#21 Swallows

Swallows are a friendly animal in every sense of the word and are one of the symbols of Portugal.

They like to travel, choose a partner for life, always return to the same nest each spring, and only leave it when all the chicks have flown away for good.

I have a swallow's nest somewhere on our roof at the house in Parede, and I couldn't remember the pleasure of waking up to the swallows' racket overhead.

The journey back was smooth, and as soon as we landed in Madrid, we started to hug our people. What a privilege to have our people scattered around the world, ready to come and meet us, and hand out hugs as soon as possible.

After so many hours in which we had the clear notion of having come around the world to go to "homeland", we arrived in Lisbon. The arrivals area at airports must be full of endorphins, but when our children and parents are the protagonists, it's hard to control our emotions. I've always regretted not having a "homeland" to return to like the swallows, and now I really feel like I'm returning to the nest.

The first shock upon arriving was the size of the highway. The 3-4 lanes of the A5 seemed very cute to me, although it immediately struck me that even at dawn, the drivers in my nest were training for a long competitive race in a constant frenzy. What a stress!

We finally arrived home, and when we opened the gate, the smell of the curry grass that had grown wildly and mixed with the lavender, which was also more leafy than ever, immediately welcomed us. It smells like Guincho Beach to me, and it's wonderful.

I know the trees, bushes and steps I have at home by heart. I didn't remember how much I missed the smells and sounds. I understand the swallows better now.

The days in Lisbon, apart from counting down the minutes to deal with all the bureaucracy in embassies, working remotely, fitting all our people in like a Tetris of agendas, and synchronizing calendars, were intense and wonderful in equal parts. The good feeling of easy conversation and hugs seemed to have been given the day before.

We also felt that we wanted to have been there and done even more. We missed the delicatessens, and I made a point of photographing a few to show our dear friends in Seal Beach and the surrounding area what you can eat in the tiny California of Europe.

And what good food there is here. I didn't take a picture of the hake cooked with vegetables because I devoured it in an instant and didn't have time. I didn't take pictures of all our loved ones who worked so hard to find us, but I squeezed them and smelled them with the eagerness of a swallow.

The highlights of our stay, of course, are the meetings and the surprises of reunions.

The only challenging moments were the goodbyes.

Portugal is indeed a corner full of wonders.

It has a concentration of incredible people we can call family and friends, charming corners, and delicious food.

Rodrigo was involved a few years ago in a project that I loved. It sums up our nest's charm. I've recorded it here to whet the appetite of friends on this side of the planet when they think about coming to visit us.

This is Cascais, where our house in Parede is located, which is like saying, our portuguese Seal Beach.

With our visas and the like taken care of, our hearts full, our batteries recharged, and our bags packed, we returned to Seal Beach full of desire and homesickness.

Do the animals that migrate also suffer from this? It's so good and so bad at the same time!

We landed in California and were so well received...

What a difference, landing a year ago and this year, with a luxury network to support us in all the logistics. We arrived in the comfort of this embrace with a selection of groceries to rest without worrying about filling the fridge and our bellies. Thanks again to the Berg family...

We then went to pick up our best paw, who was on vacation at Amina's grandparents' house, Maria's special friend. Thank you, Pamela, for making these logistics so easy...

She went crazy when she saw us again and was already in the car when she realized we were leaving. She ran out of the car and back into the garden of Amina's beloved grandparents, leaned against one, then another, and ran back to us.

Of course, we always think that ours are the most incredible, but this Mel has an extraordinary sensitivity, and we were all stunned by the beautiful scene of thanking/giving farewell to these people who had relieved us of the stress of having her on the other side of the world, and who had looked after her so well.

We returned home and slowly reorganized our routine, preparing for the return to school and the move between the three schools.

As Maria finished her Algebra course with 97% during the summer in Lisbon, with Grandpa Zé's support and Grandma São's pampering, I had to keep my promise. We rewarded the sisters with a highly cool program in this area. We spent the afternoon in Pasadena to watch the semi-final of the show Maria loves the most, with one of the actresses we all adore the most.

