Brazil and Couches

So, there is a rumor going around that I am going to Brazil. Well, let me tell you...I am. Its been a long month since my last post. We (Ropes Team) applied for 2 different visas to Brazil and got denied both times...this was of course after the fact that I had already bought my ticket to Brazil, a whopping $1289.83 or something like that...who is counting anyway. So, It hasn't been until the last few weeks after the 3rd application to Brazil did we ALL (25 people) get our visas...I got a 5 year visa! Amazing! God is so good.
Anyway, all this time has been caught up working (hanging out) with the current DTS, planning for this trip to Brazil, working on maintenance here at the base, working in communications, I think sometime in there was a trip down to San Fransisco (apply for visas) Seattle (Photoshop siminar) my Aunts Wedding, and everything else that comes when you only have a few days to do everything, good stuff. I still need to figure out what,where, and how I am going to take everything I need down there...I have 2 backpacks that I can carry on. (You can see those here and here.) Camera gear, 3 months worth of "gear that I need to bring, all my climbing gear for building, and stuff Sal has bought for us all to enjoy bringing down to him. I am going to try and get this all as carry on...good times. Then other stuff like finances, calling people, making sure I am not forgetting anything you know, travel stuff.
So, I just noticed a few things. One, I have never talked about couchsurfing and Two, I have never talked about couchsurfing. Personally, I think its is such a great concept. Invite people from all over the world to stay at your house for free and your only payment is a new friends and a better connection with the world...sharing, hospitality at its finest. I have hosted a few people on my couch in Idaho and also a few more people here in Salem. I have also done it well, all over the world literally. Boise, Portland, Seattle, Nashville, L.A., Berlin, and on the 17th...Sao Paulo. This round of couchsurfing includes a couple in Sao Paulo, they have literally given me the keys to their house...man I am so blessed and privileged. I will be there at their house for a few days until the rest of the team gets into Brazil and then we go further south and begin building. So the first few days I will be thrown into a brand new culture, new language, and new surroundings without knowing hardly any Portuguese, and my first task is to make it all the way across a HUGE city without any problems. (Jessica I'll be thinking about you when we finally make it on to The Amazing Race!)
So, I guess an important detail that I forgot to mention was I am also coming back to the states on my very own Birthday, February the 13th I'll be mid-air...man I hope they have a cake for me. Ok, I kid. I don't enjoy cake unless its free, and then sometimes not.
When I am down there I don't know when I am going to be able to up date this blog. The first month I will be up in a tree mainly hanging out like I was doing in Germany and Latvia (good times) then the next 2 months after that are still in the process of planning but that will be the main bulk of when I am taking photos...

So the Photos.

The first one is of Ruthie. I work with here here at the base in Salem. Its just a random photo I found in my archive. I like it. Its all sunlight.

The other Photos are some experiments I am doing with bubbles. Its a fun project...I am actually learning a lot through it...

We'll good night for me right now.