Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 21 degrees, warm, overcast, with rain and stormy.

It is Monday, the 1st of July, the first day of the second half of 2024.

Yesterday, I did a simple valuation and overview of the first half of the year, covering being in England, Julie, living with my mother, etc. Now I would like to set down my goals for the second half and the rest of this year.

I don’t expect to achieve everything written, but if I achieve more than 50% or even 80% of what I would like, then it will have been good.

So, what would I like for the second half of this year?

Peace of Mind: I want more peace, to do what I want to do, not necessarily help others all the time, financially and logistically, and to be with someone who can give me peace, who radiates peace, and who understands me and I her. When talking about a relationship, it is not one-sided, and there is a natural, mutual understanding between us. When problems arise, we can resolve them together, without internal issues arising from a lack of understanding between us. To be free to do what I like. To go to bed at 9:00 p.m., which I adore, and get up early without worrying about disturbing others. With peace, we can build anything; without it, it is challenging to make even the smallest of things.

N.B. Look at Brazil, where rich, corrupt politicians fight among themselves. The atmosphere of conflict, confusion and chaos causes degradation, abandonment and decadence, and I think they do it because they know that the population will foot the bill blindly and stupidly. So peace is a must, and it is no coincidence that it is at the top of my list!!!

Money, a lot of money: I have never been obsessed with money, and even though I am very well prepared, I have always been afraid of success. I think it stems from my toxic childhood with my mother. In the short time I was in England, it showed that I was not crazy and that my mother had not changed in all this time. Because of this, the last trip helped me shake off and break these past chains, and in just a short time, I have set up my blog and invested in Bitcoin, which, for me, is the future.

So, I want a lot of money for a sense of security, so that I can help myself and the people I love and deserve.

To go to England again this year: I won’t need to go, partly because of Julie, or just to be there. This last trip was very good in many ways. I was thinking of going back in August because of Julie, but now I’m not so sure. I want to go and start investing in some future there while I still can. Maybe in September, October, or even November, but this time I don’t want to be with my mother. I will rent a place. Staying with my mother was not so good. I do not want to repeat the experience, but I do want to be in Wordsley or Kingswinford and near the canals.

My teeth: I need to complete the treatment. I had some problems in England, losing one of the implants and another becoming loose; these need to be addressed, and I also want to resolve the bridge at the front of my teeth. I want to smile without worrying about it.

Driving licence: I need to pass my driving test, either in Brazil or in England. This will depend on whether I stay in Rio for longer than expected. It could be cheaper to do it in England, as there are fewer compulsory classes than in Brazil. Let’s see.

100,000 Reais in the bank: Back to money again, I want to have 100,000 brilliant Brazilian Reais in my bank account, or the equivalent in British pounds in England or in American dollars.

Affiliate marketing: To begin and hopefully start making money through affiliate marketing, possibly using the blog, the brand, the long gringo, and the blog itself as a reference and a leverage tool. To use the blog as a platform to sell merchandise and affiliate products, alongside the monetisation of the blog.

Monetisation: Monetising the blog and YouTube channel, ‘The Long Gringo.’ For the second half of this year, I want to earn more from monetising the blog and YouTube channel than from giving classes. The YouTube channel will feature faceless videos based on daily blog posts, with me appearing only for more critical questions, such as life, travel, and state of mind.

The monetisation of the blog and YouTube channel is extremely important for me.

To live alone: I need to live alone. I miss having my own space and freedom. Before going to England, I was living alone in Copacabana. Six months before going to England, I had to give back my flat in Copacabana and move in with Yasmin and Nalva. When I went to England, I stayed in my mother’s house, which gave me very little freedom. So if I am going to stay in Brazil or go back to England, I want to live alone so I can live my life how I want, with who I want.

So these are my principal goals for the second half of this year. Let’s see what happens. I do not believe there should be so many. Nine is probably a lot, but it is a multiple of three. I love the number 3 and its power. Now I have to do my part and get to work. The rest of the day has been the regular, healthy routine of: