Passport in Hand

This week I received my passport in the mail! The reality is starting to hit me. My life long dream of tracing my roots and meeting more of my Portuguese family will be here very soon.

I am not prepared mentally or financially, but it doesn't really matter. I will go anyways. I have no expectations for this trip. I will savor this experience "slow and easy" as my father would have done.

The one thing I do know, is that the food and wine will be plentiful and I plan to enjoy every moment of it. There will be no worries here. I will leave them all behind me.

I have been working to get into shape. I want to be bathing suit ready, and plan to do a lot of walking to explore every nook and cranny of my native island.

We have about two months before we go. There is still much work to do. I am motivated and excited. But, I have anxiety over leaving my family and friends. I have never been over seas, and I don't like flying much. But I look forward to the adventure even if it has to begin and end with Lorazepam! :-)

Planning stages

All my life I have always felt like there was a piece of me that was missing. The missing piece of the puzzle, that I call life, is on the island of Terceira in the Azores, Portugal.

The story began with my parents. My father was in the military, stationed at Lajes Air Force base in Terceira. He was introduced to my mother by his best friend Herb, who was married to my mother's best friend, Julieta. I believe that there is no such thing as coincidences. Things happened the way they were supposed to. My Mother and Father, as different as they were, were meant to be.

My mother: Felisbela Maria DaSilva. Short and sweet! A real looker back in the day. She was more beautiful than any movie star I have ever seen. It was no wonder she had to have a chaperon everywhere she went.

My father: Donald Merle Lund. Tall and handsome! He was up there with a young James Dean and Elvis Presley! He looked so handsome in his Air Force uniform, how could any girl resist.