I need to know where I’m going and right now, I don’t have a clue.

It’s annoying, frustrating and stressful. I’m 40 now, I should have it all figured out!

It didn’t take me long to figure out Pituba, one of Salvador’s neighbourhoods where I’ve just spent the week.

But life? Ah, I’m lost. No idea where the world is going, and no idea where I’m going.

Well, I do know where I’m going tomorrow—I’m moving to Ondina, another neighbourhood in Salvador, my third after Barra and Pituba. This part is easy. It’s just logistics—picking a place, organizing, packing, the usual. This may be why I love travelling. For me, it’s a way to focus and take it a day at a time because I’m facing a practical step-by-step problem-solving exercise—find shelter, find food, find your way around, plan the next step, kill a mosquito, figure out a place, a culture, a language, enjoy, carpe diem and all.

When I’m travelling, I’m always literally going somewhere.

When I’m travelling, my life revolves around simple questions people can answer—where the nearest supermarket is, what time the next bus is, and how to get from point A to point B.

Honestly, it beats stressing out about current world issues and asking rhetorical questions no one can answer. I’m not running away when I’m travelling, I’m just… you know, finding my way, a way, any way through the current chaos.

My week in Pituba was anything but chaotic.

Why Pituba? No idea. It was a bit of a random pick on the map. The idea is to experience different neighbourhoods in Salvador. Most gringa-friendly neighbourhoods are along the extensive coastline, and Feng thought I might get to enjoy the beach. I wasn’t so sure—there are plenty of beaches in Salvador, but most are dirty or rocky.

Still, last weekend, I head directly to the waterfront to check out beaches, plural.

Forgot about Praia de Pituba—dirty.

I kept on walking. Next one? Worst. Sewers plus garbage.

Eventually, I found a long, long stretch of sand… except it was empty.

Not good.

See, “empty” can be good or bad. Empty mailbox? Good job, you’re on top of things! Empty bank account? That sucks.

A hidden, empty beach can be a dream but in a city like Salvador, I wasn’t comfortable walking on an empty beach—not just because I’m a foreigner, but mostly because I’m a woman.

I checked out this beach again on Sunday, which is the traditional beach day. Still very empty.

Pituba wasn’t going to be the suburb where I’d enjoy the beach every day. Oh well.

On the other hand, it turned out to be a friendly, easy neighbourhood with all the convenience I needed (great bakeries!) and it was overall pretty cheap. It reminded me of all these “normal” São Paulo neighbourhoods I’ve crossed for one reason or another. It had all the hallmarks of a typical Brazilian neighbourhood with any landmark—okay, a statue of a Baiana, sorry.

And in Pituba, I discovered that Salvador’s coastline is very walkable. There’s a sidewalk, a bike path, and enough people jogging or walking from God-knows-where all the way to Barra. So I walked along the coastline a lot, the entire 10 kilometres from Pituba to Barra, with stops along the way in various neighbourhoods.

I found my way around in Pituba.

Next up, Ondina (and life?)