2016 started and ended with fireworks, so in a way, it feels like we’ve come full circle.
it was a good year, with a bit of everything. seeing it in a quick compilation leaves me feeling really warm and fuzzy inside… so many adventures, so many hugs. i’ll do my best to make 2017 just as exciting! :)
i’ve crossed quite a few random things off my 101 things in 1001 days‘ list in the past few months, so it’s time for a list update. let’s see…
– riding a paddle boat: check!
i spent my birthday this year in amarante with friends, munching on traditional sweets and paddling up and down the tâmega river. the trick to paddle boats is to go slowly! don’t put all your muscle into it, just relax and take it easy :)
– make cheese: check!
we made delicious cottage cheese! the hardest part was locating fresh, unskimmed, unpasteurized milk…
– reduce our energy consumption in 10%: check!
in 2013, we spent an average of 7.44 kWh/day, but in 2014 this number dropped to 5.32 kWh/day, a 29% reduction! :D
– visit an island: check!
guernsey was all kinds of lovely and we must go back someday.
– see Daniela get into a university: cheeeeeeeeeeck!
all of that studying back in june/july paid off! the kid managed to get into the nursing school closest to her home, which means she now has a proper chance to finally get out of the village, and do something for herself.
sometimes it’s still hard to believe i saw her come to the world 18 years ago, changed her first diaper in the hospital and all… and now, she’s become this amazing person, a fighter, someone who knows what they want, someone able to make a plan. i’m currently bursting with pride! :)
june was pretty neat! some highlights:
– lots of early morning study sessions
– tons of letters written
– my birthday :D
– baking for my classmates
– new (very geeky) threadless tshirts
– open air cinema sessions (with blankets)
– iron & wine concert
june was also the month i wrote on the blog everyday! :D i’m pretty impressed that i managed to keep up with it – even if it required some serious juggling skills. that’s another thing off the list, which i’m pretty obsessed with lately… one month to go!
it’s hot today, 30 something degrees and stuffy, reminding us of portuguese summers spent by the sea. i’m staying indoors, listening to obama’s speech and recovering from too much birthday food…
happy things lately:
– finishing yet another whole 30!
– receiving lots of handwritten letters from both friends and strangers
– waking up early to study with friends in the café around the corner
– hosting neat strangers through couchsurfing
– making new travel plans :)
we moved to berlin on april’s first, two years ago. some days, i find it hard to believe we’ve been living here for two years already – yet others, it feels like we’ve been here for a lifetime longer… and still, we barely know berlin at all.
we’re sticking around for a while longer because frankly, it feels comfortable and safe here. things work. for all their bluntness, the germans are strictly predictable and law-abiding, and although it comes at a price, it’s also a reassuring feeling.
besides, there’s so much left to see… so, prost! and here’s to another year of adventures in germany :)