Life in Bahia
It is currently Wednesday, June 28th. I am sitting under the Bahian sun. Everytime I open my mouth, tasting a bit of salt that lies upon my lips from the sea in front of me. I have grown to love Wednesdays. Prior to embarking on my journey, Wednesdays were already my favorite day of the week. Wednesdays mark a half-way point in the work week filled with visceral bliss. Here, my Wednesdays are very relaxed. Although I love my mornings spent at Etiv, it is a nice mid-week treat to have the morning to myself. As someone who loves the mornings and a regulated morning routine, my Wednesday mornings give me a chance to start my day exactly the way I would like. I let myself sleep in a little, still catching up from a busy year and a week of using my brain to speak in a secondary language, which is indeed more tiring than one would think. After waking up at around 8:30-9ish I go for my run either along a trail or on the road, running over the hills and then all the way to the other side of the orla. My runs present me with time to think and reflect. Reflect on the past week, the weekend to come, and the present moment.
After my run I head back to my shared apartment with my friend Ella who is also a volunteer at ETIV. We are staying in a studio apartment owned by one of her close family friends who lives right above us. After returning to our apartment, we head up to the owner's home (Gui) for a quick coffee and breakfast that she is kind enough to make us each morning, then head back down to pack our bags for the day. As the sun was shining bright on this beautiful wednesday, we decided to go to praia Ribeira (best walkable beach for beginner surfers) to attempt to catch some waves. Unfortunately, after lugging our boards atop our heads to the beach, a lifeguard notices us and came over to notify us that the waves were quite strong due to a swell. We decided to play it safe and have a relaxed beach day, soaking up the sun. Neither of us had our phones so we had a nice couple hours of being unplugged and taking in nature. I sit here, journal in hand, grateful to the universe for guiding me here to Itacaré where the energy is vibrante, nature is abundant, and waves are pristine. I am beyond happy here in Itacaré and know that I am beyond lucky. I also know that I am here because I made a choice to be here, while the locals here may not have the privilege of that choice. Many people love living here and many people don’t. Although a wondrous beauty to us outsiders, it is important to acknowledge the social and economic difficulties that persist, hidden deep behind the glory. While we and our bank accounts may appreciate the $3.00 caipirinhas, we must at least acknowledge that these low prices lead to low salaries and are what people here live on. While there is apparent immaculate, physical and cultural beauty, we also must acknowledge the difficulties that exist in this town that relies on tourism.
- Ava-Rae Resnik ❤