I often find my thoughts drifting back to the dreamy beaches, kind forests, and quaint modern magic that makes up the country of Portugal. One week in my new favorite place brought me a myriad of international friendships, a relaxed sense of trust, and quite frankly a bliss I hadn't experienced elsewhere. In general, I find it is easiest to be my true self without having to think about it, while traveling. I'm sure many people find that to be true as they pack up and jet off to "find themselves." It seems being away from everyone you know, you're allowed to let go of your actions based on expectation and just focus on being. Surrounded by a group of fellow travelers from 5 different countries sharing a similar experience at a family style sangria dinner in Lisbon only made the experience sweeter.
My day in Sintra, the fairy tale town 30 minutes away from the city, was one of the best days of my trip. Myself along with 6 others went with Duarte, our charismatic, genuine tour guide who is a local to the mystical city. Driving through the tiny streets he pointed out to us his childhood landmarks, we went to his best friend's restaurant and shared a glorious meal and stories of our home countries, laughing over our differences and smiling through our similarities. We went to the beach and to the forest within an hour of each other, ate traditional Portuguese pastries, and went to our guide's father's house to see, "the best view of Sintra."
Waking up from our dreamlike visit to Sintra, we readied ourselves for the next adventure and hitched a ride with new friends to Lagos, the lively and stunning beach city in the Algarve. Boating along the cliff side, meandering through the grottoes, gazing through the arches and diving into the cold water that didn't seem to bother me, I truly was experiencing a state of perfection I didn't know existed. More friends from Lisbon arrived that evening and we all spent a night on the town, meeting even more friends after we congregated on the hostel rooftop for the sunset view and a lively dinner. I even ran into a fellow student from my university, fueling my belief that Portugal is a magical place.
To this day I don't know if my week in Portugal was just a culmination of great people, perfect timing, and pure luck, or if it really is the enchanting place I left it. Something in my heart tells me it is the latter.
Lagos, Algarve
Lisbon, Portugal
Pena Palace, Sintra
Dinner in Lisbon
Lagos
Boat ride in Lagos
Lagos
Streets of Lisbon
