Our Time is Up

I can hardly believe that it was exactly three years ago, that we arrived in Buenos Aires from Manila. From July 2019 to February of 2020 was a sheer whirlwind of activity of visitors coming and going until March of 2020. The pandemic is all people talked about for a long time. Argentina had a strict lockdown of 18 months that felt more like house arrest so when I realized that it was the three -year anniversary over the weekend from when we arrived, all I could think of is how it feels like it happened forever ago, as opposed to just three years. 

 

During our time down South, we had the death of a dear uncle but to compensate for that, we added four new grandbabies, I celebrated my twelve- year wedding anniversary to my amazing husband; my oldest daughter turned forty and the youngest turned thirty. Two granddaughters graduated from High School and my nephew and niece got married. Yes, a tremendous amount has happened over these last three years and for that, I am grateful. 

 

During the last six months, just as we are leaving, we could transition smoothly out of the lockdown into a more normal situation. How ironic! Just when we could travel and explore the beautiful countries of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, we need to go. It has been an incredibly different experience for Daniel and me. Our time in Buenos Aires will be remembered as the time we survived the Covid-19 pandemic. Daniel knew what exactly needed to get accomplished at work before we went back and he did it! 

 

On the one hand, it feels incredibly exciting because we could finally do stuff with our family, but on the other hand it was incredibly disconcerting because I was so used to having all my time and days mapped out for me and now I am free to choose how I want to spend my days. I am not restricted in staying in one place. I can move around. Our new assignment is in the U.S. which means that I am writing the last page of the last chapter as an expat. 

 

Daniel has worked crazy hours ever since she was asked to be the DTA for the Central Area in the U.S. but also continued working in the South America Area. The new DTA officially starts on August 1. For the first time in twelve years I am able to really stop and ask myself “exactly what am I excited to spend my time doing? “  

 

Up until this point I had always been busy in order to support my husband so I never really stopped to ask myself “if you could do anything what would it be?”.  But now I can, and the answer is that I am figuring the answer to that question out a little more each day as I continue moving myself forward toward the things that I have a passion for, like family history. I will be writing books. 

 

Had you asked me three years ago where I would be today I would have answered that we would still be in Buenos Aires. I had no idea our move would come so quick because time flies when you are busy and having fun. To each person, I met for the past decade as an expat, thank you for your friendship. Keep up the faith. I will always remember you. And for those who read my blog, know that I hope someday our paths will cross. This is only the end to a blog where I wrote each night except when on vacation not the end of my life. I will keep writing in a different blog.

The End!

 

Con amor,

Vero 

 

The only thing constant is Change!

“Life happens. Adapt. Embrace change, and make the most of everything that comes your way.” 

 

If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.

 

As this week represents Daniel’s final week as the DTA for the South America South Area, I felt it most appropriate to talk about change.  Change is an interesting word.  For some people, it represents fear and terror, while for other people it represents adventure and excitement.  In my experience, I have found that more people tend to fear change, rather than embrace it.  As I have had the chance to talk with friends about their fears over the years, I have found that the reasons they fear change vary.  Some of the reasons that have been shared are:

 

                  Some fear the unknown that change represents, especially when they have a lack of information.  Often times, if there is no information human nature is to let the monsters in your head start to fill in the gaps with worst case scenarios, which leads to a major increase in a person’s anxiety level.

                  Some fear that change will represent a loss of some kind.  A loss of a friend, or coworker, or position, or title, or even the fear of losing their own job.

                  Some fear that change will force them to leave their comfort zone.  We get so used to the routine of the day to day and the sense of security that gives us in our life, that the thought of a change will interrupt that sense of security, and leave us feeling lost and unsure.

                  Some fear that change might bring successes that they are not prepared to handle.  New found success can bring more responsibility, more stress, and an increase in the expectations others place upon them.

