Sometimes life hands you a moment so absurd you just have to share it. And sometimes that moment involves police, flashlights, and greyhounds doing their morning business. Buckle up — this is one of those stories.

I thought dinner was going to be the highlight of the evening. Then the drums started, the dancers appeared, and suddenly we were in a cultural festival disguised as a rehearsal. Uruguay does not believe in half-measures.

Brace yourself: this entry is informational, and I know that’s about as fun as eating steamed vegetables. But unlike every presenter who says “we’ll get to that later” and then never does — I actually intend to get to it. Welcome to How The Sausage Is Made - Renters Addition.

We thought Airbnb #3 would be our cozy temporary home. Instead, we walked into something that can best be described as “slasher film Airbnb edition.” Buckle up, this one’s a ride.

Friday was supposed to be a simple moving day—you know, a quick hop from one Airbnb to another. Naturally, that meant it turned into a full-blown circus featuring two anxious dogs, overstuffed suitcases, and a check-in process straight out of a sitcom. Settle in, because this relocation came with more twists than we bargained for.

Uruguay offers a refreshing contrast to the polarized cultural conversations happening in the United States—particularly around the term “woke.” While social justice and equality are deeply embedded in everyday life here, the concept is not distorted, weaponized, or even part of public discourse. What follows is my perspective on why “woke” as a culture-war idea simply doesn’t exist in Uruguay.

Every day starts with a dog walk, which sounds simple until you remember one of our dogs is 14 and believes brisk movement is for the youth. Turns out, her slow shuffle is teaching me more about life than any motivational speaker ever has.

Mikey and I decided it was time to explore Montevideo like locals—which is to say, we walked everywhere and pretended we knew where we were going. Spoiler: we did not. But we found plenty of surprises anyway.

Gulliver had giants, Alice had Wonderland, and Mikey and I have Montevideo—where everything from apartments to meal portions feels like it’s been hit with a shrink ray. The adventure is real, the ceilings are low, and the bacon order was almost catastrophic.

Welcome to life in Montevideo—where our “temporary apartment” is roughly the size of our old master closet, and our dogs have become minor local celebrities. What began as a simple Airbnb booking has turned into a crash course in compact living and canine diplomacy. Let’s just say: we’re adjusting… and so is everyone who sees us coming.

After 24 hours of travel, three airports, two dogs, and one near-death experience by exhaustion, we finally made it to Montevideo. It’s beautiful, chaotic, and apparently full of gas leaks we accidentally create. Here’s how our first two days in Uruguay went—spoiler alert: the fire department now knows who we are.

After 26 hours of travel chaos, caffeine, and mild panic, we’ve officially hit the halfway mark. The dogs are somewhere over Europe, Mikey’s battling a travel cold, and I’m just trying to remember which country our luggage is in. Welcome to the glamorous side of international relocation—spoiler alert, it’s mostly exhaustion and airport chairs.

It’s officially crunch time in the Dedmon-Jasek household. The dogs have begun their international adventure, and now it’s our turn to face the final chaos—boxes, paint cans, and all. The countdown is real, and the reality of this move is hitting harder than our morning coffee.

As our departure draws near, the reality of this move is finally setting in. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of packing, paperwork, and goodbyes—but the hardest part is yet to come: saying farewell to our pups as they begin their journey to Uruguay. Here’s where things stand as we enter the final stretch.

As we count down the days to Uruguay, life has turned into a mix of packing, paperwork, and pet-related plot twists. Tyson, of course, has taken center stage—because why make things easy?

Every fire sparks reflection—especially when the wood is from your own fence and your country’s burning down around you

If you thought moving was stressful, try moving internationally with two dogs, government red tape, and a dash of chaos for good measure. Just when we think we’ve got it all handled, life throws in a plot twist—usually involving paperwork, pets, or both.

Letting go is supposed to be freeing. That’s what people say, anyway. But no one really talks about what it feels like to watch your life—piece by piece—disappear into the back of a dump truck. Today, that’s our reality. As Mikey and I prepare for our next chapter, we’re saying goodbye not just to things, but to memories, moments, and pieces of ourselves that have filled our home for years.

Photos, vaccines, and government forms — ah, death by red tape. This week has been one hell of a ride.

Twenty-one days, vet visits, and possessions taken away — our lives turned upside down.

Emotions high, reality setting in, and restless nights. This level of stress should not be allowed.

To learn more, visit migrationtouruguay.com.

Ah, neighborhood parties—the perfect mix of awkward small talk, forced smiles, and the occasional police report. This weekend, we’ve got two to “choose” from: one where we’re invited out of obligation, and another where we’re the unofficial gay ambassadors.