Boogie and Marcelo’s Next Big Adventure!

We have big news!

Right after the new year, our family of five will be moving to Brazil! Thanks to a Fulbright grant, we’ll be headed to the Cidade Maravilhosa aka Rio de Janeiro for a year so that Sam can conduct fieldwork for his PhD. And all three boys, Boogie, Marcelo and Kitty, will be coming with us (duh). 

We learned the news right before our trip to Mexico (where we celebrated all together with a Michelada or two), so we’ve had only a small amount of time to prepare. After Mexico, it was back to New York, where we’ve been running around to get all of our paperwork together. I had to renew my passport (it expires in 2019 and has no pages left!) and we both have to get visas from the Brazilian embassy. Once our own paperwork is done, we’ll have to start on the boys. Kitty requires updated vaccines and a microchip, and all three will have to visit the vet before flying. 

Rio de Janeiro is a city we know well, and one that we’re comfortable in. Sam and I have lived in Rio before, and all three boys have spent time there – Kitty was even born there. We both speak Portuguese, and we have great local friends. Even though the political situation there is not the best right now (to say the least), we’re hopeful that the year will be a good one. 

We’ll have a small house with outdoor space, and Kitty will go back to being an indoor/outdoor cat. We will continue to cook dog food, so there won’t be a change in diet, and we’ll bring their favorite dog beds for plenty of naps in the sun. We’re fortunate because all three animals have spent time in Rio before, and we know that they thoroughly enjoy it. The weather is great, they get to spend a lot of time outdoors, and both Boogie and Marcelo are huge fans of the beach.

Plus, we have lots of South American travel in the works! We’ll be visiting friends in Argentina and Peru, and hope to visit other areas of Brazil as well. 

We’re sad to be leaving New York, but excited for this next chapter! If you’re in Rio or going to Rio, give us a shout. As always, we’ll keep everyone updated on the blog and on Instagram. Até logo! 

If you’ve been to Rio or live in Rio with a dog, leave us some tips in the comments!