who at first seemed cold and withdrawn until they realized we could speak Portuguese and they could carry on a conversation with us in their limited English. With our Portuguese, they lost all reservations about trying out their English knowing they could fill in with Portuguese if need be. They wanted so much to chat and be friendly. I point this out only to illustrate how often people seem to be unfriendly when in fact they really want to be but feel limited by language ability and hesitate to even try.
The transition in Chicago wasn’t too bad. We found Rocket and all our luggage, went through the ridiculous interrogation at customs where we had to explain in detail why we were traveling back from Brazil with a dog and let them examine his papers, both old and new along with his dog food and then have his two kennels examined by a rubber gloved TSA agent. Paul at least did have a chance to take him outside before we had to check him back in for the last flight. I watched through the window of our small plane while Rocket was loaded onto the ramp and up into the baggage compartment of the plane, followed by all four of our suitcases and last of all, his old, now empty travel kennel. That flight was short and easy and we thought we’d arrived in Burlington with all the hassles behind us until Paul arrived at Enterprise where he had reserved a rental only to be refused the car because he does not possess a major credit card. We have eliminated credit cards from our life and only use a bank debit card for electronic purchases. Not a terribly big deal, as Avis was only too happy to rent us one even better at the same price, excepting the fact that the insurance rate was $15 higher per day. We were pleased though when they said all they had was an SUV as we stood looking at our two rolling carts overloaded with luggage and dog crates and knew without question we would fit. “I knew we’d be driving a dark blue car,” Paul told me, “though I didn’t know it would be an SUV.” He was happy. Vermont of course is beautiful. The spring has come early this year and the sun was shining, the air was crisp, but not cold.
Stopping first for a bagel, as passing by it called out to me though we’d been shooting for a diner, neither of which exists in Brazil; all was well in our world this sunny mid day afternoon. We couldn’t resist traveling the back roads so we could see some of Vermont we’d never seen, opting for a few extra hours of driving so we could pass by two or three parcels of land we’d searched out on the internet before our arrival at our friends farm. Arriving just at the dinner hour, our friends were ready and waiting with a delicious dinner and Paul was again very happy.
I must admit I have mixed feelings about being back in the US and in Vermont. Though it’s certainly beautiful, the harsh realities of how costly it will be to live here, to build a home from scratch, the extreme weather conditions we can count on dealing with all have me momentarily wishing I was still in the chapada’s cerrada where it’s never cold or more expensive than I can provide for. But seeing Paul so happy, I keep pushing aside my doubts and keep myself focused on creating great outcomes for our future.
This morning was a fortuitous one. We stopped at a car dealership to see what kind of used trucks they had on the lot. “What are you looking for exactly,” the salesman asked. “I want a standard transmission, an extended cab, but not one with four doors so it doesn’t shorten the truck bed, a six cylinder engine and I don’t want to pay more than $6,000,” Paul said adding, “I know that might be almost impossible to find.” Five minutes later the salesman returned to take us to see one which had arrived as a trade in only that morning. It was exactly what Paul had determined he wanted after more than a week of shopping all the sites on line in a one hundred mile radius of Brattleboro. It was even the color we both wanted, not that color would have had any affect on our decision; not exactly under $6000, but close enough.
We also stopped to see if the two cell phones we had could be made functional, not expecting to really have any luck, but to be told we’d have to purchase new ones. This too went easily and smoothly; perhaps a sign that things will flow easily from here; that this is where the Way wants us to be? Maybe…. I’m not thoroughly convinced yet but so far so good.
Our sweet friends have offered us the use of a great trailer while we find our next place. It sits on top of a hill on their farm with a view over a gently sloping field and beyond to the mountains which ring the distant valley. Out the other three sides we look into the now budding forest of trees which nestle this corner of their homestead. There’s a huge new plot already tilled and sitting ready for me to plant our summer garden just outside the door. Theirs already has perennials growing and early spring seeds planted. It appears to be the promise of a great summer as we manifest the future we have decided to create.
