seekingmygreaterperhaps

Oi! Tudo bem?

There comes a point (and this point comes for me often) when it has been so long since an event happened, that I am embarassed to write about it so late. Then I put it off, and it gets worse because even more time has passed. It’s for this reason that my blog sat dormant for so long. But as I have been looking back, it really is a nice online journal of my adventures, so I’m trying my best to keep up with it. Now, we are almost 3 months later from my dad and stepmom’s visit, and I am just taking the time to write about it now. The details won’t be as crisp, but it will be recorded nonetheless.

My Dad and stepmom, Janet, are the first ones to visit me in Brazil! They get a prize! Woohoo! And they will tell you that it wasn’t traumatizing at all, and it was very fun. (Or they better tell you this, haha!). I’m open for business. I have enough Portuguese to get around, and I know some basic food spots that are good to take you to. Come visit.

The journey to Brasilia is a long one. But they made it without any hiccups, and I was glad to pick them up at the airport! After a little chill time at my apartment, getting reunited with my amazing dog, Kya, we went out to dinner at Wine Garden on the Pontão. The restaurants that are along the Pontão are super nice, and the lakefront view is so pleasant. The palm trees really drive home the fact that you are in Brazil now. We had chicken bites (the best thing on the menu), wine, and a good chance to catch up.

For Christmas Eve lunch, we ate at Blend Boucherie in Asa Norte. This is a rodizio, but not your “traditional” meat circus. Here, you choose your cut of meat, and then they walk around with all sorts of different sides. As many sides as you want. The chef/owner is very nice and came out and spoke English with my parentals, and they were very happy about that. The sides are so tasty, and the meat is cooked beautifully. What a fun way to kick off the holiday!

My favorite building in Brasilia is the Dom Bosco Cathedral. The blue stained glass is breathtaking. I ensured that I took Dad and Janet here, and we got lucky because it was empty! It was a cloudy day, so it was a little dark inside, but you can still see the really neat windows.

A really important stop on the “Michaella’s Life Tour in Brasilia” was a visit to my school. I enjoyed showing my Dad my office (it’s really big), and the campus where I work. I love my job, and I think it’s important for my Dad to see where I work. It brings my stories to life, in a way.

On Sundays, I love to bike on the Eixao. This made it easily accessible for us to get to the Plano Piloto, where all the monuments and cool architecture lives. I like to equate this to the National Mall in DC. It’s a similar vibe. It looks straightforward, but it takes forever to walk it. In the picture above, you can see my family, as well as the monuments behind them. Look all the way to the back, and you can see the giant Brazilian flag in front of the Presidential “palace”.

We didn’t spend very much time in Brasilia, but it was enough to show them the awesome architecture, and eat a couple tasty meals. We spent Christmas there, and this was really great to be able to spend Christmas with family. In my first year of living fully abroad on my own, this helped ease any feelings of loneliness over the holidays. After Brasilia, we all traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the first time! But that deserves it’s own post.

I am so blessed Dad and Janet were able to visit me, and I was able to show them around.

Tchau for now!