The week has gone by relatively quickly, with classes, exercise, and blog posts.

There is also the never-ending wait for confirmation that ‘The long gringo blog’ has been monetised. Alex has been trying to monetise the blog for almost a month now. It was expected to take a couple of days, but it has now been three weeks.

Like everything difficult or an obstacle, it is a test. A test not to give up and stop. However, I have concluded that I cannot wait any longer, as there are other equally important projects in the queue.

From the 1st of August, I will focus on creating faceless YouTube videos for the long gringo channel.

Monetising YouTube is expected to be easier and quicker than monetising the blog itself. I have been considering this for more than a year. I should have started much earlier, but now I have no excuse. I will have to do it, not just for the blog but for the school too, The Right Way.

The school’s didactic YouTube channel can run in parallel with the blog and should be earning money until the end of the year.

I had a late-afternoon meeting with Alex today to have him explain, and I now understand precisely what is happening with the blog. It was also to begin finalising the details for ‘Teahogui’, a digital agency idea I have had for some time, and it now seems like the right moment to move forward with it.

I asked Alex whether he had a third party in mind to complete the partnership. He said he did and would arrange an online meeting for everyone to agree. He also asked me to deposit R$500 to begin work on ‘Teahogui’s’ site.

After the meeting, I transferred R$1000. I had to sell some crypto, but as soon as KLM Airlines pays me the compensation, which should be deposited in my account anytime now, I will buy back what I have sold.

So, everything seems to be going in the right direction, with some hiccups and delays, which is normal. It is part of the journey. What is essential is to focus on my goals to maintain direction and not lose sight of them this year, which has already been a good year and should be even better by the end of it, with:

• ‘The long gringo’ blog is monetised.

• ‘The long gringo’ YouTube channel is monetised.

• ‘The right way’ didactic YouTube channel is monetised.

• ‘Teahogui’ is set up and embryonically working.

I expect that by the end of the year, I will have arrived in England, hopefully be living alone in a small flat or house, and be able to focus on creating content and developing Teahogui.

A lot is going on, and a lot of responsibility is needed to execute it all, so please take the lead and let’s get it done.

Be kind and be happy, and if you can’t be happy, still be kind, but not naïve!

In bed by 10.30 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post An Overview and New Path! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is a beautiful day, sunny, with not a cloud in the sky and not too hot.

The perfect day for a good walk, the kind I used to take in Rio before going to England, where I would walk from one neighbourhood to another.

I got up early, even though it was a Saturday, because there was a lot to do. I waited for the bakery to open at 6:00 a.m., raring to get in, sit down and write. Before leaving, I bought bread, cheese, ham and butter. As before, Yasmin was still asleep when I got back, and Nalva had gone to work.

I changed my clothes and went to the park to exercise. Instead of going straight to the park, I preferred to take the long way round so I could clock up at least 4,000 steps before beginning to exercise.

The round route I usually take takes me up and through Flamengo, then on to the beach as I come back on myself. The park is literally a stop on the return. There, I lit some incense sticks and stuck them in the ground next to where I was working out. Nobody had complained so far, so no problem.

When I got back, Yasmin was up. I asked her if she wanted breakfast from the bakery, and of course, she did. She had the usual toasted bread and orange juice.

We talked, and I told her I would go to Copacabana to have her glasses repaired at Dona Vera’s optician’s.

They had broken the day before; one of the tiny supports that holds the glasses on the side of the nose came off. These are the glasses she likes most: the Harry Potter style, with two perfectly round lenses. At home, I showered and then took them to Copacabana.

I felt a little slow and lazy after the exercises, but I have done them so many times before that they are just the norm for me nowadays. Walking from Flamengo to Copacabana, or vice versa, while stopping at shops and places of interest along the way, is also very common for me.

The idea was to pass by some motorcycle dealers on the way to see the bikes, and I ended up visiting Honda, Kawasaki, and Royal Enfield. Of these, I think Royal Enfield is the most interesting to me, and I’m thinking of buying one in the near future, probably more for England than for Brazil, but let’s see.

