New beginnings

My wife is 6 months pregnant. I was beginning to think that this day would never come, but I kept trying, and now I’m here. We are here. I was patient when it came to finding a wife, and she is wonderful. And strikingly gorgeous. We will stay with my dad for 3 months for the birth. I get paternity leave, and doing so will allow us to complete a lot of paperwork.

At The salt mines

Work has been difficult but enjoyable. I’ve been working 10-hour days and actually liking it. It’s in the consular section, so there are always many visas to adjudicate. Every day we receive about 1,000 visa applications, and this is just one embassy in the small country of Costa Rica. It’s like this in every embassy and/or consulate in the world. Everybody is trying to come to the USA, either to immigrate, study, work temporarily, or visit as tourists. And if they are applying for a student, work, or tourist visa, they may actually be trying to immigrate permanently, but they just won’t tell you that at the window. There’s at least a one-year waiting period. We end up denying many visas — at least about 30%. But many people still immigrate illegally.

My wife and I were out in downtown San José. She got her nails done while I walked around people-watching and exploring the shops. When she was done, we met up, and I said, “Let’s go to this supermarket to pay our internet bill.” (the internet option wasn’t working) We were waiting in a long line — just one line for two cashiers — when the girl behind us cut in front of us. She walked up to the counter before I could do anything. So I walked up to her and said, “Go ahead. You can go in front of us, even though we were in front of you.” She replied, explaining why she did it, but I just stared at her and went back to the line. The people behind us supported us and verbally agreed that the woman was wrong.

After we paid and walked out, I still felt bad. Like I was somehow in the wrong, even though I wasn’t. That’s normally why I don’t speak up. I always feel guilty when I point out other people’s bad behavior. Even when I’m in the right. Odd.

Surgery

I just had surgery on my left knee, which I injured while running in Santos, Brazil, in 2021. I used to run a lot. No matter where I was, I would always find time and a place to run. I loved sprinting up hills repeatedly. I also did box jumps, but eventually all of that caused my meniscus to tear. When it happened, I was running on the sidewalk adjacent to the beach. Even though it hurt, I finished my run. When I tried to walk up the stairs afterward, I realized this wasn’t just a sprain. But back then, I didn’t have the money and couldn’t afford to miss work, so I just lived with it. Now I have health insurance, so I finally pulled the trigger. So far, it feels good.

Instagram of a Miami Beach bar

Down below is a link to an Instagram page I created featuring The Sandbar Lounge Lounge. I worked there from 2014 to 2016. And I was a patron for years before that. It was one of the few neighborhood bars of the northern part of Miami Beach. It was the spot for many locals and people who worked in the industry. While there, I took many photos and posted them to our Facebook page, but the bar closed, and so did the Facebook page. I don’t want the memory of that bar and the community that revolved around it to be forgotten, so I created the page.

View this post on Instagram

It’s funny. I was watching some videos on YouTube and stumbled upon one about a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia who was also a Cuban spy. He had agreed to become a spy years before joining the State Department, and at the request of the Cuban government, he joined the State Department and served for more than 30 years. He even became the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, all while working for Cuba to undermine the United States. He was caught in 2024 and sentenced to only 15 years in prison, though he will likely serve less. Meanwhile, other less impactful spies received life imprisonment. I can’t believe I never saw this on the news or heard about it through my job. I only know about it because I accidentally found it on YouTube.

Conclusion:

Somehow all of these moments — work, pain, conflict, memories, and new beginnings — now feel tied together into one strange chapter of life.