Journalled on Thursday, 28 September 2023 | Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro: 23 degrees warm, overcast and with showers.

The month is ending. How has it been? It has been exceptional. I have been on a roll for the past two or three months, but I cannot relax. There is still a lot to do.

My two main priorities for next month are as follows: First, I want to finish “PlaceBeads.” I have not been able to complete it this month. It is an online store and is a bit more complex than “The Long Gringo,” which is a simple blog.

Secondly, I am working to improve the blog. Since its launch on 2 September, I have posted more than thirty times. I need to make the blog and its plugins more sophisticated, so they must be tweaked and improved. I have already asked Renato to help me with this.

Thirdly, I need to continue treatment for my teeth and, hopefully, have the implants done before I go to England. I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at 2 p.m. to resume treatment and discuss what can be done before the trip.

I have been thinking a lot about my financial responsibilities at the moment. I must pay Nalva and Dona Vera for the glasses, and I must pay the dentist to treat my teeth. These are the primary financial responsibilities I will need to take care of this month and in the next few months.

I also plan to start a YouTube channel for “The Long Gringo”. The idea is to create a faceless channel and turn all the blog content into videos. This is my fourth priority, and I will only start working on it after finishing “PlaceBeads”.

I like the number 3 and its multiples. Sometimes two is too few, and 4 is too many, so three is perfect for me. I prefer things in groups of three or in multiples of three. I have three main priorities, which are more than enough for me.

The number 3 has been a good companion for me. Whenever the number 3 has appeared, it has been very good for me: three changes, three times, three places, three clients, three responsibilities, the third place, three people, the third person, the third possibility, and, as I said, the quantity three has always been very good for me.

What we expect and what happens are often not the same. Sometimes they are not even similar. All I know is that I am incredibly grateful for what has happened and is happening in my life.

Is it because of what is meant to be, or because of all the challenges I have faced that have earned what is happening now? Or is it a mindset shift that changes everything around it and puts everything in order? Or is it just a tiny shift in perspective? All I know is that I am incredibly grateful.

I know there will continue to be difficulties, and I am ready to face them. A flame of happiness has ignited within me, a feeling I have not felt in a long time. I hope this blog will be a way for me to give back and help others facing similar challenges.