Well Hello Again

So yes, it has been a long while since I updated and now I feel like I have much to share!  It has been a whirlwind these last few weeks with a lot of travel and a lot of visiting family and friends.  I can honestly say that I laughed and smiled more in the last two weeks than I have in a long time.  Very good memories were made, wonderful food eaten, great time spent with people I love. 

First stop: Denver, CO!
It is hard to believe that it was a full year since I had been back home.  Nothing had changed.  It felt like I had walked out last week for a brief vacation and came back with a suitcase.  I think that is a good thing, to have something that is steady and certain in my otherwise fluid life.  I spent 1 week with my family there, celebrating Christmas and just enjoying being back in the US and back with people who love me unconditionally.

Daddy and I in the beautiful Denver weather.  It is December right??  Umm no snow?!

Four stockings all hung with care.  Mommy, Philip, Allison, and Laura

Mommy looking smashing in her party hat.  Sometimes we do the silliest things!

Philip, Laura, and I in our crowns.  Philip looks confused, Laura looks happy, and I look high...

Some of the best wine!  Thank you Lacy for introducing me to it, thank you Philip and Laura for the bottle to take to Brazil!  Now I just need an occasion to drink it.  Monday night is an occasion right?!

Then it was about a 14 hour trip back to Sao Paulo, Brazil where I did a crazy exchange of clothes and suitcases from the long sleeves and jeans I was using in Denver to the bikinis and sarongs that I needed for New Years.  I spent one day at work just to catch up a bit and then two days after getting back to Brazil I was back at the airport heading to Morro de Sao Paulo. Morro is an island off the coast of Brazil, located here just south of Salvador in the state of Bahia.

I was there with 19 other amazing people including my manager, Tatiana, who invited me.  We had an amazing time!!

Tatiana and I hanging out on a beach during lunch.  We had a boat tour around the island and stopped and various beaches and swimming spots.  Please, no commits about how I am as white as the sand.  I am a PORCELAIN GODDESS!! (Thanks Lacy!)

Yeah.... life here was pretty damn good.  Views like this all over the island.

Some of the group just hanging by the pool at the pousada

Camila and I being very chic in our hats

Having a model moment and being happy about the sun protective benefits of my awesome hat!  Note the graffiti on the wall behind me.  Our pousada was based upon the art of graffiti so each room had graffiti style paintings on the walls.  it actually was pretty cool.

 

 

 

List of 10 things you must do to have a good new year

 

 For a good 2001

1.  Take a salt bath - done

2. Stand in the incense circle -  done

3. Wear new underwear in the color of your wish for 2011 (Blue = peace, white = hope, red = passion, pink = love) *Mine were blue with the word SexKiss on them...*

4. Tie a ribbon for Sr. Bomfim with three knots and make three wishes.  You cannot remove this until it breaks off naturally

5. Use an accessory or clothing in your new year's color.  mine was light blue

6. Don't eat anything that can walk backwards.  Only eat animals that can only move forward (fish, eel, etc.)

7.  Jump 7 waves - done

8. Burn the bad things of 2010 - done

9. Make a boat of your wishes for 2011 and send into the sea - done

10.  Give a rose to the sea goddess for good luck - done

My three knotted ribbon made with three wishes.

Paula and I at our New Years Eve dinner

Writing all the bad things of 2010 and getting ready to burn them.  I really struggled to find bad things, just unfortunate things that ended up being okay... I felt very lucky.

QUEBRA QUEBRA!!  BURN BURN goodbye 2010 negativity!

All our wishes for 2011!  Love, happiness, success, good job, weight loss, everything.  I included wishes for a clean planet - got to let the inner environmentalist out!

The beach before the countdown to new years.  it was PACKED with people!

Getting ready to give my flower offering to the Sea goddess for good luck in 2011.  I hope it works, so far (by day 6) I think 2011 will turn out to be pretty amazing!

After an amazing New Years filled with great Brazilian traditions, champagne, fireworks over the water, and great company the group was ready for more relaxation and chilling out on the island.

Oh yea... life is good.

Second boat tour!  Fernanda, Dago, Tatiana, Camila, Karine!  Great, great, group to hang with all day!

Did I mention that life was good?  Passion fruit juice on the left, mojito on the right, sunset in the background.  Yea.. life is good.

 So we did eventually have to say goodbye to Morro and head back to the mainland to catch flights back to the real world.  Fortunately we had a few days in Salvador to explore and see this amazing town.  Tatiana has been to Salvador many times and had a wonderful agenda planned!

The market in Salvador which is now a tourist spot but before was were the boats docked and all the trading and selling would happen here.  I bought two new dresses!  Very fun!

Oh my!  Pretending to be traditional Bahian woman!

Beautiful church!  Claimed to have the 2nd most amount of gold of any church in Brazil or the world or something like that.  it was pretty impressive inside.

Hanging out in Salvador.  Notice the fun colonial buildings and cobblestone street.  Very great night

Sorry for the blurry pic but it is the best I've got.  This is the group getting ready to watch Olodum perform.

OLODUM So very cool!  Such great energy!

 

 

Olodum!!

 

 

Olodum is a percussion band that is a very famous Bahian group.  I am not sure if you would consider their stuff Samba or other, but it was good and fun.  They are famous in part to their inclusion in Michael Jackson's music video They Don't Care About Us

Sadly, this was my last night in the Brazilian fantasy I was living for a week.  But thankfully I have some amazing memories and great new friends as a result.

Now it is back to the routine of life.  Somehow, I am okay with that.

I hope everyone's New Years and holidays were amazing and they were spent with people you love.  Big smiles and best wishes for a great 2011!!!

Beijos e Abracos para todos.