Many people ask us why this journey - and why now.
Well, the short answer is: Education.
Holistic education has always been one of our guiding principles. We’ve moved to different cities because of it. We moved to Canada because of it. And it’s for that same reason that we are now heading to Brazil.
And here comes the longer answer...😉
We are a family open to change and to all the learning that comes with it. Miguel arrived in Canada at three years old, in 2013, and now, in 2026, he is finishing Grade 9.
We are closing a cycle. And when a cycle closes, we try to look and listen to what is showing up on the horizon. We are setting the final arc of his formal education, and our time together is precious.
With this in mind, we explored different possibilities and visited the two Waldorf high schools in British Columbia. These are beautiful, well-structured, and thoughtfully run schools. But at the same time, we felt this moment was asking for something more. Something beyond academic growth that would nourish Miguel’s artistic and social skills.
In that search, an idea started to take shape: what if this next cycle could also be a deeper experience in his home country, Brazil?
Miguel speaks Portuguese fluently, without barriers in the language. This is a family achievement: we kept our mother tongue alive at home.
He also knows Brazil through visits, holidays, and memories scattered across the map: São Paulo, Barra Bonita, Rio, Paraty, Brasília, the Amazon, Florianópolis, Recife, Olinda, and many other beautiful places. But he has never experienced an extended season in his own country.
That is how Florianópolis (aka Floripa) emerged as an opportunity for all of us. With its exuberant nature, its island rhythm, safety, and a beautiful Waldorf high school, Floripa feels like a place inviting us to try something new together.
The journey itself came into focus through this rare window in the calendar: Miguel finishes elementary school in June and only begins high school in February. There is a six-month gap, which gives us enough time to cross this geographic and cultural distance and transform the road trip into Crossings.
None of this was a quick or simple decision. In recent months, we’ve had many conversations, weighed different possibilities, and refined our agreements.
Today we are clear: we will live at least one full school year in Brazil. If it continues to feel right for all of us, it could become two, or even three years. And then we will return to Nelson, Canada.
This journey is taking shape and will sustain Miguel’s education - and ours as well. I often remember the words of Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade: “Children educate their parents.” And the addition from our friend José Hare Vieira: “Though few truly succeed.”
We keep searching. And this is already a path.
Fernando & Carolina
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