Starting Anew

(I apologize for editing this already. Why don't I ever proofread?)

We arrived safely and uneventfully back home. We took the long way again, flying through Chicago on our way to Philly (we're still faithful to our airline of choice even though this mileage thing is a trap since one can hardly ever redeem them when they're needed for an upcoming trip) -- 10 hours from Brazil, plus another 1h30m flight. This time I didn't get sick like I did last January, what a relief! Kelvin did get nauseated (because of turbulence, I'm sure) on the last flight and he ended up vomiting on one of those bags, poor thing. He's perfectly fine now, though, and his brother is sleeping since he woke up midway through the flight and stayed up for 2 and a half hours.

It was awesome to enter a clean, organized, almost totally uncluttered house. WOW. I'll have photos for you later, and I'll try to dig up some really messy ones for contrast. I could live like that, if only I would tidy up regularly as I should (insert heavy sigh here) since my poor husband can't keep up with my messy ways, but that's another story.

All right, drum roll now....

My husband just received an email stating that his visa petition was granted and that he can start to work immediately at Big Pharma (I'll keep this pseudonym for now, OK?).

Wow.

I'm still speechless even though I expected this to happen as planned. It's just that it took soooo long, since the job offer on March 15, 07 - precisely 5 months minus one day - for this to finally become a tangible reality.

The timing is very interesting since I just came back from Brazil into a newly organized house and now into a new reality. There I spent the last few days immersed in the old -- all the stuff that we had stored in my parents' home since we came here in 1996. Over the years I brought a lot of things, particularly linen (sheets, comforters, towels, kitchen and dining linen) and baking implements, as well as some kitchen appliances (blender and mixer, for example), but this time I wanted to bring more and had to decide which remaining items should be donated, sold, or stored for future use of any family members who decide to return to Brazil (my parents-in-law will probably be the first and can use the plates, cups, glasses, etc.). So I spent quite some time sneezing inside my parents' attic and opening boxes full of old books, rummaging inside closets and sneezing again because of the old linen, and up in ladders checking shelves close to the ceiling. I'll take some photos of the items I brought and I already took several of items that I decided not to bring but I'm keeping just for the memories of old times and I'll post those later -- promise.

And now I feel like it's a good moment to put the old and the new together and start another phase of our lives, one we've been waiting for years and years to embark on.

You're welcome to follow us on this journey! (as you already have been, obviously ;)

Step one: accepting the offer on the house and making an offer on a house that's yet to be found! So check back soon!