Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Time to Catch Up

It’s been awhile, so let’s catch up on manicures, six wives, robberies, RPG, and improv.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Say Ah

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away"... or so they say.

Mikey and I recently had our first experience with our mutualist, including our initial visit with our primary care physician on Wednesday. Thankfully, the old saying survived the appointment—we're both still healthy, and our first impression was a very positive one.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Winter in July?

What do you get when you combine low temperatures, high winds, damp air, and drafty homes?

Winter in Uruguay.

I don't want to sound like Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but...this sucks.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Sodom and Gomorrah

Uruguay may be a small country, but it has a long history of leading the way on some of the world's most progressive social policies. Time and again, it has been willing to take bold first steps that prioritize human rights, equality, education, and personal freedom. While no country is perfect, Uruguay demonstrates that embracing progress does not weaken a nation—it can make it stronger. Here are just a few of the times Uruguay proudly earned the title of "first."

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Project QueerFlight

Stories of the queer community are often only spoken among its members and untold by those on the outside. The exodus of the LGBTQ+ community are leaving the US to start new lives. Project QueerFlight intends to tell these stories.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Esperanza

Hope, for me, can easily be lost when the dark shadow stands over you and blocks out everything but darkness. My newest tattoo reminds me that hope exist even when there is only darkness.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

World Cup 2026

Growing up in the United States, soccer barely registered on my radar. It was something kids played until another sport came along, and the World Cup was little more than a headline every four years. That all changed after moving to Uruguay, where fútbol isn't just a game—it's woven into the country's identity. Last night, I finally experienced what that passion looks like firsthand.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

This Week in History

One year ago this week, Mikey and I traveled to Uruguay. Only a handful of people knew were were taking the trip. Our mission: to decide if Uruguay was going to be our new home.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

The Red Kitchen Aid

It all stared with a Facebook Marketplace post. A few short hours it ended with a call to Bank of America. Spoiler Alert, there are dishonest people in the world.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Operation Condor

This is not one of my usual lighthearted posts about daily life in Uruguay. Today, we are diving into one of the darkest chapters in South American history: Operation Condor and the dictatorships it created. It is a story filled with political oppression, disappearances, torture, and the lasting scars left on generations of people across the continent.

History is not always comfortable to read, but it is important to understand—especially when so many of these events were hidden, ignored, or rewritten. Today, we are seeing similar actions taking place in countries where democracy was once the law of the land.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Attack of the Killer Kiwi

A night that will not be forgotten; at least not anytime soon. A night that started out just as any other night. Until, one, two and three slices were taken from the cutting board. That is when the terror began. The night of the KILLER KIWI!

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Permanent or Provisional

Stage two to gaining the status of permanent residents of Uruguay AND maybe even citizens of this country.

The thumbnail is only a sample. No, I have not become that sexy over the last six month.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

On the 183rd Day

It has been six months since we moved to Uruguay. It has been an adventure to say the least. We have learned a lot and and achieved so much. But there is always parts that are not so exciting.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Día de los Trabajadores

A day off is nice—but understanding why it exists makes it matter a whole lot more. Today, Uruguay pauses for Día de los Trabajadores, while I went down a historical rabbit hole that started in Chicago and reshaped labor rights around the world. If you’re here for the story, I’ve got you covered—history lesson included, parrilla included, and just a hint of side-eye at how different countries choose to remember it.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

The Wheels on the Bus

Different days, different buses, different routes. Regardless, every trip on a Montevideo bus is a story yet to be told. It can be from the quality of the bus, to the decorations, or the entertainment by the citizens of this amazing city.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Bedroom & Beyond

There comes a point in every adult’s life when you realize success is no longer measured in promotions or savings—but in owning more than one set of sheets. Wednesday was that moment for us. What followed was less a casual shopping trip and more a heroic quest to escape the damp-sheet lifestyle.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Small Wins

Moving to Uruguay for “healthcare for all” sounded simple—almost comforting. Turns out, it’s less a straight line and more a bureaucratic obstacle course with a few unexpected plot twists. Here’s what it really took for us to get covered—and keep (most of) our sanity along the way.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Relocation and Mental Health

We talk a lot about the logistics of moving abroad—visas, housing, cost of living—but almost no one talks about what it does to your mental health.

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Michael Jasek Michael Jasek

Tourist Week

We set out for a day of food, music, and culture at a local criolla. What we got was all that—and an experience I’m still unpacking 24 hours later.

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