 

Daniel’s input to leaders who need to lead an organization through change:

 

Over the years, as my husband Daniel witnessed the stress that change could cause employees, he realized that a leader of an organization has a huge responsibility to help mitigate the impact that change will have on employees.  He learned that the best way to do that was to communicate, communicate, and then communicate.  He thinks many leaders think they need to have everything figured out before they start communicating with employees.  Daniel disagrees.  He has found that when Daniel laid out exactly what was happening in the organization at any given time, and he laid it out to the entire employee base at the same time (which is critical because if a leader starts telling people one off then rumors will spread like wild fire through the organization and nothing is more damaging than that – it makes people who hear it secondhand wonder why they have been left out of hearing it firsthand and it makes those who heard it first believe that they are more important than others in the organization which leads to divisions in the employee base), and then by telling employees honestly and openly the decisions that he was tasked with making, and by laying out for them the factors that he was trying to consider as he made his decisions, that the employees became his support system in helping him make and implement changes. 

 

By giving them the data on everything, even if he didn’t have it all figured out, the employees felt engaged in the process, they understood the end result that he wanted to achieve, and many times they would even offer up suggestions for him to consider as he was trying to make up his mind.   He has also learned that it is okay for the leader to admit when they are struggling with a decision and to tell why they are struggling.  By being real with employees it builds bonds of trust and shows them that you are no different than they are, and they will respect you more for it.  Be honest, be open, be direct, and most of all, be real.  That is what great leaders do and that is why they are able to inspire people to follow them wherever the organization needs to go. 

 

My input to employees who are dealing with change in their organization:

 

Change in life is inevitable.  And the best way to feel more comfortable in life is to come to terms with the fact that the only thing certain in life is uncertainty.  I was one of those who used to fear change.  Daniel’s children grew up in a family where they moved every few years, leaving behind friends and loved ones each time.  I imagine it must have been scary to always be the new kid in school, over and over again but they were good sports. For some children moving like that is devastating.  The Almeida’s got to the point where they just knew that there was a good chance they would move every few years and there was nothing they could really do about it.  And so I sat down and started to make a list of what the positive things that came from moving.  Don’t get me wrong, the list of bad things I was feeling at the time would have been massive and made me cry, but I couldn’t focus on that anymore because it wouldn’t change anything, it would only make me sad and depressed.  So the only list I could allow myself to make was the list of positive things that could result from moving all the time, including things like the chance to meet new people, the chance to learn a new culture, the chance to make new friends, etc.  

By making the list of positives that could come from change it helped me to put the sadness and fear behind me and stay focused on the positives ahead.  It helped my thoughts to stay focused on the adventure and excitement that change could bring into my life and that gave me hope.  Now that I have experienced moving a lot as a grown woman up living in Santo Domingo, San Juan, Manila and Buenos Aires, I can look back at my life, I can definitely say the list of positives that came from moving several times would far outweigh the negatives, by over a mile! 

 

 

Change is such a necessary part of life.  We need it to grow.  Change forces us to go beyond our comfort zone into unknown territory that we would likely have avoided if left to our own choice.  Don’t fear change, welcome it!  Change is going to happen, so why not greet it head on with a huge smile on your face and an excitement for what it will teach you.  Be happy to see change and be grateful that it will make you grow and evolve into a better, stronger, and wiser person.  And, never forget that change is what turns a simple caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly!

 

I will miss writing in this blog but it’s time for change!

 

Con amor,

Veronica

Don't cry for me Argentina

We are moving! 

The movers are coming. Only a few months ago we were so happy that finally we were going to explore the South America South Área. Argentina had a strict lockdown during the pandemic and ironically now that we are starting to go back to normal, we had all these amazing trips in the works, but the Lord had other plans.

Endings are always hard. We love you all so much my dear friends with whom we shared wonderful memories for the past three years. Letting go of you it’s hard. But endings are also necessary as they allow for new beginnings to occur. If nothing ever came to an end then nothing new could ever begin. 

Out time as expats is over which means that this blog will also end. It was where I wrote my experiences living abroad and that will no longer be the case. Daniel received a new assignment in the Central States and Canada. It's official, we are moving back to reside in Bountiful Utah.

The movers will be here tomorrow to send our stuff. The tricky thing is to know what we should keep for the next three months before we get our things. We have accumulated so much stuff. That is my biggest worry. What to do with it all.

Con amor,

Vero

I am a Chocoholic!

