Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 27 degrees, hot, sunny, and slightly overcast.
Julie and I haven’t been messaging since last Thursday, and it feels much longer to me.
I miss her, I miss us talking and communicating, but it may be better this way, and if she really was good for me. I had always felt, when I was with her in England, that either she was always trying to manipulate me in some way or that she would never go out of her way for me, only when it was convenient for her.
This trip back to Brazil has been good for me. While I was there, I needed space from my mother and from my situation with Julie. Coming back to Brazil has also shown me how different Nalva and I are and how important it is for me to resolve this issue in my life regarding her.
This will be the last time I stay with her before going back to England. I need to talk to her about becoming more financially independent from me in the future. The seven months have changed me in some ways. Even though I do not always know exactly what I want 100%, I know what I do not wish to, which is just as important.
However, I do know what I want in the near and medium term.
In the short term, I want to live alone in England, have time to do my own work and earn money. I want to be free to work without worrying about money and to have the freedom to create, produce, be productive, and make money online. If I have a girlfriend, great, but she should not or would not distract me from my primary interest in creating and earning money from online work.
Whether that will be in my mother’s house, and that she has already died, or I’m renting a flat or small house so that I have my freedom to do my things, I’m going travel whenever and wherever I want, to be autonomous in my decisions, and not for others all the time.
In the medium term, I want to be financially independent, not necessarily highly prosperous but comfortable. I also want a girlfriend who is an honest and trustworthy partner and friend, and to travel for work, contentment, and pleasure.
Money is not a problem, and I only have what I need, living a simple yet rewarding and sophisticated life, sophisticated in the sense of being neither superficial nor ostentatious, with quality and the necessary good things when needed. If not needed, it is not necessary.
My year will be split between Europe and Brazil. I say Europe because I may buy a rundown property in Spain, Portugal or even Italy and fix it up. I’m not talking about a too-big or never-ending project. The maximum is a year and a half, with local support from the natives.
If I could find a relatively cheap small plot of land in England, I would like to build a tiny house in the middle of Woodlands, a small forest with no neighbours, far from everyone, and with a couple of dogs. The problem is that land is expensive in England, so that it will be difficult.
My priority at the moment is to survive, continue what I’m doing and investing for the future, and stay in Brazil, supporting Yasmin and Nalva. Yasmin is questioning many things at the moment, and I’m trying to pave the way for me, maybe her, to return to England in the future, me first, then her.
This morning, I submitted my official complaint to KLM Airlines regarding my compensation claim. I had to pay extra baggage fees twice because my return flight was cancelled. If I can recover a little more than I paid because of the inconvenience, it will help a lot. Let’s see how it goes.
Last night I didn’t sleep very well, and I’m feeling very anxious right now. Whilst I was tossing and turning during the night, I came up with an excellent idea for Placebeads, my bracelets label. Instead of just selling ready-made bead bracelets like everybody else, why not supply them as kits with all the materials needed to make your own?
Something as small as a beautiful bracelet, supplied with all the materials you need to make your own, gives you a sense of pride and personal sentimental value. Doing it yourself gives it more importance. It is also the part where you tie three knots to finish off the bracelet: 3 knots; each knot could represent a wish.
Tying a knot and, “I wish …”!!!
This is very similar to the Church of São Bento in Bahia, where you buy ribbons from the church, or blessed ribbons, and tie them on your wrist with three knots. Each knot represents a wish, making them a kind of poor man’s charm bracelet, or not, but at least beautiful, special and with sentimental value.
This could be very interesting, and a story about the knots and wishes could make the label more compelling for the public. It needs careful thought, but the idea is there. Again, let’s see!
In bed by midnight.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
