ACORES: indescribable, invaluable

Europe » Portugal » Azores » Velas
September 5th 2012

Published: September 16th 2012

september 5, 12:16pm I´m finally leaving the Açores. I almost can´t believe it. I´m so ready to leave, but at the same time, I know I´m leaving a piece of my heart in this beautiful place. It´s hard to believe that I spent the entire month of August in Portugal, and a full three weeks with Shannon´s family in Sao Jorge. I learned so, so much. I learned so much, and I´m so grateful. It was just so right. That´s what I learned most deeply in Sao Jorge, that it´s all just right. To be honest, I spent a significant amount of time on this trip feeling frustrated. I was hesitant and unsure of whether I should go to the Açores in the first place. It would cost an extra plane ticket, and I would be forgoing my opportunity to work at a hostel in Lisbon for 10 days. Something in me told me to just do it and that I wouldn´t regret it. I was offered free accommodation for as long as I pleased…a chance that I knew was unique and worth it. Any hesitations I had were erased by the Portuguese people I met, all of whom told me that the Açores are absolutely amazing and that if I could, I had to go. Decision made. So I booked my flight and boarded the plane to visit my first island, Saõ Jorge. I had read about the beautiful water, trails, natural landscapes, hikes, lush vegetation, etc., all of which is totally right up my alley. I had been traveling in cities for a month and had grown a bit disillusioned by Eurotourism in general. I love Europe, and I love traveling (clearly), but after a while it all becomes very similar…museums, monuments, concrete cities, statues of saints, drinking and partying, repeat. I questioned the significance of visiting cities: where is the meaning in walking around, visiting "cultural landmarks" (…without knowledge of the culture), experiencing a few days or maybe a week of a metropolitan area most likely geared towards tourists…was this cultural enrichment? Is this a way to gain awareness of the greater world we are a part of? All this considered, I was ready to get away from the tourist scene and to be somewhere remote, surrounded by nature. I arrived in Sao Jorge on Friday August 16 and was warmly received by Shannon and her wonderful family. They feel like my own family now…Tia Lydia, who owns and runs the Residencia Livramento Hotel, Tio Jorge, who has a taxi service, Shannon´s cousin Danny, who works as a firefighter, his wife Teresa, who also works at the hotel, Teresa´s nephew Manuel, strong and silent, and Danny and Teresa´s daughter, Mariana, who is one of the cutest and definitely the spunkiest eight year old you´ve ever met. The first several days were slow, which was perfect for me. The weather was overcast and rainy, so there wasn´t much to do outdoors. I was processing the end of a significant relationship and very much needed some sweet time alone, so from Friday through Wednesday, it was very nice to relax and take it easy. We would wake up (rather late) and help Tia Lydia prepare for lunch. Around 1pm the whole family would show up at Tia Lydia´s to eat lunch, usually a soup or salad followed by a main dish and fruit or dessert. Afterwards Shannon and I would wash dishes and clean the kitchen up, which would usually take until 2:30 or 3. We would go back to our room and bum around online for a bit, and if the weather was ok, we would eventually take a 10 minute walk to the "beach," better described as a natural swimming pool. The swimming area is about 100 yards wide, and is formed by a very steep sidewalk sloping down to the water, a man-made rock "shore" where people lay their towels out to tan, and a natural rock barricade in the ocean which closes the water in. The result is a a deep pool (maybe 40 yards long and 10 yards wide?) which you jump into from the rocks. The city has installed ladders descending into the water, and the kids jump in over and over again from all different heights. Anyways! So we would go to this same swimming area nearly every day, from 3 or 4 until 6 or 7, when we´d head back for dinner. We´d have dinner with Tia Lydia, clean up, back to our room and shower and hang out, then Shannon would usually want to go out to the center of town for drinks. This is where I learned an important travel lesson. Having similar lifestyles and especially travel styles, is absolutely critical when taking a trip with someone. When I met Shannon in Lisbon I felt an instant connection with her, which is even stronger now after spending 3 weeks together. We´re so different but I feel like she´s my sister (she actually has an uncanny amount in common with Soraya). I´m so glad that we spent so much time together and got so close, I learned a lot from being close with someone so strong and different from me. However, as I said, we are so different. Probably first and foremost, Shannon loves to drink and party, and she can hold her liquor like no one I´ve ever met! She loves having beers, caiparinhas, and Jameson throughout the day, and going out at night to have 6 or 7 shots of whiskey. While that'd probably put me into a coma (I never tested it), Shannon would have a great time. She also likes to lay out and tan, and came to Europe with the mindset of "eat, drink, relax". I have a lot of friends who share that in common with her, but it´s the complete opposite from me. I came to Europe, and especially to the Açores, with the "experience the world, explore myself, have adventures" mentality. I envisioned myself climbing huge mountains and trekking through beautiful forests, seeing breathtaking views. I want to