When I walk like this, I like to see, notice, observe, absorb, and appreciate everything happening on the streets around me, and, for sure, it is impossible for me not to compare it with what was before.

Rio is still wonderful, and the people are as happy as before. However, the streets are dirtier and more disorganised; the homeless population has increased exponentially over the last year; and the number of commercial premises, shops, and other establishments has also declined.

In commercial establishments, I saw the same trend, but to a more advanced level in England. Traditional traders have finished. Amazon and the internet have put a stop to the reputable small sole trader and the family business.

Now, along the high streets in England, all you have are impersonal chain stores for homes, and in smaller towns, charity shops and vape stores are of very little use to the general public. I see the same beginning to happen in Brazil.

I arrived in Copacabana, dropped off Yasmin’s glasses at Dona Vera’s Optician’s, took a little walk around, and came back on the bus in the afternoon and worked a little.

Nalva’s sisters arrived in the evening, as Sunday was the Sinha’s graduation photoshoot at Aterro, in front of the bay and Sugar Loaf Mountain. It is a full house of lovely, hysterical women who eat, drink, speak, and listen at once, and are drowned out by laughter. I think I got at most 3 hours’ sleep that night.

Be kind and be happy, and if you can’t be happy, still be kind, but not naïve!

In bed by 1 a.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Saturday in Rio | Reflection and Adventure first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Last night, Julie went back to Kingswinford, England, after spending almost a month with me in Rio.

From Boxing Day, the 26th of December 2024, until yesterday, the 20th of January 2025, she had been staying with me for her holidays. I consequently took advantage of her being here also to have my own holidays, which I haven’t had in a long, long time, a month off work.

This month of holidays was a time when I was able to relax, enjoy the company of someone very special to me, get out of Rio for a couple of days, and visit one of the most enchanting towns in Brazil, all while thinking about my life, what is important to me, where I would like to be in the near future, and what I would like to be doing.

I’m very grateful for the time we have had together and look forward to spending more time together in the future, but now it is back to reality, with the hard grind and change.

Today, the 21st of January, is the first working day of the new year for me. I had been uploading some videos to YouTube for the long gringo channel while Julie was here, but only sporadically, when I had a couple of hours free, which was amazingly seldom.

While she was here, there was very little free time. Every day we had something to do, somewhere to go, or somebody to meet.

It was strange waking up this morning without Julie next to me; her naked bum would be pressed against my body under the sheets. And our traditional morning coffee, which I would make every morning, is now only for me, not for the two of us.

What also caught my attention was that I have two identical off-white mugs, one of which has a few minor chips on the rim and base. Julie refused the chipped mug and preferred the other, which had no chips, so it became a tradition for me to drink only from the chipped one.

I think that in many situations a man has to give way or give in to his partner, in some ways, probably in the name of peace.

This morning, while preparing coffee, I instinctively reached for Julie’s usual unchipped cup. It was strange to look down at the mug in my hand, wondering whether to drink from it.

It took me less than a second to switch to my chipped mug, which I had been forced to use while Julie was here. I also set Julie’s unchipped mug aside to avoid using it.

This little reality check showed me how, in a short time, these small habits, some conscious, others less so, have affected my life. When we live with someone or maintain contact with a loved one, these habits create links that grow under our skin. We only realise how deeply rooted they are when that person has gone or the reality has changed, and we are in reboot mode.

On Tuesday morning, Julie would arrive at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, where she would have to wait another six hours for her connecting flight to Birmingham Airport. Because she had checked her carry-on bag on the plane and, in the rush, had forgotten to take out her coat or jumper, she was now waiting in the Parisian winter cold, with the temperature around 2-3 degrees, much lower than the 25-30° in Rio. She was without protection.

I told her on WhatsApp to go to a duty-free shop and buy something to wear while she’s waiting for the connecting flight, but she didn’t.