Today as I walked around the neighborhood after I got my hair done, I found a Chocolate store. “El Viejo Oso” I wanted to give something to Daniel to take on his trip to Paraguay and a box of chocolates was perfect. 

I bought a box of chocolates, about a dollar for each bite but so worth it since now it has been discovered that chocolate is good for your heath. Here is an article about it. 

“A chocolate is known for being creamy, rich, decadent and — healthy? While this sweet treat is commonly viewed as a guilty pleasure, research shows chocolate actually offers multiple health benefits. Here are some of the things that chocolate can do for you and your body.

Improves cognitive function

Dark chocolate is rich in the phytonutrient flavonol, which can help contribute to “... better reaction time, visual-spatial awareness and stronger memory,” according to John Hopkins Medicine. Harvard Medical School backed these findings, citing a review published in the May 2017 edition of the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, which found evidence of “improved brain blood flow, oxygen levels or nerve function” after individuals in the study drank cocoa drinks such as hot chocolate.

Boosts athletic performance 

Chocolate and the gym may sound like a recipe for disaster, but some research suggests the opposite may be true. According to findings published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, eating a small amount of dark chocolate may boost oxygen availability during your workouts, per Medical News Today. Again, you have the flavanols in the cocoa to thank for that. 

Protects skin from sun damage

Goodbye sunscreen, hello Hershey’s? Dark chocolate helps protect your skin due to its antioxidants, which work to “neutralize the free-radical damage that sun exposure causes,” skin care brand Paula’s Choice reported on its site. A study published in the National Library of Medicine showed 30 subjects’ photoprotection more than doubled after consuming high flavanol chocolate each day for three months.

Helps manage weight

While eating chocolate every day sounds like the exact opposite thing to do in order to maintain a healthy weight, “research suggests dark chocolate may play a role in controlling appetite, which in turn could help with weight loss,” reports Everyday Health. Neuroscientist Will Clower found eating some dark chocolate either before or after meals can help trigger hormones that show the brain you’re satiated. Consuming larger amounts of chocolate will most likely counteract any weight loss, but nibbling on a little here and there may help.

May play role in cancer prevention

According to the American Cancer Society, chocolate is full of ingredients that have cancer-fighting properties. The two that are the most beneficial are magnesium and a flavonoid called epicatechin. According to Everyday Health, “a study published in January 2022 in the journal Cell found that the body’s immune cells can target abnormal or infected cells only in a magnesium-rich environment.” Another study published in the National Library of Medicinefound epicatechin’s antioxidant properties resulted in its “anticancer effect” on the body. However, not all chocolate is created equal, so check the nutrition label and make sure you’re consuming high-quality chocolate to enjoy all of its benefits.”

So, you see, that is why I love dark chocolate!

Con amor,

Vero

 

 

It's happening!

We are moving back home! We got in yesterday morning after we barely made it to the gate to take the red eye flight from Dallas to Buenos Aires before they closed the door. All because our flight from Salt Lake was delayed and that made for a very tight connection. It’s no secret that the pilots are on strike of sorts and they are calling in sick. Be aware that your travel plans might not go as planned. We got in just fine but our bags didn’t make it. I wonder why?  I couldn’t sleep even when I was flying business and my seat practically could turn into a bed. 

 

It was maybe because it gave me time to think and reflect on all the years we have been gone and I had to pause for a minute, listen to the buzzing sound of the jet plane and reflect. I remembered those warm endless summer nights in the Dominican Republic and later in the Philippines when we lived there. Going for walks when we first arrived in Buenos Aires to explore the city. Visits to Uruguay to see family before the pandemic. Fireworks around Christmas and New Year’s! All that will be a thing of the past. I thought of all the bad decisions and the good ones too. Live and learn. 

 

Hard to imagine the trajectory of our lives from thirteen years ago when we were moving to our new home in Bountiful and little did we knew that it was short lived. We put an offer on that house in July 2009 and by November we knew we were moving. Not knowing what to expect as the life of an expat. How my love for other cultures and travel would be a reality. Kind of crazy how that happened! I thought about all the places I’ve visited as an expat that I never would have imagined as a kid. The people I’ve met. The people who are no longer here. I miss them all. I hope they’re all out there somewhere busy doing good.