see and do as much as I can and I want to grow into myself, and I since I´m traveling for 10 months, I'm budgeting myself very carefully and strategically. Instead of spending money on eating and drinking, I'm saving up for flights and experiences, and I want to be really healthy and active while I'm traveling…it´s not too hard to see where the conflict of interest lies. I was fortunate to meet someone at a family dinner who has the same interests as me…spending time on the island being healthy, becoming centered, getting into nature, practicing yoga and meditation, taking alone time, etc. One afternoon he drove me up to a beautiful place about 20 minutes away called Sete Fontes. He showed me a few "miradores" (viewpoints), told me about the fajãs (more on that later), took me to his favorite spot, and we both took some alone time to go for a run and explore the reserve/forest/park. All in all it was about 2 hours, and it was the most amazing part of my first 10 days in Saõ Jorge. It absolutely took my breath away. My heart filled up and my mind got quiet, and I knew that even though I only spent maybe 10 minutes at each spot, THIS was why I came to the Açores. THIS is why I was pulled here, and this is what I needed. Such feeling came over me…I sat alone in the forest. Solace. Relief. Flooded with emotion. Home. We stayed in the family routine for the first five days I was in Sao Jorge. By Wednesday evening, I realized that I only had a few more days on the island and that I had only experienced the swimming area, the town center, and the 2 hours with Nelson. I'd explored as much as I could by foot, gone running several times and found an incredible hidden spot 10 minutes away from the hotel, but I had a feeling there was much more the island had to offer. I researched a ton of beautiful places to go and found that they were all quite remote and far way, only accessible by car. Cabs were very expensive, and while a few people had offered to do things with me, they never ended up happening. Shannon wasn't interested in hiking or outdoorsy things to say the least (actually, she hates it!), so I was on my own, caught between what I wanted to do, going along with what other people wanted to do, and hitting dead ends when trying my absolute hardest to make something happen. We had plans to leave that Friday for Pico (a nearby island) for an island festival/party called a festa . We would return Saturday night, and my flight to Lisbon was Sunday morning. I realized that I basically only had Thursday left, and I hadn't seen or done anything--I was heartbroken! I knew the island was as rich as gold with beauty, and I felt robbed and so frustrated that I couldn´t experience it. Shannon´s family had already invited me several times to stay longer (I may have won them over with all the baked goods I kept making!), and even though I was charged a fee to change my flight (grrrrrr!!), something in me told me to just do it and to extend my visit. I changed my return date from Sunday, August 26 to Wednesday, September 5, adding 10 days to my trip. I was relieved, surely this was enough time. We took a boat to the festa in Pico, camped out there, partied at night, hung out during the day, and partied the next night. I had fun, but again, partying isn't too special for me right now. Pico mountain, however, is the highest mountain in Portugal, looming over the rest of the islands and demanding full attention of the skyline. It´s absolutely stunning, majestic, magnificent. I saw it every day from Sao Jorge and I wanted to climb it. So. Damn. Badly. It´s 4 hours up and 3 and a half down. I was 100%!i(MISSING)n. I was determined to climb that mountain. I was heartbroken to realize that the cab rides and hiking fees would add up to $65. A lot! The groups depart at 2am so that they catch the sunrise at the top of Pico, and 2am would be prime Festa time…I would be climbing up on 3 hours of sleep. No way. Plus, as fate had it, it was completely overcast, so even if I would have gone up, I wouldn´t have been able to see the view which makes it all worth it. No climbing Pico for me…I partied with the rest of the island. We returned to Sao Jorge on Sunday and resumed the same routine. Again, by Wednesday, I realized that I had a week left. Same deal. I can´t describe the degree of frustration I felt. It was apparent that I´d have to figure out everything 100%!o(MISSING)n my own. I didn´t want to be rude and ditch the family lunches and dinners etc. but it was taking tons of time, I was so grateful for their generosity but I felt trapped. Taking cabs by myself somewhere would cost me 60-80€ round trip ($75-100), and navigating extremely remote areas alone seemed less than ideal. I didn't get my nature in, but I had a lot of fun that week. We went out one night to see Danny´s (Shannon´s cousin)´s band play one night, and had a freaking blast.Teresa (Danny´s wife), Shannon and I were like groupies dancing and singing by the stage. We laughed hung out all night, I met a few wonderful people and we sat by the dock, looking out at the full moon and cliff, sharing amazing conversation until 5am. A few friends that we met at Pico (the other island) came to visit us, and we went out to see a popular local band play at the local bar. It seemed like everyone in town came out, people of all ages singing and dancing until the early morning…it was very cool to experience. (Unlike in the states, people of all ages go to the events on the islands and socialize together. You´ll see whole families, from children to elders, at the festas and shows until 12am, 1am, or later). The next day, I went to the water