Gates Travelers

There are some times in life when you really hope there's truth to the old saying: 'What goes around, comes around..."! Michael, Lucas, and I are back home safely, and for that we're thankful. But if you knew the ordeal we had to go through to get here, your jaw would drop. A simple trip back home which included 1 connecting flight and 12 hours turned into a trip with 3 connecting flights (2 of which were 'missed' flights), a total of 30 hours, and a husband almost sent to 'Brazilian jail' for outrage (just kidding...)! It all started with a lady in the Fortaleza airport who was unhappy with her seat assignment (hince the 'what goes around' comment). She was one of the first passengers on the plane, so she makes this HUGE scandal, which ... read more

There's nothing like spending Christmas at home! We had a full house for Christmas Eve, just like when I was little. Except that this time, there was a whole lot of kids running around! My older brother himself has a 2yr old, who hung out w/ Lucas a lot, and twins who are 3 months old. Lucas was a bit shocked at first, with all the people getting in his personal space and wanting a hug or a kiss, but after a while he got over it. Our visit to my hometown has been as busy as always. Since we arrived last Thursday, we have not had much time to do much, let alone do a blog entry. There have been 3 parties celebrating our arrival, a trip to my father's 'chacara (ranch)', and a whole ... read more

This morning we went to the beach again. Lucas is in love with the sand!! After we swam and gave Lucas anap we ventured into the downtown area to take some pics. Patricia struck up a conversation with some fisherman who just came back from a 5 day trip. They unloaded a bunch of peixes, but it was a small catch to them. Apparently the recent full moon affected how many fish were out because of the light. Who knew? Lucas was into running around as much as he could get away with, but he didn't care too much about the fisherman. We visted Projto Tamar this afternoon. It is Brazil's one big environmental success story. Starting out as a poor and unloved environment agency in the early '80s, Tamar has since come into the mainstream, ... read more

Ok, so I'm Brazilian, so I'm 'supposed' to know how things work down here, and not be too shocked or surprised by much of the local's way of doing things....BUT. This morning, Michael and I were taking turns taking Lucas to the water to play, while the other would chill out by the hotel bar and relax for a while. So while Michael was relaxing, he ordered himself a 'Caipirinha', which is the famously delicious alcoholic drink that I'm sure we've all heard about. All good, I can't have one right now, but hey, no big deal. When I get back, I decided that though i can't have a drink, I can have a freshly squeezed lemonade, and get Lucas a fresh orange juice. When the waiter dude brings the drinks, Michael and Lucas walk back ... read more

Well, we made it to our hotel in one piece! Lucas survived the long journey, and Michael and I didnt' kill each other in the process :)! Everything went pretty smoothly leaving Atlanta, and even though we don't normally fly to Brazil on layovers, this time b/c of the price difference, we headed to NYC, to then hop on a plane to Brazil....I know, geographically it makes NO SENSE! Take it up w/ Delta... The layover went pretty smoothly though. When we first arrived in NYC around 3pm I was starving, so b/c the JFK aiport is so huge, you have to walk a LOT to find what they consider a 'food court'...so for the ones who are not in the physical condition to walk they have these little golf carts that you can hop on ... read more

So, we're getting ready to embark on a 23-day trip to my homeland of Brazil. Essentially it'll be 23 days, 7 flights (both international and domestic), 6 different cities, and a whole lot of suitcases to supply two adults AND a toddler with everything we'll need for 3 weeks! The preparations itself started a while back, but Michael and I really started to get on the ball a couple of months ago. You know how I am, I have to have a list for everything. Nonetheless, I'm proud to announce that with the help of my lovely husband, my two-page list of things do do/buy/remember is almost all checked off. Even though Michael and I are NOT packed yet, Lucas is packed, and trust me, you don't WANT TO know what all we had to pack ... read more