Portugal has easily become a place that I loved almost instantly as we were descending on the airplane. From above you could see all the beautiful colored buildings and red roofs. I love it when cities have personalities and play with color, way too many are boring. I feel inspired when I am in spaces like this that have a sense of play to them. A lot of buildings are also covered in unique tile designs which I later found out is a very traditional art form here in Portugal. We went to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo which in translation is the National Tile Museum of Portugal. I love how culture creates the most unique forms of art. Walking through that museum was filled with moment after moment of pure astonishment at what you can create out of tile. Some commissions were for people’s kitchens and they were themed with foods and animals, such fun concepts that I can imagine bring life to spaces that may not seem important, but I would deem imperative. I wish to only live in spaces that are filled with art or surroundings that invoke comfort and a raw embrace of life. This museum allowed us to appreciate the tile-covered buildings that we saw throughout the city and streets a lot more. It brings life and a kind of friendliness to the areas that make you want to do a twirl. This trip has reaffirmed my thorough belief in public art in whatever capacity that means. Sculptures, street art, murals, statues, or tiles on buildings. Europe is full of it, all the way down to the intricate architectural details on the buildings. I feel it brings communities a lot closer together and makes the magic in life, especially at a time when many are struggling to see any of it. Especially in America, I think there needs to be more attention paid to how to make communities feel more connected, I have a firm belief it could easily start with art in spaces. We later experienced Fado music which is traditional Portuguese music that is traced back to the 1800’s. It is music full of mourning about things like the poor, the sea, and the nuances that lie between the lines. We heard it at a restaurant and watched two singers before we got tired and left. The guitar reminds me of Spanish guitar and the soul shines through in this music as you can tell these people play just for the sake of what kind of fulfillment of the soul it brings. Often when I witness experiences like this, it matters little what it sounds like and a lot more about the depth you can feel for passion within artists. That’s where you have found something real and in a world with a scarcity of rightfulness, I cling to moments like these. We then went to Sintra which is a smaller historical area about 45 minutes away from Lisbon. We went to experience Pena Palace which is this magnificent burnt yellow and purple castle that belonged to the Portuguese monarchy, before them it was a monastery. This place was a site to behold, as you walked up the hill to the palace you were able to witness a lush forest of plants and trees from all over the world. It felt like a fairytale in real life as you walked through to then have the Palace appear. We then went to this seaside town called Cascais, which used to be a pretty basic town but once royalty moved in it became a town for the wealthy. Now people like Tom Hanks have houses here and it is a very expensive vacation area. We experienced fresh seafood at a restaurant called El Pescadero, it was so delicious. I have loved Portuguese food even though I often don’t know if it likes me. We are heading to Porto, Portugal right now. I know we are all going a little bit crazy with this long of travel and who wouldn’t? It takes a certain mental strain to not experience a lot of stability or familiarity for two full months. It has been an experience unlike no other I will probably experience again and I am so grateful for all the things I am learning and witnessing, but two months of seeing the world where the things that make up my world are thousands of miles away makes it hard at times. I remind myself to stay present as experiences in life are all but temporary and all I can do is be present in the moments that call my name for now.