UP week 28

Lots of twists and turns this week. One very nice constant was to see the scale heading in the right direction. Another pound down (woot! woot!- that was for you, Jeff V. 😂). Sitting at 188lbs, a slow but steady trek. I am looking forward to next weekend waaayyy more than I care to admit because I need a BREAK, something to take my mind off of the stress and worries that come with being self-employed. Starting Friday, I will be treating my niece Emily to a manicure and pedicure followed by a quick mall trip to pick out something to wear for the Cinco de Mayo Party in Charleston 💃🏻 On Saturday, we are going to see the Dr. Seuss Musical (appropriately named a Suessical) as we make our way to Atlanta where we have tickets to see Tracey Morgan's Comedy Show. But here's where it gets fun, we are heading to Covington for the remainder of the weekend so we can see and stay at the filming location of one of our favorite TV series, The Vampire Diaries. I am collecting as many experiences and memories with my niece and nephew while I still can, they are both transitioning into adulthood and time has been flying by.

The unpredictability of immigration and recently made personal decisions, has things moving at lightening speed as we plan our exit from the U.S. and head to our next adventure - Portugal. From the time we applied for our European citizenship in 2016, we have always known that Portugal was the end game. Before making that overseas leap, an opportunity presented itself to come to the U.S., which was also a dream we tried to pursue but failed on a few occasions (owning a rental property, attempting to open a Tim Hortons; that kind of stuff). I am grateful for the time we had here, it brought me a new perspective on self-employment and taught me a lesson or three on effective communication. Even with the best of intentions, things don't always go the way you'd like.

As a side note, since not many people read my blog all the way through, I'm adding this part to the end. My dad was admitted into the hospital recently. He is fighting an infection (in addition to the cancer, diabetes, cirrhosis and high blood pressure). It's the undertone of my every thought, what if this is it? How surprised can I really be? How prepared can anyone be to lose someone you care about? I started sifting through boxes this weekend, wanting to purge the items that I no longer need, and I found lots of family photos. One of my favorites of my dad is attached here - thinking happy thoughts 🙏🏻✨