Fortunately for her, the connecting flight was neither cancelled nor delayed, allowing her to arrive at Birmingham Airport at about 9:30 in the evening, roughly 24 hours after she had begun travelling.

The pre-booked taxi driver was waiting for her in the car park, and at about 11 p.m. English time, she was home, safe and sound. After talking to her parents about Brazil and the return flight, she called me to say she had arrived safely and was already missing me.

I was missing her, too!

Today, the first day back at work since before Christmas last December, I gave some classes, worked on the computer, and planned my week. I am back to reality, and to the war, and someone and something are missing!

In bed by 11 p.m.

Be kind and be happy, and if you can’t be happy, still be kind, but not naïve!

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Adjusting to Life | Reality After Julie’s Departure first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Today has been a contrast of contrasts in my personal and professional lives.

In my professional life, it is clear that I am moving in a different direction very quickly. I contacted Alex to resolve the monetisation issues with my blog, ‘the long gringo’, and to better structure and configure it.

This has been much more than either of us expected from the start. This should have taken a couple of days, but it’s now almost a month. It is more my fault and Alex’s capacity. Because I didn’t study or prepare, I set up the blog haphazardly, got it running, but not correctly, and now I’m paying for it.

I knew while I was in England that it needed to be more structured. This was one of the reasons I came back to Brazil. It would be easier to find the right person, or to find that person, and cheaper in Brazil than in England, and it has been the case.

I like Alex, trust him, and believe in his work and technical capacity. Every day, he resolves a problem and cleans up something else on the blog. What seemed straightforward to monetise through Google AdSense has hundreds of layers of technical issues, one on top of the other, and if they’re not 100% in line with Google’s standards or demands, you suffer.

We have been dealing with this for the past couple of weeks, but it should be resolved within a week or two. In Portuguese, there is the saying, “if you buy badly, you buy twice”, and it is true. For me, this has a little to do with what I’m going through with the monetisation process.

“If you do it wrong or badly the first time, you have to do it again or pay a lot to put it right!”

or

“If you do it badly, you have to do it again and better”!

Was my work subpar due to ignorance, driven by a desire to get the site up and running as quickly as possible, or was it just “good enough” and I accepted it as sufficient?

In Brazil, there’s often a mentality of settling for “more or less” as acceptable, rather than striving for excellence and doing our best. Perhaps it’s a combination of both ignorance and carelessness, and now I’m facing the consequences of that choice.

We always pay, with the outcome either a profit or a loss, depending on the professionalism and quality of our work.

The monitoring of the blogs is progressing, much like peeling away the layers of an onion. More importantly, during my online meeting with Alex, he expressed great interest in my ‘Teahogui’ project.

From the start, he saw its potential, and today’s meeting laid the groundwork for its development and implementation. This opportunity is challenging, as it is a large project. However, the universe has presented this chance to me, and I am ready to embrace it and see where it leads us.

So, a completely new business is in the pipeline and is already underway.

And personally, out of the blue, Julie contacted me. We did not actually talk, but exchanged messages. It was nice and simple. Towards the end, I wrote about what I had felt whilst I was in England, and until now, I think it was a little of a shock for her. She did not expect such frankness from me.

It was not to accuse, point the finger, or put the person down. It was simply to help her, as a man, understand what I want from a woman, how I would like it to be as a couple, and what the essential principles are that are missing.

Again, I felt she was shocked by my sincerity, but it had to be done. We are not children; the clock is always ticking, and time is very precious.

Although I’m not earning more money from these projects right now, my life is improving because I am laying the groundwork for the future. I believe this is a wise approach; even if I’m not seeing immediate benefits, I will reap rewards down the line.

In bed by 10:30 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Navigating Contrasts | Personal Growth and Professional Challenges first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is Friday, and it has been a relatively busy week with its share of highs and lows.

