I realized the other day that I have been living with 3 pairs of shoes since we arrived in Sao Paulo two weeks ago (my Choo Uggs don’t count, because they are un-wearable in the heat!).  And one pair is house slippers.  Honestly I can’t remember what life was like with all my shoes, so many choices.  I don’t think I am unhappy, although there have been a couple of times that I have wished for more choices.  How surprising, to see that although I love my stuff, I am not unhappy without it.  At this point, what I miss most is: my Tempurpedic bed, my Ruval sheets, my pillows, and my Senseo coffee maker.  Other than that, there is definitely something to be said for less stuff. 

I have broken down and purchased a couple of things that I just could not wait for in our shipment – a yoga mat (almost $70 here!) and a bottle opener (can’t live without beer!).  And waiting for our shipment has definitely been a spiritual lesson for both my husband and I.  We have finally decided to surrender to the Brazilian timeline, which is at least twice as long as what we were told our shipments would take.  We have an air shipment somewhere in Brazilian customs that theoretically would have been delivered almost a week ago, was supposed to tide us over until our container arrived by sea, and we have no idea when it will be released.  That’s where the rest of my shoes are…