Life Between Two Worlds
Pull up a chair and pour yourself a fresh cup. This is a space dedicated to honest reflections on life after retirement, the journey across American highways, and the occasional operational rant about modern tech. Take a look around, explore some of our most-read stories below, or dive right into the latest essays.
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Learning Portuguese is a trip
Reading Time: 2 minutesLiving in Brazil comes with one very clear responsibility: learn the language. Easier said than done. Even living here—and being married to a Brazilian—learning a new language is a challenge. Learning one at 62 is an even bigger one. What I didn’t know at first was that Portuguese in Brazil is different…
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Atlas Shrugged
Reading Time: 2 minutesAbsolute Horrors: A Brutally Honest Review of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged I can scarcely believe what I just read. Tearing through all 1,098 pages of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged was less of a literary journey and more of a personal endurance test. And let me be clear: the only reason I crossed…
Featured · Brazil Guide
The Gringo In Rio: What Nobody Tells You
Rio de Janeiro is not what the travel brochures promise. Here is what my first year of living here actually taught me.
Living in Rio de Janeiro as a gringo is a “beautifully relaxed” immersion into a city with a unique “energia” that transforms even the most mundane activities into cultural adventures. It means navigating a world where futebol is not just a sport but a “lifestyle accessory” stitched into the DNA of the people, with team jerseys appearing in every bakery and pharmacy.
Daily life often revolves around the beach, a “social institution” where a sophisticated mobile economy brings everything from grilled cheese on a stick to fresh açaí directly to your chair. While you may face the “glacial” pace of pedestrians and a “minefield” of surprise craters on sidewalks, the local Cariocas are remarkably warm and patient, often offering a “chuckle” rather than judgment at your attempts to master the “Sh” sounds of the Portuguese language.
By Kevin Wholley · June 2026 · 2 min read