‘The long gringo’ blog is not yet monetised, but I am not too worried or disheartened. It is just a question of time, even though it has taken much longer than planned. That is the way it goes.

I have also set my priorities for the rest of the year. I want to develop my bracelets and put ‘Placebeads’ online. I have already set up the site superficially; it just needs a professional touch and Alex to finish it off. However, as a financial concern, it is not so interesting for the moment.

The following 5 or 6 months are 100% focused on ‘The long gringo’ for blogging and vlogging, and ‘Teahogui’, for an online digital agency for languages and culture, and ‘The right way’, my old school is being resurrected for online didactic classes through YouTube.

Even though progress may be slower than planned, it’s essential to recognise that you are still making progress and have not come to a complete stop. Being halted is one of the most difficult feelings to endure.

Many negative emotions and thoughts, such as frustration, bitterness, and aggression, stem from a deep sense of stagnation, feeling stuck in the mud with no way out, immobilised, with our hands tied and our eyes blindfolded, unable to see a solution. However, it’s essential to remember that there is always a way forward.

Sometimes it is just a matter of staying still and quiet, stopping, standing still in the eye of the hurricane, letting it pass, and watching everything pass by and around you at 100 kilometres per hour. All you need to do is wait for it to pass by slowly.

For sure, it will take longer than you want or expect, but eventually it will be gone. Another storm may be brewing on the horizon to take its place. Still, it is normal. Life is just a matter of weathering, sometimes battling against the storms, and between the storms, there is sunshine, and when we can stand in the sunshine with the sun on our faces.

When there is no wind or rain, we must learn to appreciate it and make the most of it, because it won’t last long. Remember, a new storm is already forming far away, so make the most of the nice days while you can, because they won’t last long.

Yesterday, I paid Alex R$1000 to start ‘Teahogui’!

This is a major project, and its scale and what it represents concern me. It is more of a start-up than a small site and company, and it may be too large. Venture capital will need to be injected, but again, it’s all part of the journey, and I’m doing a lot of wishful thinking to contemplate it.

I have sometimes put the brakes on when doing something so exciting because of insecurity and low self-esteem, or a sense of worthlessness has held me back. Exercise and a positive daily routine have changed that. Both ‘the long gringo’ and ‘Teahogui’ ought to go stratospheric in the future, and it’s good for me.

Besides thinking about the week and realising not everything had been done, it was a good Friday, with only a few classes because of midterm holidays, a good morning workout, and a bottle of wine in the evening.

In bed by 11 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post A Reflective Friday | The Storms We Face first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It’s Wednesday, and in just over two weeks, Julie will be arriving in Rio.

Am I excited?

I don’t know if ‘excited’ is the right word. I am calm, slightly anxious, but pleased to know she will arrive soon. It’s a mystery to me, and probably to anyone else, how it will turn out. As I just wrote, this will be a holiday for me, the kind of holiday I have never truly had!

A solid month without teaching classes, worrying about money, and spending special time with someone I want to be with. I haven’t told her this yet, but I will, just as she told me she has never really had a holiday where she can relax with someone she truly wants to be with; it’s pretty much the same for me.

I want to make the most of every moment to enjoy our time together.

The only work I’ll be doing during this period will be blog posting and uploading some YouTube videos. Whenever I can, I want to set aside an hour and a half each day for these activities. Classes no.

Although I will miss teaching, and it will feel quite strange, it is good to take a break from teaching during this time to recharge my batteries and invest a little more in myself as well.

I’ve always carried the burden of teaching; the pressure of having to instruct has consistently weighed on me, along with the stress of bills and supporting others.

Now that I have a bit of financial freedom, just enough to breathe, relax, collect my thoughts, consider the future, and properly bid farewell to the old year while welcoming the new one with someone special.

Not much happens in the first couple of months of the new year here in Brazil, so for many, giving classes won’t make much difference. In a way, I’m doing my pupils a favour by giving them a longer break because everything really only restarts after Carnaval.

