A Brazilian in Winter

Augusto is heading south, taking his family to the warmer climes of Brazil. When asked about the trip, he insists this year's crop needs inspection, and that every bean deserves a careful look. That's how he's explaining his month-long "business" trip to Brazil. But we know he's homesick for family and the Brazilian sun.

Traveling with children requires solid preparation and often some coaxing, as little ones aren't always cooperative travelers. Augusto's son Adriano, however, is a born globetrotter. As soon as his passport photo was snapped, he began asking, "Can we go to Brazil now?" A few months later, the answer is finally yes.

"We’ll be flying into Sao Paulo, and meeting my parents there for the 3 hour drive to the farm, and I can already taste and feel the hot air filling up my lungs as we arrive in Brazil. The arrival in the farm is always special, all the familiar sights and sounds of my childhood, and the re-meeting of family; my grandparents and all my aunts and uncles. One of the most special things about going home to the farm nowadays is that I get to share all that richness in culture with my kids, who just soak it up and have loads of fun at the farm, just like I did and still do.

"I’ll be taking Camila and Adriano Horseback riding for the first time, and this is the first time much of my family will meet Giovani, our youngest who just turned one. And of course I’ll be doing lots of work, like mountain biking through the coffee plants to inspect this years crop, drinking copious amounts of fresh coffee to perfect my ‘cupping’ skills, and drinking beers with my cousins and uncles who run the farm to improve our ‘business’ relationship. :)

"After 2 weeks at the farm we head to Rio, and spend the remainder of the time at my parents home. Life in Rio is rough, my parents have a little pool at their house, but Ipanema beach is only 15 minutes away, so how can one decide what to do?!? Rio has some amazing forests and great trails for hiking and biking. The photo on the newsletter was taken a year ago, when I was mt.biking with my brother. That Hill is about 3 miles long with 1,500 ft of elevation gain, and the view is breathtaking. This portion of the trip is important for the business as it refreshes my Brazilian accent and helps maintain Nossa Familia Coffee truly genuine. Ok, ok, life is not all business. I just look forward to being recharged in Brazil and coming back full of energy for an exciting year ahead!

"Stay in Touch and stay posted for photos."