I’m not sure where I’m going these days, metaphorically and literally. Nothing makes a lot of sense. There’s life as we know it, and then there’s the news—spoiler, we’re apparently doomed on all fronts.

Last year, I was biding my time until vaccination campaigns and spring in Canada. It was the first pandemic winter and spending it freezing in Ottawa was a sacrifice I wasn’t ready to make. All I had to do was to stay safe and healthy in Brazil. “It should be okay by the time you come back in March,” I remember Feng saying.

It didn’t exactly go as planned—the trip turned into Pink Floyd’s Time, “hanging on in quiet desperation” was not the English but the French-Canadian way. Not only I got stuck in Brazil when Air Canada cancelled all flights but we got more lockdowns, variants, and… well, you know the story, you’re in it too.

What am I doing this year? Escaping the winter, for sure. Living, instead of living in fear. Trying to keep up with work—it’s all over the place these days, apparently, I’m not the only one having trouble moving forward and making plans. Staying sane. Getting wiser, hopefully. Taking pictures and writing, the usual.

Something good has to come out of this.

I have to find a purpose, a goal, a meaning in life, and I’m way too old for teenage angst.

Meanwhile, at one point, I had to decide where to go after Natal.

Last year, I ended up in João Pessoa because it was a convenient stop between Natal and Recife.

This year, I came back to João Pessoa because I actually liked the city. It’s cheap, walkable, safe, pretty big, and absolutely gorgeous with kilometres of beach.

It was such a fast bus ride that we arrived 45 minutes earlier than planned—less than three hours later, I was in João Pessoa. I lucked into a great Airbnb with everything I needed but a strainer and cutting board, promptly brought over by my host.

João Pessoa has a bit of everything. If you feel like climbing, you can hike to the Easternmost Point of South America. If you feel like hanging out on the beach, take your pick—Cabo Branco is the place to be for shallow reefs and a great atmosphere, Manaíra is quiet with strong waves. Rainy day? I went to explore the historical centre, a six-kilometre walk from the waterfront. Feeling lonely in the evening? Follow the crowd and walk along the beach, everybody does it for absolutely no reason.

This may be the perfect place to figure things out, or at least try to catch up on work.