seekingmygreaterperhaps

Oi! Tudo bem?

The experience I am writing about today is one of those experiences where I am so glad I took the time to soak it in and realize how blessed I am. God has brought me to such an incredible place, and introduced phenomenal people to my life to help make this experience even richer. It was like something out of a movie, except it was real life.

My friend Mali set up a sunset stand up paddleboard (SUP) for 3 of us to experience Lago Norte. In Brasilia, there is a man-made lake, and it is split by a bridge. The north side is called “north lake” and the south is called…. “south lake.” Very creative. For this tour, we went to Lago Norte. Mali also has a car, and drove us there, which is helpful because we do not live super close. Brasilia is a relatively small city, so nothing is terribly far, but I do want to appreciate her for this in case she ever stumbles on this post.

Anywho. I LOVE STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING. I got into it about 3 summers ago for the first time. I went out in Occoquan, VA and then they lost my drivers license… so I got a season pass for free and they replaced my license. As my mom pointed out, little did I know that the stress of those couple days would lend itself to such a fun hobby. Last summer I introduced Kya to SUP as well, and she has a cute mermaid life jacket and comes with me. I would like to say she is “good” at it, but it’s more that I have learned to balance with her running up and down the board and never being still. I like to think she likes it, and ignorance is bliss.

The lake is a big one, and there are boats and wave runners and all sorts of commotion. However, with this guided tour, he took us into a couple different channels where the water was smooth and calm. It was narrow and there was land on both sides of us. As soon as we turned, it was like we were SUPing in a totally different area.

My friends Mali and Sofia were my co-adventurers on this trip. Sofia had never SUPed before, and she did a great job, especially for it being a 2 hour and 45 minute experience!

One of my colleagues was talking to me at work today after he saw this picture and told me that he thought I took a quick trip to the Amazon. I haven’t been there yet, but I felt very cool that I was just in Brasilia.

Above is the “chapel” according to our guide. I love the way the trees bend to meet each other over the water. With the sun setting, it was beautiful and peaceful. The water was shallow. While trying to take this picture, I kept running into the banks. I might have accidentally hit a tree while trying to put my phone in the dry bag. Kya might have accidentally fell in and started swimming to shore. But that’s why her life jacket has a handle on it- so I pulled her back up and away we went. And I stopped taking pictures in the danger zone. A great reminder to enjoy the moment.

As we were paddling back towards our drop in point, the birds were flying overhead, the sun was setting, and I felt so calm. It has been a tricky transition to move to another country. In a moment of vulnerability, sometimes I feel forgotten. I know I post things on social media, and have friends and family check in on me, especially when I have something interesting to share. But moving to a new country isn’t always an adventure as miraculous as this one. The majority of the time it is doing normal life stuff except it is complicated by a language barrier and a culture difference. I am learning to go grocery shopping for one meal at a time instead of bulk shopping because I have to carry it all home. I am packing my patience because I have to stand in the spice aisle and translate every word, and then google if there is a substitute for what I am looking for but cannot find. It’s watching my former colleagues have their first day back at school and knowing that my position has been filled. It’s spending 4 hours on the internet trying to find something that is super easy to find in the United States online, but nearly impossible to find here without an exorbitant mark-up or import fee, and then giving up because it just might not be available. I am slowly adjusting to my life here. It is life after all, and not just an extended vacation or a study abroad trip.

My heart was made for adventure. God put me here for moments like this on the stand up paddleboard. I am so thankful that I took a deep breathe, pet my wet dog, and gazed at the masterpiece of a sunset by the Master Creator. I know I’m not forgotten, and I will remember to breathe in life as I get to live it.

Peace and blessings y’all.

Until next time. (até a próxima vez)