GYPSY GIRL'S GUIDE

Rishikesh Ladies (2004)

Welcome to Gypsy Girl's Guide!
Here you'll find my stories, travels, musings and colors.
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I travel to feel alive, to expand my knowledge, to get a new perspective, to find magical connections, to learn how to trust serendipity... And mostly, to come back home knowing a bit more about who I am.

While travel usually refers to going to a particular place, I invite you to look at the bigger picture which is your own journey through life.

Find out how the places you go, the people you meet and the cultures you participate on, can teach you about your true nature and guide you on making vivid and confident choices.

I believe that travel can empower you to create the life you have always wanted to live!

Coming up on this site:

About the Guide & the Gypsy Girl behind it.

Adventure Map - Gypsy Girl maps many years of her adventures around the globe.

Illustrations & Photography - Gallery covering travels in North, South & Central America, South East Asia, India, New Zealand, Australia and Europe.

Travel Writing - Insight for the woman who travels solo. Tips on how to get started on your 'round the world trip or your dream adventure. Learn how to find joy on a walk around the block. Learn how to go on a "gypsy girl" journey in your own neighborhood! And much more...

California Dreamin' - Gypsy Girl is currently based in San Francisco, CA. Lots of regional tips!!!

Interviews w/ top notch gypsies! Learn more about "gypsy girl" lifestyle.

Gypsy Links - Spirited inspiration for the road.

Gypsy Hub - Meet other like-minded "gypsy girls" here!

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Thank you for stopping by! Come back for updates.

Pink Lotus, SF Conservatory of Flowers, 2003 - "The lotus and water lily are prominent symbols in Egyptian, Biblical, Classical, European, Indian, and theosophical literature. They relate to creation, regeneration, and the state of the initiate and higher beings, all of whom travel through life's vicissitudes and trials to become at one with the creative source of life in order to return and spread its light to other receptive souls." Sunrise Magazine (2000)

I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and from an early age, I was fascinated by my country's mixture of cultures. The traditions of the indigenous tribes, Portuguese, West Africans, Japanese, Arabics, Germans and Italians were all blended and reflected in Brazil's exuberant music, dance, typical foods, folklore tales, etc. So I saw the world through Brazil's diversity and all that richness created in me a strong desire to fearlessly embrace travel. I craved to see, taste and experience more of all cultures.

So I started my Gypsy Girl's life abroad in 1990, when I was 17 years old, to my parents total despair. We did not have the money, the status or the open mind to assimilate that I wanted to be a world traveler, or worse, that I was going solo! However, we all learned that when you set your mind to anything, you can make it happen. Since then, I've been to many many corners of the world. And If you read my story in this blog, you'll learn how things actually played out for me.

I ended up living for a few months here and there and everywhere. Eventually, I found the place where my heart lives, I found true love and a gorgeous city where I can freely play: San Francisco, California. Here I enjoy the crisp Nor Cal air, I'm close to the ocean, I'm close to the mountains, I'm fairly close to the desert, I'm close to the amazing Redwoods, I practice yoga, I dance, I paint, I dress up in costumes now and then, I illustrate and I also produce visual effects for Hollywood movies! My family, my country and my Brazilian tribe are still a huge part of who I am. But I am here now, and as hard as it is to admit it sometimes... I'm here by choice. I'm here to find my way once again, to share my stories with you and to go on more travels... But more importantly, I'm here to focus on the main journey which is Life, so I can understand the reason behind all of this.

Gypsy Girls Guide emerged when I realized that I've been able to lead a life that is interesting to many people. For some, it even feels unattainable and a very wild lifestyle! So I'm here to open up and tell you how it happened for me, an ordinary Brazilian girl. I hope that my story can inspire others (especially other women) to travel, get on their life's path and have fun with it. I was able to do it by going one step at a time and by having lots of faith that this was the right direction for me (just because my heart said so!). You'll see that it wasn't always easy and that I'm not the "over achiever" type. In fact, I can be pretty lazy too. But the truth is that I stuck with the thought that when you are following your heart, miracles unfold. And that's why I'm here, folks! I'm here to tell you the good news, and to also remind myself: We choose our way. We can reinvent it over and over. We have the power to create our lives.

Thanks to lovely gals Frida and Mardougrrl for the fabulous link! I had so much fun playing with this!

Go get yours... I'm curious to find out more about you too :)

Here is what my full profile says... (This is better than horoscope, guys! In my case, the profile is right on the money!)

And many many thanks to the Imagine crew, who put this fun project together for us.

