For an entire year now I’ve been living this series and writing it in my head. I’ve put off actually drafting anything because I keep waiting for it to tie up in a nice, perfectly wrapped parcel. Because of its nature, I’m finally admitting that won’t ever happen.

In short, the very dread I wrote about in late 2015, came to fruition (and more) in 2016. Climate conditions worsened, the reality kingpin would campaign to an actual presidency, and I was forced to leave a job of 16 years that, up until the last hour, was very good to me.

Pretty heavy stuff. But once I overcame the raging cold and flu (yeah, that too), I realized once again, the world was still my oyster. It was time for me to figure out what Saudade was to me and how to make those things a reality.

If you’ve missed prior references in my blog to this strange Portuguese word, i.e., Saudade, it simply translates in English as missing someone or something. In Jamie Brisick’s book, We Approach our Martinis with Such High Expectations, he describes it more as “longing for a life not lived.” One of my good friends from Brazil says both translations are valid.

Since there are many facets to life, there are many things that could contribute to one that is fulfilled. I pondered it constantly as I explored what my next chapter would be and here’s what I learned. Life is still a journey and because of that, Saudade is a moving target. More importantly, if you make what you long for a reality, then it’s no longer Saudade, and hopefully in passing from that state of Saudade something becomes fulfilled and life is that much richer.