The Couple That Spent Four Years Exploring The Continent Now Exchanges The Road For A Plot Of Land In Southern Santa Catarina, With Topographical Survey, Access Opening, And Eucalyptus Cutting To Begin A New Phase
The couple that spent years on the road in a 1986 Kombi decided to make a deep pivot in their journey. After crossing the American continent from the far south to the far north, the duo parked the vehicle not to continue their travels, but to start a life project on a plot of land in the countryside of Santa Catarina.
The change of phase began without a ready structure, without comfort, and with a lot of work ahead. Amid tall grass, mud, and a still improvised routine, the couple took the first step to transform the area into a refuge, with help from family, technical support to understand the terrain’s relief, and the opening of their first private access to the property.
Couple Exchanges Years Of Road For Roots In Santa Catarina
After four years traveling through America with the Kombi Manezinha, the couple chose to interrupt their nomadic life to begin a more settled cycle. The plot of land in southern Santa Catarina came to represent something that the road did not offer in the same way: permanence, gradual construction, and a sense of belonging.
-
China completes the most critical section under the Yangtze River with the intelligent tunneling machine Linghang, excavating 11.32 continuous kilometers at depths of up to 89 meters and transforming the Chongming-Taicang tunnel into a landmark that redefines the scale of high-speed rail engineering in the 21st century.
-
The government of São Paulo surprises South America with a plan to transform the famous Ibirapuera with underground shops, air conditioning, and a 25-year concession in a billion-dollar project that expands the audience, alters a protected area, and provokes an immediate reaction.
-
With a lifespan of up to 60 years and a cost up to 30% higher than conventional concrete, self-healing concrete is already being used in Brazil to eliminate leaks, reduce maintenance, and is changing the real cost of construction projects.
-
Engineered wood CLT challenges steel and concrete and promises construction that is up to 2x faster with a lower environmental impact in modern civil engineering.
The decision carries weight because it is not just about changing addresses. The couple left a routine marked by constant displacement to face a still-raw space, with unfamiliar geography and nonexistent infrastructure. What was once movement now becomes preparation, planning, and manual labor.
Topographical Survey Becomes Priority At The Beginning Of The Project

Before fencing, building, or defining any use of the space, the couple decided to understand exactly what the purchased area looks like. Therefore, one of the first steps was to hire a planialtimetric survey and the marking of the property boundaries.
The service was divided into stages. One part of the work was focused on marking the perimeter, while another served to map the relief, slopes, descents, and characteristics of the total area with the help of a drone and total station.
This process is essential for anyone buying a little-known plot of land, especially in places with a lot of grass and little visibility of the entirety of the property.
Family Helps And Improvised Routine Marks The First Days
The beginning of the new phase happened with family support and a simple routine. While part of the group followed the work and did small clean-ups in other areas of the land, the meal was prepared right there, outdoors, in a still improvised setting but already filled with meaning.
This detail helps to show the extent of the change. For the couple, cooking on their own land for the first time symbolizes more than a daily task, as it represents the concrete beginning of a life built in that space. The experience is still rustic, but it already carries the feeling of home.
Opening Access Becomes One Of The Couple’s First Missions
Among the initial priorities, one of the most important was to create a private access to the plot. Until then, vehicle entry happened through a neighboring area, temporarily borrowed, which made it clear that the couple still depended on a provisional solution to move around with autonomy.
The opening of this passage was treated as a central advancement in the project. With the help of machinery, the access began to take shape quickly, allowing the Kombi to enter the stretch that will become the property’s road.
Having a private path changes the relationship with the land, as it transforms from merely being a purchased space to becoming an area that is effectively occupied.
Eucalyptus Cutting Is Part Of The Land Preparation

As the area was previously used for planting eucalyptus and pine for wood extraction, the couple had to deal early on with this legacy of prior land use. To open the new entry, some eucalyptus located at the front of the property had to be removed.
The process included using a chainsaw, which was turned on for the first time during this stage, under family supervision. The wood was already being repurposed as firewood for the day’s barbecue, while eucalyptus leaves and branches also found other functions.
Nothing was treated merely as waste, as part of the material was set aside for tea, use in the shower, and even to help repel mosquitoes.
Reutilization Of Eucalyptus Accompanies The Beginning Of A New Phase
In addition to the opening of access, the way the eucalyptus was utilized reveals the practical spirit of this stage. What did not become immediately usable wood was transformed into firewood, leaves for drying, and branches for simple domestic use in the future.
This utilization reinforces the logic of the project’s beginning. The couple is still in a phase where every available resource counts, whether to solve specific needs or to reduce waste while the larger structure is not ready. It is a stage marked by adaptation, improvisation, and patient construction.
The Land Already Has A Spring And Next Steps Include Water And Electricity
Another important point of this new routine is the presence of a water spring within the property. From this, the couple has already put among the next goals to pull water to have a more organized supply in their daily lives.
Electricity also entered the immediate planning. According to reports, the request has already been made, and the expectation is that the power will arrive soon, as the network passes close to the site.
Running water, fencing, and electricity appear as basic steps to transform the land into a livable space, even before any advanced construction.
Fencing, Division With Neighbors, And Organization Of Space Enter The Plan
With the land survey underway and access already started, the couple also began to think about the fence and the correct division with the neighbors. The idea is to delineate the area more securely and better organize the entrance and the sides of the property.
This type of care shows that the new phase will not be marked only by emotion or symbolism. There is also a sequence of practical decisions involving relief, boundaries, infrastructure, and land use. The dream of taking root necessarily involves technical and laborious stages, gradually shaping the space.
Couple Ends The First Day With A Sense Of Real Advancement
The end of the day brought together fatigue, a river bath, a campfire to ward off mosquitoes, and a simple meal prepared on the land itself. Even without consolidated structure, the feeling was of concrete advancement, especially since the entrance was opened and the first services came to fruition.
At the same time, the time spent with their parents, who are also setting up a van for a motorhome, gave the moment an even more symbolic tone.
The couple ended the first day seeing the dream take shape in small steps, amid machinery, mud, simple food, and the realization that the land has finally started to shift from being flat to becoming reality.
In your opinion, did the couple make the right choice by exchanging years on the road for a plot of land to start from scratch in Santa Catarina?


Esse casal não tem nom? Que matéria horrível,aff
Meu sonho de consumo qdo eu era mais jovem. Agora optei por relaxar na praia 🏖️ tbem em Sta CATARINA!!!
Qual cidade é, no sul de Santa Catarina ??