with Shannon and went swimming. I jumped in, swam back and forth through the smooth ocean water, and looked up at the black rocks against the calm horizon. It suddenly hit me how freaking beautiful everything was. How fresh and unpolluted the water is, how I could see the rocks at the bottom, how I could never swim in a natural pool like this in California. Yes, this swimming area is teeny tiny, with the same people every day, and yes, we went there all the time.. No, there´s no sandy white beach (it´s black and rocky), and no, the water isn´t that brilliant crystalline blue. But there I was, and in that moment I realized that this was a taste of heaven. Right here. Right now. That I had been looking for my idea of a grandiose adventure, that I had been so attached to my conception of How Things Should Be. Suddenly Iwanted to go to the swimming area every single day until I left. Suddenly I didn´t want to leave this place. I realized how much I had created my own misery by focusing on my idea of What I Wanted vs What I Had. I had allowed my satisfaction with my trip to be entirely dependent upon a) how much the outcomes matched my expectations and b) the feelings and actions of other people. I was making choices based on other people that were repeatedly feeding into my discontent, yet I was continuing to make the same decisions. Did I have to do what Shannon wanted to do, and did Ihave to wait for her to make things happen? Was it anyone's job to drive me around to the places that I wanted to go? No, absolutely not. Shannon's family was kind enough to invite me for lunch and dinner every day, but did I have to go? Did I have to spend the first three hours of my day preparing, eating, and cleaning up after lunch, and did I have to have dinner at the house every night as well? I was certain that it would be too rude to skip out on it, and some part of me "didn't' want to offend them" or "hurt their feelings" or "make them" think I was ungrateful. In reality, this was all far from the truth---they told me they loved having me, they knew I was a grateful guest, and I was making myself miserable by being overly concerned about their feelings. When I sat down and thought (ok, wrote) about the important lessons I'd learned, I became aware of how invaluable the knowledge I've gained is. How much more important it is to learn who you are, what you want, and what you believe, than it is to climb a mountain or see a volcano, to visit a museum or go to a festival. My trip to the islands and staying with Shannon's family taught me: Enjoy what you have, when you have it. One of my favorite quotes is something like ¨happiness is not in having what you want, but in wanting what you have.¨ I can choose to resist my current situation and wish it were something different, or I can enjoy it for what it is, and even accept it for its subtle perfection. Most of the time, there's more to be enjoyed than meets the eye, and there is something wonderful to be discovered outside of my idea of The Way Things Should Be. Follow your instincts. If your gut tells you it's the right decision, go for it without a second thought. A gut instinct will always lead you to the right place. In my case, it led me to a physically beautiful and personally invaluable experience Be strong in who you are and what you want. Respect it and pursue it without apology, and without being swayed by the wants and ideas of other people. I'm pretty used to "going with the flow," or compromising with other people's ideas. I like this quality about myself to a certain extent, but this trip has taught me a lot about who I am, what's important to me, and what I want for myself. I had I had no idea just how much I enjoyed being outdoors and in nature, and I also learned about my personal ideals for how to spend my time. I became really aware of how often I go along with what other people want, and how miserable I become when I compromise myself in the process. When you know what you want, go after it. Just do it, and don´t waste your time worrying about what other people think. You and only you are responsible for your own happiness. The only thing you can control and take care of is your own needs and feelings. Believing that you can take care of other people's thoughts and emotions is an illusion. In the end, you can't truly make anyone happy but yourself. And you are important enough to prioritize how you feel. I learned that my frustration and discontent was completely out of balance with the amount of people pleasing I was doing. Trust that no matter what happens, it will work out in the end. It will almost never look how you expected it to look. It will often not look how you wanted it to look. But somehow, without your knowing, it will be even better. It WILL work out. And in some way, I can guarantee you, it WILL work out for the better. Someday in the future you will look back and see how past experiences led to wonderful things in the present. 
This last part really surprised me. I was so afraid that I "wouldn't get to do things," but as soon as I decided to stop depending on other people and just pursue what I wanted, situations began falling into place. And when I went on a few little adventures, I realized that just a few was enough…I thought I wanted much more, but what I had was completely perfect. In the time that I was on the island, I:
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• Completed my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) coursework and received my certificate. Lo and behold, despite my preconceived ideas, all that downtime was exactly what I needed after all! Too perfect.

