2014

In December of last year I had just let my friends and family know that I would be moving. I had my permanent visa for Brazil--the reward of a year's worth of research, paperwork, trips to the Consulate and hundreds of dollars worth of fees--but not much else. There was no apartment. No promise of a job. No friends. It was the most precarious position I had ever found my life in.

Daniela and I have talked a few times recently about the past year and how far things have progressed. It feels like three or four years worth of change fit into twelve months. The kind of year where getting married is just one fraction of the mosaic, not the whole work itself.

It's hard to call it anything other than the best year of my life.

Love

Daniela and I were married on August 30, 2014. We honeymooned on the surreal island of Fernando de Noronha. We traveled back to the US and celebrated again on November 1.

Scattered all around these special (and stressful) occasions was the real growth of our love and friendship. At each quiet lunch in our tiny apartment. At each laugh before bed. Daniela, in the natural progressions of wives, went from being someone I liked, to someone I needed, to someone I'm intertwined with.

August 30 was a good day.

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. September 2014.

Friendship

I left 98% of my social circle behind in February and found myself a week later waking up every day, turning to Daniela and asking, "What are we doing today?" She was basically all I had.

Since then I've gotten to know a lot of new people, both Brazilian, American and others. I've formed a close bond with a group of mostly American guys. You can find us once a week, Sunday afternoon, at a place called O'Malley's, watching football and laughing it up.

They're a transient group, so I've already had to say goodbye to a few. They'll always have a place here. By nature, American ex-pats in Brazil are special people. These guys are brave, smart and successful. They are survivors. Without knowing it, they challenge me every week to improve myself.

Another Sunday afternoon at O'Malley's.

Food

It's been the best year of eating in my life. Brazil has ruined me in a number of ways. From dining at the restaurant of the Best Chef in the World, to the wonderful pizza place around the corner, to the incredible filet mignon steak at my local grocery store that somehow costs US $4 for three cuts, I've thrown my stomach into a place that I'll probably one day decide to move 10 hours away from. It's like watching a favorite movie even though you know the main character dies at the end.

There's a lot to miss about back home, but the distance makes my occasional trips (and visits to Five Guys) so much sweeter. When it comes to food, São Paulo just does it better. Here are a few pornographic shots I took this year:

Noa bringing out the good stuff.

Robison throwing some heavily-salted picanha cuts on the grill.

São Paulo's famous Bacio di Latte gelato. Dani got me a whole kilo for Brazilian Valentine's Day.

Dinner from my favorite restaurant in town, Segredos de Minas.

Movies

I saw more movies this year than any other. Not in the theaters. I think I saw like five there. It's all been Netflix. 

Daniela and I have developed this routine that I love. Most every weeknight now we'll have dinner, take care of anything else we have to do, get in bed and put something on. Ten minutes later, Dani is asleep, but that's another story (as I like to tell her, "We could watch a movie called the Daniela dos Santos Lima Story and you would still go to sleep").

As an addicted viewer, here are my favorite Netflix movies that I saw this year for the first time:

Documentaries

The Imposter--Best documentary I saw this year.

Mitt--Heartbreaking no matter your political beliefs.

Life 2.0--An interesting look inside a sad, strange world.

Comedies

Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats--Stand up special that left me shaking with laughter.

21 Jump Street--Great writing.

In a World--Interesting and unique.

John Mulaney: New in Town--Only stand up special I've ever seen that got funnier every five minutes.

Bad Grandpa--Really well-executed jokes. You will not be disappointed.

The Way Way Back--For when you're missing the warm weather.

Safety Not Guaranteed--Maybe the best movie I saw this year. Sweet. Funny. Exhilarating. 

Dramas

Winter's Bone--No wonder she's a megastar now.

Arbitrage--It really makes me sad that movies like this and Michael Clayton only come out once every five years. Richard Gere is amazing in this.

Donnie Brasco--What can I say? I had never seen it. That's why we have Netflix.

Silver Linings Playbook--Hadn't seen it before. David O. Russell is back in top form.

Lone Survivor--A new war classic.

Snow on tha Bluff--Unbelievable. A movie that is truly unforgettable and unlike anything else I've ever seen.

Music

There's really only two albums I listened to this year and I listened to them non-stop:

1989 by Taylor Swift--A flawless departure album. A leap forward that none of her superstar peers have equalled.

Cadillactica by Big K.R.I.T.--A portrait of the American South as a foreign planet, which to many people it probably is. KRIT nails every image perfectly, from Sunday mornings with Grandma to sinful dark rooms of women and loud music. The production, the energy, the attitude and the wordplay are bonded by no weak links. Best rap album I've ever heard.

Travel

This year I hit Hawaii, Chattanooga, São Paulo, Alexandria, Recife, Fernando de Noronha and Rio de Janeiro. 

I'll probably never go to Recife again. I'll probably never get to go to Fernando again. But the place I'll miss the most? My first class seat from Charlotte to Brazil. Twice. That was beautiful.

Growth

Writing: I spent more time writing this year than any other in my life (by a long shot). There was the blog on the public side and another, larger piece on the private side. I'm on draft nine of it, something I never would have committed to in the past. I feel stronger as a writer and more excited about future projects.

Health: I've got the best gym routine going since I was 21.

Fortitude: For the first time in my life, I've really gone outside of my comfort zone and I'm better for it. Brazil's rough streets had me spooked when I first got here. Now, I can handle it. I can handle a lot of things.

Regrets

I hate it when people say they never have regrets or they "wouldn't change a thing." Yeah, right. I always have regrets: 

I faithfully studied Portuguese for a year and then gave it up when it got frustrating. 

I watched a pathetically large amount of YouTube videos when I could have been doing anything else. 

I often avoided doing pull ups because they're hard.

I bought several eight packs of Oreos that I didn't need. 

I went to a doctor who told me I had a brain cyst (a US doctor said he was wrong). 

Too much Coca Cola.

And on and on and on. 2014 saw the most changes in my life. It also was the year I grew the most. That makes me want to keep growing and keep improving next year. There's a lot to look forward to and a lot to leave behind. It's been the best year of my life, but I don't want it to stay that way.

The four-patty Mega Mac. A regret.