Almost time to leave....Saudade Sinks in

Since my life came back to its normal (i.e. no more parties, trips to the beach and/or Brazil, friends from other parts of the world) and redundant state once again, even though it is not preferable for a long time, I have to say it makes me feel more as one of the rest than when I am distracted with great priveleges of being a foreigner.

What is really sad is that I am divided in half, one part said it is time to move on, leave your not-so-great job, this not-so-great city; the other part keeps confronting with realities: I got used to this place, I have great friends, I know its streets, its culture, its traditions, even a little bit of its slang. When I mentioned to my friends that I was going to leave, they seemed sincerely sad! So did I.

I am also a bit tired of this life style already. It was a lot of fun at the begining, and maybe I was younger than, had more energy to move around, air travel, shlepping my belongings from one end of the world to the other. Not anymore. That is why I decided to keep my one and only place, my cupula, intact, until I settle somewhere else, for good (and if that day does not come for some reason, cupula can always be my base, especially in summer time!)

This morning I woke up, made expresso, watered my plants and washed my face meanwhile, got dressed, listened to samba to wake-up (loud), clean up the living room, left what I need to do tonight on my kitchen table, took the trash out, as I was walking out the door I saw my newspaper (Damian's daily newspaper, La Diaria, came out yesterday) waiting for me! Picked it up, got in a bus, read my paper while in it, got out, stop by at my Almacen (grocery store around the corner from my office) where I bought fresh plums, chit chat with the guys who work there....I am going to miss that so much... I am going to miss my friends at the gym, my cosmotologist Marlene, the women at the Eco Tienda, the staff at the laundromat, needless to say Titi, Mauro, Daniel, Fernanda, Lorena, Mattiolis, my collegueges, my neighbors....

I don't want this place to dissapear and become a memoir, I don't want it to be far from me basically.

*I took this picture recently during one of those incredible sunsets that leaves my apartment orange...the cute baby is me with my annemo when I was 1 year old!