 

It’s nice to occasionally go back, to think about the past. Whether it’s obvious, the past always seems to go some distance in shaping the present us and the decisions we make on our daily journey through life. It’s not necessarily a profound thought. I just had to take note of it, maybe because deep down I’m still wondering what would our new adventure look like reflecting on what has been and what’s left unwritten. 

 

All I can say is how thankful I am for the memories we made and for the new ones to come with our family. I love my life! 

 

Con amor,

Vero 

 

We are back!

The first two weeks in July 2022 will be remembered as the time Daniel worked the two areas. He is ending his assignment in the South America South Area and Starting his new one in the U.S. simultaneously. The DTA in the U.S. already left and the one in Argentina is starting his job August 1^st. We left on July 3^rd and came back this morning.  Daniel needed to be there to start his new position as the DTA for the Central States and part of Canada but he also needed to come back to finish what was left pending and to send the shipment. 

 

We also hosted the Krone family and the baptism for Christopher. We spent more on this baptism than at Hernan’s breakfast wedding at the Joseph Smith’s Building so you can only imagine how wonderful it was! We also had to go to Seattle to get my passport renewed. Another unnecessary expense but there was no other way to get my passport in time to come back to Buenos Aires. 

 

While we were in Utah, Daniel got his teeth cleaned and we both went to see the 

Dermatologist. I also got my booster shot so I can travel to Chile this coming week. The trip was short but so productive. We are back but not for long. We took six suitcases with anything we might need for the next four months when we think our shipment will arrive and we will take another two suitcases each when we return with the things we couldn’t send on the shipment and with that, I will be saying good bye to my life as an expat. It has been twelve and a half wonderful years but it’s time to go home! 

 

Con amor,

Vero

Happy Independence Day

Before we continue to our next adventure as I am getting ready to move back to Utah permanently, I retrieved my certificate of naturalization from the safety box when I became a U.S. citizen on April 17th 1987. I was 27 years old. I was the mother of a five year old and a two year old. My home address at the time was 2958 Metropolitan Way, SLC, UT 84109. That is the home where I brought Bianca from the hospital. So much has happened from that day, that I want to acknowledge the fact that this happens to be a special weekend where we get to celebrate the Fourth of July which happens to be one of my favorite Holidays! 

The 4th of July is a day to celebrate Independence and Freedom for all people.  July 4^th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress.  What an amazing event in the history of the world.  And how much has taken place since that day.  According to the US Census there was approximately 2.5 million people living in the newly established independent nation at that time. Compare that to over 300 million today,  WOW!  How much the United States of America has grown over the years.

 

Many of us studied the Declaration of Independence back in school, but how many of us have read the powerful words it states recently?  I know that I haven’t.  So I decided to read them so I could remember and appreciate the words that were written and the sacrifices so many people made to get this declaration into place.  I was so touched and inspired at the words included in the document.  I wanted to share those that touched me the most:

 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

 

It goes on to say a most powerful quote that I think every leader should hang on their wall so they never forget it:

 

“A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

 

WOW!  What a powerful statement that is.  And so true.  Great rulers lead their people, they don’t dictate and demand, they inspire and serve.  They are humble and kind and the love the people they lead.

 

The document ends with these words:

 

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

 

Those men who wrote those words lived by them, as have generations of both men and women since then.  Many people have pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in order to protect this great land.  I love that it says “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence”.  It was their belief and trust in God that gave them the confidence to do the right thing.  I can only imagine how scary making this declaration must have been for them and their families.  Yet they trusted in the Lord and did the right thing, fully prepared to face whatever circumstances would result.  They took courage in choosing the right and trusting in God.  I LOVE THAT!  What a great example they set for all of us to follow. 

 

I wish all of you a wonderful Independence Day, wherever in the world you may be may you enjoy the day and appreciate the cause of freedom.  To all of those men and women who sacrifice so that others may be protected and have freedom in their lives I say, “THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!”  In addition, I say, “God bless our founding fathers for the sacrifices they made.  God bless the military for the service they provide.  And God Bless The U.S.A!” 

On my way to see family in Utah. I will return July17th.

 

 

Con amor,

Vero