America's Got Talent and a girls' afternoon very well spent.

The next day starts for all three schools! Impeccable organization and events in each of the three schools to get to know all the teachers and corners of the schools were intense but good. We started the school year with a very different feeling of nervousness from a year ago.

Matias is happy to attend the grownups' school and be in the same class as his Kingston.

Mercedes, from whom we received an email from the best principal on the planet, with a selfie of him and our daughter smiling on her first day.

Maria came home full of plans for games, parties, dances, and other events. The high school seems very exciting.

Annie's 8th birthday party on the beach this weekend, where I found Matias on a chat. Matias has a crush on grandparents, and when his own were away, he adopted those of his friends!

We also collected the sisters' Baywatch diplomas. California-style weekends are very handsome style.

On the way home by bike, Mercedes said she felt strange because "it felt like we were in Portugal. But it wasn't Portugal, but it felt like it because I liked the place, the people, and this home. And she even felt good here! But this isn't home! Or is it?"

Pffffff what a jumble of feelings...

In the middle of the week, I thought I was going to get on a small plane to Rio de Janeiro. As geography has never been my strong suit, I thought it was a joke when I realized I needed to take two more long flights in such a short time. But it wasn't, and off I went to the South for a Congress of Physiotherapy in Obstetrics.

I loved everything.

The city is breathtaking, and it's much easier to walk around with locals.

The Congress itself was extremely interesting, the papers presented very consistent and interesting, and the plans we've been making among colleagues and friends are promising. I hope I can match them and grow with them.

The affection and manner in which Brazilians are received are excellent, and I came back full of the good energy I experienced there. The only downside was that on the way back, I must have eaten something bad for me, and I literally arrived on tenterhooks. I thought I was going to take drugs and go to sleep, and in the end, I spent the whole flight in a daze, with cold sweats and the stomach flu the size of a house.

Mel, of course, was happy to have her weasel back, and the rest of the troupe, although they didn't kiss me like that, also seemed very happy.

After managing viruses and the like, we realized that the long weekend could be used, so Rodrigo booked a couple of nights in a "cool place", and we headed for Lake Tahoe.

It had been on my bucket list for years, but I never thought it would be so impressive.

The lake's landscape, with its crystal clear water, pine trees, and mountains, is exotic to us. But the scent of the pine forest, the trails, the well-kept bike paths, the kayaks, the restaurants and bars, the wildlife, and the atmosphere in general are a mixture of sky resort charm and beach and water sports vibes. And it is all family-friendly.

In our humble opinion, it's the most unmissable place in all of California.

We loved it.

We did everything we could to experience this almost raw nature in the best possible way, and we're still hungover...

Mel has finally learned to swim in water without waves and that you can drink from it. It's more user-friendly. After her effort, sunbathing is a must, but getting dirty with sand is out of the question.

At the end of the last day, after waiting for Rodrigo to pick up the car from further away than the trail we had taken, sitting on the wall that you can see in the video, Rodrigo arrived, we loaded the car, and we noticed everyone staring in front of us in the parking lot. Then I see a massive animal in the mirror's reflection. I scream, and all I can do is stop the children from running after their father, who is as talented as he is crazy, with a hysterical, "Nobody gets out of the car!!!"

What do you do when you meet 1,2,3 bears? You run towards them, stopping traffic on the 89 so they can pass safely, of course! I love how Rodrigo addresses the babies in English so that they understand what he's suggesting.

Thank God the Universe protected us. This was just another magical moment on this side of the world that we love so much.

A few days ago, I realized our dear Salvador Sobral would be moving house, country, and land.

This GNR song says it all. Thank you for this beautiful version, Salvador.

Wings are for flying.

To dream or to glide.

Visit, peek, spy...

A thousand homes from the air...

It's all right, Mercedes. We are the home.

I love swallows.