I realized I haven’t posted a photo of my street yet–so here it is! it’s a lovely street with lots of pastel colors and small restaurants–and I’m lucky to have housemates that know exactly which ones I should go to and which to avoid. I adore them, truly. I learn so much from being around them, and it’s just so nice to have a social space that I can select myself into. If I want to blog, I can go upstairs and select my photos and type madly into the night, but if I want to talk to someone about Portugual and their travels or their work or why I’m here or any number of other things, I can, because people are just right downstairs in one of the many common areas, and that makes a world of difference. Last summer, I was often lonely, and that loneliness combined with a lack of truly challenging/demanding work made me an avid reader of books but also kind of sad. Here, I feel like my days are packed with action interspersed with periods of calm–I want to figure out how to better combine Portuguese exposure/photo opportunities with this sense of calm that I get when I am alone.
I also love the community of the kitchen in my house (for one thing, it’s a beautiful kitchen with ample storage space for everyone); it’s amazing to come home and talk to the few people hanging around (some eating their lunch at 5:30), and then cook for myself and chat with people slowly coming in. I am here for a relatively short time compared to some of the tenants–but everyone is so kind to me nonetheless. They don’t even judge me (too much) for having a radio in my room (embassy-provided, for emergencies). I am honestly so grateful for the friendliness of my housemates–the groupchat never fails to explode while I’m at work, and even thought I live on a slightly different schedule, I still can chat and learn from the people around me. Their kindness and openness is truly a blessing for my summer, and I love meeting new people so much. We all sort of select into this sort of style of living, though. When talking to people, one guy said he has other options, but he likes this house not for its modernity or proximity or price, but because he has met some really good friends and interesting people, and it’s a small eclectic community. I would agree–people at the embassy have tended to cringe when I say there are over 16 other people living in my building with me, but I think it’s made my living in Lisbon feel so much more like a home.
okay okay enough sentimentality.
Today I also learned how to toast hazelnuts, which will really amp up my morning oatmeal. It’s been day 4 of overnight oatmeal, and it’s so efficient that I really don’t want to switch to anything else, though I am wary of getting bored of it. I have these now as a mix in, as well as chia seeds, and I can purchase different berries/dry fruit if I need to. Sorry for the boring post, but tomorrow I’ll go explore the city with two (maybe three!) of the other interns, and it should be more exciting!
Much love!