This brief month that Julie will be here will be very special for me, and hopefully for us in many ways.

We have not slept together yet; it will be our first time. We haven’t lived together in such a short-term, permanent arrangement before. If this month goes well, what will our plans be? Will we stay together in the future, or part ways even if everything is good?

We can love someone but not necessarily be able to live with that person. We might enjoy their company, but something minor could prevent it from progressing further. There are so many variables and possibilities that the whole situation, like any, remains a mystery, and all we can do is try our best in the sincerest way possible.  

It’s not easy, no, but we must try.

I feel that our relationship experiences some minor fluctuations, but overall, it is clear we enjoy each other’s company very much. It is normal for us to talk for hours without noticing how long it has been. I am not used to it; it is something new and strange for me, although I appreciate it greatly.

When I was in England, our time together was very meaningful. We cherished each other’s company deeply. It seemed that the time we spent apart there acted as a catalyst for what we are experiencing now.

We talk every day; we have spoken honest and sincere, frank words to each other, but never unkind, and I believe that is very important.

It all depends on when she arrives and what will happen. I expect only good things, and it is our responsibility to ensure that, only ours, nobody else’s.

There is a lot to happen in the next couple of months with Julie, my work, Brazil, and England. I feel that I have been planting, and I still am, and that next year I will be able to start harvesting what I have already planted.

Let it come, and I will receive it all with open arms!

In bed by 9 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Wednesday, the 11th of December 2024: “Anticipating Julie’s Arrival”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It’s Saturday, and I’m alone this weekend. Yasmin isn’t with me, so this is my time to do whatever I want within reason.

Sometimes on weekends, I do slightly less exercise than during the week. Today has been lighter, with only stretching and meditation first thing, and 20 laps of the pool later.

The truth is that I had two short spinning sessions, the last one on Thursday, along with some squat exercises at home in the evening. I think that because of these exercises, my leg muscles are killing me; it’s even difficult to get up and walk properly.

For some reason, squats cause me to suffer the next day, leaving me unable to walk properly, let alone bend down to pick something up from the floor.

I need to write and publish a blog post that I am always happy and proud of, make two journal entries, and keep everything well-maintained at a relaxed pace without rushing.

Teaching classes is very important to me because it pays my bills and supports Yasmin and her mother. However, when I’m not teaching, it allows me the freedom to do whatever I want or need, peacefully, without rushing or stress.

This is very good, even when I am working or carrying out some sort of duty or responsibility, it is done without rushing, which makes a huge difference for the work and for me.

Doing what you have to do under pressure is very different from performing the same task with ease, without the pressure of a specific situation.

I have come to believe that everybody in Brazil lives and works under pressure, in survival mode, and in a state of despair or desperation.

A typical example that can be applied to other areas of Brazilian society is that of people working in shops, such as clothing or shoe stores, in Brazil, who only earn commission; there is no basic minimum wage to ensure that, if they do not sell well or have a poor month, they can still cover their living costs or make ends meet.

Because of that, all shop assistants pounce on you when you enter the store, as they are desperate to sell; otherwise, how will they pay their bills to survive?

A doctor in Brazil has at least four, five, or even six jobs, unlike a doctor in England who would typically have one or at most two.

When I was in England, I noticed that people were not desperate; there was no sense of desperation in the air like what we experience in Brazil. If they have a job, that’s great, and if they lose it, no worries, the government will help somehow. There is no form of desperation, stressing over bills, making ends meet, and surviving.

In Brazil, the government claims it wants to help, but in reality, the opposite is true; they seek to harm and belittle you from all angles, aiming to make you dependent on the state so they can dominate you. Metaphorically, they want to stamp on your neck while you’re down.

I don’t believe any government genuinely cares about its people anymore, and because of that, it’s quite sad. However, in Brazil, it reaches an extreme point that is quite perverse, to say the least. It’s a bit like they steal your car or motorbike, then call you later to say they have it and will sell it back to you at a good price!

