Brazil

I woke up in Brazil this morning - how strange to think. Yes, after two weeks of being crazy busy at work (hence, the lack of any blog activity for that period), I am finally on vacation. Of course, I carry with me a guilt load as it was not the best time to leave the office, but you have to use it sometime....

Anyway, this will be a short post as we are trying to pack things up and head up the coast for a few days. We are currently at our friends' house outside Sao Paulo. The house is amazing - looks like it could be on the cover of Dwell magazine. Ah, the good life. I woke up this morning, had a nice breakfast with our friends, and then took a nice swim in the pool. It is amazing how quickly one can get back in the "relax" mode.

Life is interesting here (this is our second trip) and the gap between rich and poor is huge. Driving in we passed a few favelas (the infamous Brazilian shanty towns) and I found myself wondering how people can live in conditions like that. On the flip side, our friends have a beautiful home and several servants to cater to our every need. That being said, they are wonderfully grounded people and appreciative of all they have.

A different world than the one I am used to for sure. Ok, time to pack and head out. Will provide more details of my life when I return stateside (including my big trip to Minneapolis for work).....