Not the way I planned it, but spending the last day of 2018 feeling unwell. When Joe and I traveled back home from Rio, I heard a lot of nasty coughing at the airport and on the plane. I remember saying to myself “uh oh, this can be bad!”. Then Jane and Jim arrived being sick. Jim apologized to me on several occasions that he might have had passed me the bug. I laughed and replied, “No worries. I must have got it from the airplane.” I am fighting it my usual way, a sweaty workout, a good attitude, and just keep going. It has worked many times in the past. Fingers crossed that it would work again.
Now sitting in front of my laptop and with a cup of hot honey tea in hand, I am reflecting on the year that is passing and looking forward to a new one just around the corner. 2018 has been a busy and challenging year. On the work front, I got a phone call from my boss when we were vacationing in Vegas that he was leaving the company. Three months later there was a massive reorg. I have been reporting directly to the EVP since then. What I’ve found is that at that level, it is highly political, something I am neither good at nor care for. I am learning and adapting, but it hasn’t been an easy journey. It will continue to be something I need to grasp in the new year.
Dancing has been a stress reliever. Looking back, I’ve made enormous progress. My instructor Kyle would gladly agree. I entered my very first competition. Each of my three rhythm dances won 2nd place consistently, and I was placed 4th for scholarship award, not bad for a newbie. Kyle also choreographed two solos for us to perform, one waltz and one tango. Even with hours and hours of practice, I suffered a terrible stage fright with the Waltz single. Minutes before we had to get on the floor, I couldn’t remember any of my foot work. My calm instructor said to me, “Trust that your feet will do the work, and just let me guide you!” We went through the routine without any hiccups and it made me and him very proud and happy. Tango was more difficult. I was reminded over and over again to dance it with an air of arrogance, an attitude. Kyle even made up a story for me to relate to the music. I definitely have much more room to grow in the expression department, and in many ways, it is more difficult than the technical aspect of dancing.
This year also marked the 30th wedding anniversary for me and Joe. Over the course of 36 years since we first met, we’ve stayed true to ourselves and to each other, which is no small accomplishment. Celebrating the milestone in Brazil just the two of us was ideal. We felt right at home in a city many regarded as unsafe. Unlike Mexico where the tourists are confined to the resorts, in Rio we lived and dined with the locals. Most of them don’t speak English. Google translator was helpful to some degree. Reading a Portuguese menu was probably the most interesting. Joe tried to have Google translate it with an image, but the technology isn’t fully developed yet. Once my husband ordered the lamb, the water kept on nodding. When the food came, it was chicken because they didn’t serve lamb. When I informed some of my colleagues and friends that we were going to Rio, I got quite a few “Why Brazil?” My counter “I asked Joe to choose a place and that was his choice, and that’s where we are going!” The homeless are visible all over the city. I watched this woman getting up from her afternoon nap, rolling up her sponge mattress and putting it in the bushes under the tree, packing all stuff in three bags, hiding a couple of plastic bags in the tree and taking off. The next day, I saw her at the same spot. A pregnant young lady (probably 16 or 17) approached us when were dining on the sidewalk. After some initial confusion, I realized she wanted our leftovers. We placed some rice and meat on napkins and handed it to her. Rio was home to us for 11 days because we had each other. If life is kind to us, we’d love to spend another 30 or more years together, taking care of each other’s aches and pains and dealing with some of our annoying habits which will probably get worse as we age. But more importantly, I want to laugh, cry, dream and enjoy our grandchildren with you.
Bring it on, I am ready for you 2019!