How crazy is that!

In the afternoon, I enjoyed a pleasant hour or two at Guaribira’s Bar in Santo Cristo. There was a barbecue, and the place was bustling with people. I had never seen it so crowded. I’m happy for him!

I had to sit on the stairs because there were no seats. I met some people, had a few beers, and then went home. It was a good, simple, and nice Saturday.

In bed by 10 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Saturday, the 18th of October 2025: “One of Brazil’s Hard Realities”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

Happy New Year. In Brazil, it is a new year, the first Monday after Carnaval.

In theory, Brazil should roll like a heavy steam engine, seeking enough inertia from its first push of power from the boiler to move forward and gain speed.

I have written many times on the blog that Brazil’s economy should traditionally take off, with production picking up after Carnival.

Brazil is a vast country, the 5th largest in the world, with almost 220 million people.

That is a lot of people and a large market if a company knows how to tap into it, and if the country’s economy is strong and buoyant. If everybody has money and wants to spend their disposable income, it is burning a hole in their pockets and bank accounts.

Sadly, for a long time, this has not been the case in Brazil, if not ever. The majority of the population is lower-middle class or poor, with some even extremely poor. At the same time, only a small percentage is middle-class, and a minute percentage is upper-class or wealthy.

The only real reason a company would want to invest in Brazil is its large population, and, economically speaking, that is a contradiction.

Poverty and unemployment are rising, and the middle class is getting poorer and poorer. Brazil was slowly on the road to recovery and improvement under the last government under Bolsonaro as president. Still, with this re-elected left-wing socialist-communist government that does not know how to control public expenditure, inflation is rising, and growth is declining.

The upcoming presidential elections are scheduled for September and October 2026. If Lula’s government wins and secures re-election, then Brazil is effectively digging its own grave. Endemic corruption, the misappropriation of public funds, and the government’s disregard for the people are driving the final nails into its coffin.

Lula is a know-it-all, and his inflated ego makes him believe he is the be-all and end-all of politics and running Brazil. I see a power-hungry little boy in an old body who does not know when to give up or stop.

Since his government began, the administrative and international errors in managing Brazil have been endless. Every day, there is a new foolish act, mainly committed by him but also by his recently married wife and his team.

Besides the 220 million people who are suffering and enslaved by one man’s ego, which is perfectly clear to me and many others, it is also obvious that in his third government he relies on and trusts the same incompetent, poorly prepared, and corrupt politicians from his previous terms, which were marred by scandals, problems, and embarrassment.

One of his trusted right-hand henchmen was caught smuggling thousands of dollars hidden in his underwear during an international flight out of Brazil. Shockingly, that same disgraceful, hypocritical politician has now returned as the head of Lula’s government in the Brazilian Congress.

How crazy is that?

How stupid is that?

How disgraceful is that?

How can a country the size and potential of Brazil, with so much going for it, including its good, hardworking people and its unlimited natural resources, some of which are still not properly tapped, be in such a shameful and disgusting situation?

I have been in Brazil for over 35 years, and I love the country and its people. However, I am deeply disappointed with it. I thought it would realise its true potential, at least in part, during my lifetime, but I no longer believe that is possible.

Brazil is like the stripper girlfriend you love so much. She is attractive in a rough way, the sex is excellent, but you can never take her home to meet your parents!

In bed by 9 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Monday, the 10th of March 2025: “Brazil: My Stripper Girlfriend”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is Thursday, and another denial from Google to allow the site ‘the long gringo’ to be monetised. I think it is now the 3rd or 4th denial, but every time, after we find something else that needs to be done, something else is missing.

Every day, we are one step closer to monetising the site. It is nothing personal; it is the way it is. We start out on something thinking it is easier than it really is, but it isn’t. It is usually much more than we initially imagined, and we have to go through a whole process to reach the final point we want to be at.

Life is this.