MOOD: "Easy Rider"
You're a bit of a romantic and have a taste for the exotic. (YES!) You love feeling the sea breeze in your hair, sun on your skin... Slip those shoes off... You like to kick back. (YOU BET!) When it comes to art. you like to think you've got a good eye and some knowledge too. ( I DO!) Highbrow, and in the know ~ you're experimental and sometimes a little unconventional. (I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THIS IS TRUE!) As for music, you're a focused listener and always on the look out for something new. (I'M VERY OPEN TO LISTEN TO NEW GOOD STUFF!) Your (BOYFRIEND'S) music collection is your treasure. (HE BUYS WAY MORE CDS THAN ME! I LOVE IT! :D)

FUN: "Escape Artist"( ABSOLUTELY!)
You like to keep a clear head, and know what to do to keep balanced. Your calm attitude is a lesson to others. (I'D LIKE FOR THAT TO BE TRUE. I LIKE TO INSPIRE HEALTHY & HAPPY LIVING!) You slowly inhale, exhale ~ and Om! For kicks you like to switch off and immerse yourself in another world. (AH... TRAVEL!) You are thoughtful and imaginative ~ You like to look at life from a different perspective. (ALWAYS!) Cultured and creative. When it comes to holidays, you reckon they should always be indulgent ~(I TAKE LOTS OF TIME OFF!!) a very special treat. You love to be in charge of where you are and where you go. (YEP! I LIKE THE CONTROL THING A BIT... :D)

HABITS: "Back to Basics"
You never have enough rest ~ either you're too busy, exhausted or perhaps just a little lazy? Either way your snooze is your best friend, (YES!) and at times your worse enemy! (VERY TRUE!) Your choice of drink reflects your love of the stability and comfort of routine. (IT'S THE STABLE CAPRICORN IN ME...)As for the home, you have very cool and contemporary taste. (I THINK SO!) You have a simple approach to style, but you like things to have their place. (YEP. I LIKE ORDER AROUND ME... ALTHOUGH I CAN'T SAY THAT FOR MY CLOSET!)

LOVE: "Love Bug" (I'M A HOPELESS ROMANTIC... SINCE I MET "MY SITO"!)
You're a real romantic and a bit of a dreamer. (DO I NEED TO COMMENT ON THIS? ISN'T IT OBVIOUS?) For you, love is about devotion and tenderness. (ABSOLUTELY!) You try to show your feelings in simple ways everyday. (I LOVE YOU!) Your heart is right down on your sleeve. (WANNA CHECK IT OUT?) When you think of freedom ~ you think of living for the here and now. (LIFE IS TOO SHORT! I TRY TO LIVE AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE!) You're pretty fearless and take any opportunity given to you. (I DO!!! YES!)

See... I told ya... This is so cool!

Freedom of Speech, Santa Barbara, Spring 2007.

Rubyslipperstagged me with this fun meme. This is my first response to a meme ever! How exciting! Thanks, Nicole!

4 jobs I have held:
Oh! I've had quite a variety of jobs. Curiously, some of my favorites jobs were totally outside of my Advertising & Film Industry career:
1. Camp Counselor & Organizer:I organized and lead holiday camps for kids between 7-17 in Brazil for about 5 years. Such fun times!
2. English Teacher:I taught ESL for kids and adults. My favorite was teaching 1-4 year olds.
3. Innkeeper:While getting my MFA, I worked the graveyard shift (from 10pm to 6am) at three different inns. It was a nice and quiet job. Ideal for me to study, read and work on my art in a beautiful Victorian setting. Check one of the gorgeous places I worked for in Savannah, GA!
4. Art Gallery Exhibit Coordinator: Through this job I discovered many fantastic contemporary artists. Among many other favorites, I'm honored to have helped set up an exhibit for the extraordinary glass master Dale Chihuly.

4 movies I can watch over and over:
Oy! Not an easy question for a Film producer and movie "aficionado"! So I'm going to cheat a bit and avoid classic pics!
1. Bernardo Bertolucci - Stealing Beauty, Besieged, Sheltering Sky (Because these beautiful Bertolucci movies have stuck with me over the years... And I just can't get enough of them!)
2. Pedro Almodovar - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Volver, Talk to her, All about my mother (Because Almodovar's colors and humor make be celebrate being alive! I never will get tired of them!)
3. Central Station, City of God (Because these Brazilian movies make me proud! I will watch them again any day!)
4. Hideous Kinky, Born into Brothels, Water (Because these movies made me travel, dream, cry, smile and gasp at their beauty. They also reminded me of why I started to make Films in the first place. And because the last two were directed by two amazing women!)

