Golden Hour Pleasures
last edited 05.10.2025
Spontaneously, we decided to head to Paúl do Mar for food and drinks after the photo session.
‘Do you want a cocktail?’ Her long blonde hair sways with the sea breeze as she looks at me with a radiant smile.
‘Sure, why not?,’ I respond, and we head toward a surfer beach bar. The small street is alive with locals and tourists chatting, drinking, and bathing in the late evening sun.
We are greeted by loud chill-out music, and I take a moment to admire the handcrafted details that give the bar its unique character - delicate hand-lettering on wood signs, subtle colorful adornments on the furniture, and an abundance of lush plants.
She knows the bar owner and mischievously asks for a cigarette. We place our orders and step outside with our drinks, where we bump into more people she knows.
Before I know it, we’re deep in a passionate conversation about an upcoming book by a Peruvian woman.
‘I sent a manuscript to a publisher when I was in my early 20s, and got rejected. Now, 20 years later, I’ve published a book and I’m working on my second. Can you imagine that?!’
We cheered for her, and more laughter and fiery ideas filled the air.
I’m not sure if it’s the effect of my sweet Mojito or the buzzing crowd, but I feel completely lightheaded, detached and free.
Exotic stories, thoughts I’ve never thought of before, and the energy of foreign cultures come alive within me. A jungle of growing impressions make my body tingle and my mind soar.
That’s what I always loved about travelling.
To immerse myself in newness and be expanded by more unknown.
The golden hour begins. The water shimmers with a golden sparkle, and the entire beach scene is wrapped in a soft, warm filter that Instagram could never replicate.
My friend and I said our goodbyes after the first glass and moved on for food in a local Portuguese restaurant.
We order fresh seafood, and I turn to her.
‘So, you are a Yoga teacher, but drink alcohol and smoke? How do you explain that?’ I ask her curiously and non-judgmentally. I really wanted to understand the paradox.
“You know, Nina, I really enjoy living.”
She smiles softly and the little wrinkles around her eyes deepen.
“There’s so much to experience here, and I enjoy life so much.”
The simplicity hits me.
I feel my heart softened with her.
I had met her a few weeks ago and I have rarely encountered a woman so present and filled with life.
Soft, strong, and curious at the same time.
Wild at heart, unapologetic in what she wants.
Fierce like a lioness, filled with motherly empathy.
Observing how she moves through the world with empowerment and grace is incredibly inspiring. Raw authenticity and embodied individualism without performance is a rare encounter these days.
After living in a spiritual community for two years and being ‘alone’ again for a few months, my soul is starving for more conscious conversations ‘out in the world’.
For meeting more people who embrace paradoxes and live with unshakeable faith. Who are walking both the unseen and visible world.
I catch myself looking up to her as another example of the Wild Woman I’m growing into.
My soul is endlessly tired of conforming to made up beliefs and identity constructs.
And in this moment, as we enjoy our food and drinks and talk about the New Earth, past lives, and the importance of community, I relax into the evening, in awe of the complex simplicities and destined synchronicities of life.