We want something, we want to achieve something at a higher level than what we already are, and, thinking it is relatively easy, we embark on the journey. Again, we are discussing the journey more than the actual destination.

The journey itself is much more challenging than we expect. We have a choice. We can give up and make up a lot of excuses for ourselves, for whoever asks, and for whoever knows what we’re trying to achieve. Or we can weather the storm, the challenges, the rain, the disappointments, the pain, the tears, and the more pain. Maybe, eventually, we will get closer to where we want to arrive.

For many of us, and perhaps even all of us, the journey will not be what we expected at the start, and the final destination will not be what we set out for at the beginning, but it will be what it really is and what is necessary.

The pain, tears and the energy to fight are the price we must pay; there is no free lunch. Even stopping before the end, before reaching where we initially set out for, is a high price to pay, the cost of frustration, this content, deception, discomfort, and with the “if only…?” playing in our minds all the time.

I am being patient with the current situation. I trust Alex’s capacity, and it is just a matter of time. With the monetisation of ‘the long gringo’, done and dusted, so to speak, I can then move on to other projects that are in line, such as faceless videos for YouTube based on my long gringo journal posts, whilst also developing Placebeads and finally ‘Teahogui’, a digital agency for teachers, hosts and guides.

I think I have work until my grave. I do not have to look for a job for the next 10 years or so because they have already been planned and decided.

Now it is just a question of lowering my head, rolling up my sleeves, and getting on with it, and making enough money so I can continue doing what I want.

Money is the vehicle for doing what we want and for getting to where we want to go. Money is the fuel to get there. Our force, strength and resilience in the face of disappointment transport us.

You, yourself, choose whether you want to be as fast as a Ferrari, a helicopter, etc., or as slow as a child’s three-wheeler.

Alex and I had originally arranged to meet this evening, but for some reason neither of us managed to confirm it. It’s no problem. He’s doing his part, and we will talk tomorrow.

In bed by 10:30 p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Thursday, the 18th of July 2024: “Managing Frustration of Denial”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.

It is the middle of the week, the middle of the month and the middle of the year, and I feel I am at a turning point in my life.

Obviously, I know what has passed, where I am, but more importantly, where and what I want in the future, and for sure, more importantly again, what I do not want:

• I want financial freedom to do and go wherever I want without worrying about money.

• I obviously want my daughters to be happy, but that also depends more on them than on me. If they need my help, I will be there for them.

• I want peace, preferably living alone, so I can go to bed and get up when I want, not because of anyone else. If I am living with a woman, only if it is mutually beneficial for both of us, not just for the other, because that would be abusive.

• I want to continue working but not be a slave to it.

• I want to invest more and more in myself, in my own time and at my own pace, without having to explain to others, especially those closest to me.

• I want to have a tiny house in the middle of a woodland with no neighbours, but with a few dogs.

• I would like to have a partner, a woman, who, besides good sex that pleases both of us, is also a spiritual journey between us of understanding and complicity.

• I want to be happy and to have happy, positive people around me who value each other’s friendship and who share a sense of complicity between us all.

• I do not want to be with a toxic and abusive person who does not know how to deal with her own traumas, who consequently spills and spits her internal problems onto the people around me and me.

• I do not want to be a slave to my work, where it affects my inner peace and leaves me without time or the ability to contemplate, think, or be creative.

• I do not want to be unhappy, frustrated, or overthinking the past. I do not want to ruminate on what could and couldn’t have been or happened. I want to be free of the chains of the past to live my short future in peace.

• I do not want to worry about money.

• I do not want to live for someone else’s life; only for my own, if it is mutually proactive and positive for both.

I think that is about it!!!

The rest of the day was productive as usual, with a good exercise session early in the morning, classes, blog prep and post, and Alex working on the monetisation of the blog.

In bed by 10p.m.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Richard

Photos by Richard George Photography

The post Wednesday, the 17th of July 2024: “A Mid-Year Turning Point”!!! first appeared on The Long Gringo.