4 places I have lived:
1. London
2. Melbourne
3. Sao Paulo
4. Los Angeles

4 Categories of TV programming I enjoy:
Well, okay... I've gotten addicted to a few series lately, which I watched mostly on dvd). Otherwise, no TV for me.
(4 recent addictions):
for my adrenaline boost:
Alias
24
Lost
for my creativity boost:
Project Runaway

4 Places I have been on Holiday:
(Favorite destinations for relaxing on the beach!)
1. Maui, Hawaii.
2. Krabi,Thailand
3. Byron Bay, Australia
4. Placencia, Belize

4 of my Favorite Dishes:
1. Sushi (all kinds!)
2. Northern Indian dishes with korma and masala sauce. (Although Southern Indian vegetarian and seafood dishes are also to die for!!)
3. Panang Curry (Among other Thai favorites)
4. Northern Brazilian food with West African influence such as: seafood muquecas, acarajes, bobo, etc.

4 websites I visit daily:
1. Lately... Flickr
2. SF Gate (SF chronicle)
3. Folha de Sao Paulo
4. My yummy "bookmark" page

4 places I would rather be right now:
Hmmm... Today feels pretty good right here in San Francisco. But I guess I can think of a few good places to be at right now too :D
1. Milan (Because our gorgeous and fashionable friends from Milan just left SF, after spending a few days here with us)!
2. Bali or Fiji (Do I need to explain?)
3. Rio (Sitting outside - on 70F weather - in a "boteco" - having "caipirinhas", eating "mandioca frita" and listening to sambas and bossa nova!)
4. Festival de Cannes (Happening now May16-27)

Now I get to pick 4 other blogger buddies to do this meme (Only if you're inclined to do so, gals!)
1. Brave Frida
2. Romantic Sophie
3. Wise Leonie
4. Talented Stacie

Burning Love! We met @ BM in 2003.

Finally... I am back to report:

Rich & I got engaged while we were in Santa Fe!!!! Yay!

I had to keep it a secret for a while, cuz we were waiting to surprise Rich's mom for her 65th birthday. The news were a hit, of course! Everyone is really happy and so are we!

How did he do it?

Well... He made me work for it! :P

You see, he had in his mind that he wanted to propose with a view. So... We sure drove and hiked all the peaks in the area for four days, until he finally found the "perfect spot". And it was truly the best!

First, we hiked around The Bandelier National Monument. During this hike, there was one moment when we were getting all romantic and I even thought... "Gosh, I wish he'd thought of proposing on this trip..." But well, when you've been traveling with someone for four years... You just don't know when to expect the ring anymore..." Then, in the midst of some hot action... Three Harley bikers showed up and yelled: "You guys need to stop that! I haven't seen my woman for weeks!" I thought it was funny... But actually... Little I knew... My ring was indeed waiting to pop out of his pocket until the dudes showed up! Rich was so disappointed...

Then, my devastated knight decided we better head north to Taos to find some more "off the beaten track" viewpoints. We drove up on the Taos High Road checking out every beautiful vista relentlessly. This is a gorgeous drive, by the way, with several villages and native pueblos along the way where you can find a huge variety of craft items. I'm afraid though, that this quaint area just wasn't what Rich had in mind...

Then again, we had to keep searching... So he thought we might need to check out the Taos ski valley, later, the Rio Grande gorge, and the next day, the Santa Fe ski area and even the red canyons of Abiquiu....

Finally, on our last day... The last sight: Tent Rocks Monument.

(Pause here: I went to this place totally against my will!! I was so done with hiking by that point. It was hot and all I wanted was a margarita at the airport! I could see his frustration though, when I denied the invitation to hike up the mountain, and I wondered... Why is he so damn interested in hiking on this trip?). Oh Well. Off I went... A little grumpy at first... But once we were there, I totally loved every inch of that trail. It's a continuous path around these crazy rock formations, and at the top, there are some very narrow ridges that allow you to walk all the way up to the edge of the abyss.

Rich kept asking me to go sit on the ridge with him... But you should know... I get a bit weird with heights... So I kept saying no no no. Until finally I warmed up to it and we sat at a perfect little strip of the earth, at the top of the world. It was an impeccable sun shining day... There were red mountains and rolling hills all around us, and as far as the eye could see...

I sat down on the very end of the peak in hopes of getting the freshest breeze on my face. Suddenly, my sweet prince kneed down in front of me and presented me with a tiny red box. Ooooooh! His blue eyes had the deepest and sweetest spark! Oh, how I love this man! He asked me in English and then in Portuguese... Just to make me melt completely. And then, he proceeded to tell me all those things a girl wishes to hear all her life... Oy.

If you're still wondering... Of course I said Yes! And "Sim" (which is Yes in Portuguese!!). We sat there kissing, looking at each other and exchanging so much love...

You know... I've been alone and away from home all these years... And for the first time ever, I finally had this unique feeling of peace. A feeling of reassurance that I did choose the right path for me... This is the life I want to live. And he is the one I want to share my life with. I'm so happy to have found this amazing lover, partner, best friend... Someone to come along and away with me.

For pics of our moment go here:

My song of the moment: "Come away with me", Nora Jones.

* the pic at the top is by my dear friend Cat.