<ul class="ul1" style="color:� font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><ul class="ul1" style="color:� font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><li class="li1">Spent a day hiking, running, meditating, and practicing yoga on my own at the beautiful Sete Fontes natural reserve/forest

<ul class="ul1" style="color:� font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><ul class="ul1" style="color:� font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><li class="li1">Climbed to the highest point on the island (by myself), got a bit stranded (no ride home!), took a hilarious 5k run down the mountain side trying not to make the cows mad, got to the bottom and wrote in my journal by the side of the road until I ended up getting a ride home

<ul class="ul1" style="color:� font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><ul class="ul1" style="color:� font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><li class="li1">Took a 2 hour hike to Faja de Caldeira, a very well known and beautiful place in Sao Jorge, spent the day enjoying the peace and quiet, and hiked back up

<ul class="ul1" style="color:� font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><li class="li1">Discovered my "secret spot," a secluded place 10 minutes from the hotel where I discovered more happiness and contentment than I've ever felt in my life. I found it by chance, climbing the side of a mountain and following a very very tiny trail down the side of a cliff, ending up in a place that was so gorgeous I started laughing in disbelief. I went there as often as possible, and every time I was there I felt as if I knew the answer to every question I ever wanted to ask. I can´t explain the wonders that place did for me.

Look at that. Despite all my worries, my stay ended up being perfect, just perfect. I got family time, friend time, party time, nature time, Seema time, productive time, sleeping time, cooking time, and an experience as different from the standard Eurotour as can be. In short, 100%!e(MISSING)xactly perfect just the way it was. Who would have thought.

ACORES: indescribable, invaluable

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