On the brink of adventure....

Before anything else, welcome to my blog! (the first non-brasilian to guess where the title of this blog came from will receive my first postcard from down under!)

The blog will be a way for me to keep in touch with my family, my friends and co-workers during this adventure I'm about to embark on. As many of you already know, tomorrow morning (yes, I bought a ticket for 8 a.m., new year's day) I leave on a trip to Asia and the south Pacific for 5 months!!! I have been planning this for a few months now, and the metamorphosis of many dreams is developing into this:

A second trip to Japan...to explore and experience Japan through Mike's adoring eyes...

Perth, Australia to complete my certificate in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy at one of the best universities down under...

A month exploring Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns and Brisbane, taking in the sun and the magnificent ocean....

Another month in New Zealand, where Jenn and I are attempting to drive on the wrong side of the road while distracted by the breath-taking scenery the movies boast about...

Back to Japan, where Mike and I will embark on a ferry (literally) to China, a place I have dreamed of visiting for the culture shock my system craves, the food I will eat until I'm physically sick, and the experiences I will write to my mom and sister about (Ingrid, I swear I will see a Panda bear and as many Chow Chows as I can find!)....

As you can see, I am truly on the brink of this adventure, and as I sit in the comfort of my room, I am excited, nervous, thrilled and pensive. I am thinking about 2006, and what an amazing year it was for me: my family is happy, healthy and together, I gained a lifelong friend in Amber, my professional life exploded with the success of the clinic and our award of excellence, my personal life revealed Michael, and my existing friendships continued to bless me. I read books, drank wine, travelled to Japan, treated hundreds of patients, exercised, fought and laughed with loved ones, learned from my mentor Kathleen, including my mistakes and successes, and received more generosity and kindness than you can imagine!

And so, it is with much gratitude and excitement that I begin this blog. This will be a place for me to post my pictures along the way with captions on my whereabouts and ventures. I will post as often as I can, and hope that you enjoy visiting this site every once in awhile to catch up.

For now, I wish you all a wonderful 2007, full of happiness, health, success, joy and adventure...let's toast this new year and embrace all it has in store!