Tuesday May 11, 2010
Guilford, Vermont
Nearly a week since traveling back, with full days of activities and not much time to write. I added the last entry while driving in our rental car from the Brattleboro area to Cape Cod on the eastern coast of Massachusetts where we spent the weekend visiting Paul’s daughter Kiki and her mom and mom’s partner. On the way down we left a deposit on the truck I described. However not having the night to sleep on it which both Paul and I really need before making any of our decisions, we later realized it was not the truck we wanted and spent some unnecessary time undoing our hasty decision. More on the truck saga later but I’d like to elaborate just a moment on this design we both have in our personalities that strongly suggests all our decisions be given a night to sleep on it.
When we were in Alto Paraiso we encountered a group of people working with a system of personality development called Human Design. The system incorporates the I Ching, astrology and the Kabbalah to create what is referred to as your personal human design. It is uncannily accurate and also quite intriguing for us as psychologists interested in models that describe human behaviors and inherent characteristics. Although Paul and I are entirely different in design, we do share this characteristic of needing time to respond.
Thursday May 13, 2010
Guilford, Vermont
So little time these days to write that I see I’ve barely even been able to complete a thought. A quick review, just to catch you up and then I will let things settle a bit and resume writing when I can actually focus on it for more than a stolen moment or two.
Today we drove to Connecticut and bought a truck. I’ll spare the details because in the end they are not all that interesting. Tomorrow we will drive up to Burlington and return the rental. We are here today one week. We are moved into a roomy trailer with a slide out breakfast nook, a dedicated bedroom with windows around three sides and the most fabulous views as we are perched atop a knoll with a long view that goes for miles and miles to the far mountains on the other side of the valley. Vermont is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world and this spring it is a hundred different shades of green. This morning a thick fog lay in the valley giving the illusion of a large body of water. The sun shone today and the air was warm enough to leave the jacket inside, wearing only a turtleneck and a corduroy shirt. After Brazil’s tropical climate, it felt fresh and crisp and comfortable compared with yesterday’s chilly grey overcast and rainy skies. The grey days do have a tendency to make me feel a bit blue and color my perspective like the day, grey and dismal. But the flip side of that is that when the sun comes out and the skies are blue, I appreciate them more in their contrast. Day after day of sunny skies and they just become another day, nothing special. Here in Vermont weather is a factor to be reckoned with. It is an event. When the rain stops, you drop everything and get outside to do all those things you were unable to do when the rain kept you in, snuggling by your cozy mug of tea or your woodstove if you’re lucky enough to have one (we have an electric radiator.)
So that life shouldn’t get too easy, this morning while hanging laundry I tripped over a root while retrieving a pair of pants that fell into the rock garden. Falling forward onto a large flat rock I braced my fall with both wrists, but not in time to prevent my chin from a violent whack on the rock and the painful injury to both wrists. Surprised actually that I’m able to type tonight, the injury makes my busy life a little more complex and dependent on the help of others. Sucks! But in spite of the pain, today I feel positive. So strange how much one’s internal state changes our perceptions and thus our reality to such a degree that one day life seems void of everything worthwhile while the next unlimited possibilities abound.
Monday May 17, 2010
Sunrise Farm
Guilford, Vermont
At last, I have more than a stolen moment to review what I started writing now 12 days ago when we were leaving Brazil to return to Vermont. We are settled into our summer home. We have an additional screen room tent which Paul will use as an art studio and holds some of the overflow items we don’t wish to crowd the trailer with set at the highest spot on the hill looking out over the same (only better) view I’ve already described. Now at last with our transportation and housing needs met, we can begin to resume life again. Although Paul will continue to be on the lookout for opportunities to consult as a developmental psychologist, his focus now is upon returning to the world of art and artisans as a painter. In my opinion an artist needs to be creating art. Since I’ve known him I’ve been encouraging him to return to his art and now at last he has arrived at a place and time to do that.
We continue to be on the lookout for the right piece of land in the hopes that we will find something in time to be under shelter before winter comes. We are determined to create a life free from debt with as little involvement with the system (a system which, in our opinion, does not work) as possible. I will continue to journal our progress as we attempt to reconstruct a working life outside the system on a manageable yet very small economy. Perhaps there are some of you who will find this kind of information useful, or at the very least amusing and entertaining, maybe even inspiring? Today, however I will wrap this one up so that we can move ahead in a more timely and up to date manner. With a heart full of love for each of you, thanks for following along with our adventure.