It's been awhile since I last wrote a blog. Alot has been happening recently, one of which is a big move. We've hit the pause button on hotel and AirBnB living for a while. This last month was a bit challenging as the availability of places to stay in Sao Miguel were sparse and costly. We were on the move every 2-3 days. It was inconvenient, counterproductive and exhausting. We decided to rent a place instead. In the last place we stayed at during our hotel life, we had the experience of the concrete mattresses again. We had to purchase beds for our rental. I've learned not to compromise on a comfortable bed and pillow.
It feels different being in one place. I am welcoming it. Now I can do things that I could not easily do before, like meal planning and preparing all of our meals for a change. I've never fully unpacked our suitcases until now. To wake up and make my own coffee is a treat. We have a washer and dryer! I will never ever take these two appliances for granted again. I almost feel like hugging and kissing them. During our 2 years of being digital nomads, we've had some experiences of creative ways of laundering our clothes and getting them to dry when laundry facilities were not available.
We've also never really been a part of a community anywhere as we've been on the move. The only place I felt connected to the community was in Joao Pessoa in Brazil. I loved it there. I wanted to be a part of what I saw every day and engage with the people. Being there for 5 months helped me to embrace that. Even knowing that I am not moving for a while and will be in one area feels really different to me to become grounded again.
What's changed in the way I live now is, I am so used to living with so little that I don't want to purchase things to accumulate alot of stuff. I feel so much more content now buying inexpensive things in life and even happier having less.
Life in the little suburb in which we're living takes me back in time. On Saturday I marveled at the vans driving up and down the street, honking their horns. Apparently fresh bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables and fish are delivered on Saturdays by these vans, or you can stop them and buy what you need. This is yet another unique experience that I will cherish. The church bells ring every hour from 7 am until 7 pm. Having a view of the sea is always beautiful to look at. Looking up at the sky every night and early morning, I love seeing all of the stars.
For a small island, the airport seems to be busy. From where we are we can see some of the aeroplanes landing or leaving the island. It reminds me of the show Fantasy Island. I was born on an island and now I have the opportunity to get used to island living again. I am looking forward to seeing more of its natural beauty, especially the hot springs, being in awe at seeing the volcanic craters and getting to know the people better.
