More grows in the garden than the gardener sows.
(Spanish Proverb)


In 2010, at the age of 41 and after a particularly nasty second divorce, I decided it was time to recreate my life and fulfill my lifelong dream of living abroad. Although I’d traveled extensively (I lost exact count somewhere after 30 countries) and had even worked overseas for a few months, I’d never experienced the full meal deal of immersing myself in a far-away culture for the long haul. I screwed up my courage, gave notice to my boss and my landlady, and managed to land an international job. I gave away or sold almost everything I owned and headed off for southern Brazil, surrendering to the loving care of American Airlines just three cardboard boxes of personal items. Safely nestled in the center of the first box was, of course, my beloved DeWit gardening trowel .

So, why did I happen to choose Brazil? Honestly, it was because the job offer allowed me to import my elderly 100-pound Newfoundland dog. That’s it! Despite having had a Brazilian best friend in the USA, I knew only one word of the Portuguese language—“maracuja”, passion fruit—because it’s the main ingredient my friend’s mother’s signature dessert. I had never pictured myself visiting Brazil, much less living here. It just worked out that way.

Okay, but why, why, why did I haul a garden trowel, of all things, to a tropical country best known for soccer, samba, and sex? That’s much easier to answer. Gardening is, simply put, one of the fundamental ways I experience the world. I can’t do without it. It gives me exercise, a connection with nature, and a never-ending series of problems and challenges for my analytical brain to chew on. It reflects my values, which include environmental stewardship, farm-to-table cooking, and beauty in everyday things. People garden just about everywhere in the world that they eat, and gardening is a great way to connect with others. It’s a fantastic vehicle for learning and practicing a language and adapting to foreign ways. It’s an adventure all in itself, always offering something new. It satisfies the stomach while feeding the soul. Of course I have my trowel with me!

Clearly, this isn’t your typical travel or lifestyle blog. It’s about creating a beautiful life in an exotic location. It’s about learning to fuse my practical, fast-paced American side with the slower ways of Brazil to create something unique, interesting, and satisfying. It’s about dealing with the good and the bad—and believe me, there is bad—and becoming stronger for it. And mostly, it's about relating to my Brazilian world through the lens of my garden. This fusion of ideas is reflected in the name of the blog, Courtney Helena. Courtney is the name on my American birth certificate, and Helena (“ Ell-ay-nuh ”) is my Brazilian apelido or nickname, given to me because it’s too hard for most Portuguese speakers to say my birth name. Both make part of who I am.

On behalf of myself and Serena, my Bernese copilot,
Sejam bem vindos à nossa vida ! Welcome to our life!

Beijos ,

COURTNEY HELENA