WITH LOVE FROM PORTO
Towards the end of 2024, I found myself engulfed by feelings of overwhelm, distress, and a sense of drowning. They wrapped themselves around me like a former lover, relentless in their grip. I didn’t fight them; instead, I welcomed their embrace — foolishly, unconsciously, perhaps even out of need. Just like a real hug, they commanded my focus, pulling my attention entirely toward them. My vision narrowed, and my senses dulled to everything else. In their grasp, I felt a strange comfort, the kind of familiarity that lets you fall deeper, arms instinctively wrapping tighter as if patting their back in return.
But this embrace came at a cost. They sapped my love, energy, and motivation, leaving me hollow. My self-discipline crumbled, my mood darkened, and my connections began to unravel. My words dried up, friendships withered, and I drifted further into a space where nothing felt alive.
In December, desperate for a change, I booked a one-way ticket out of London. I wasn’t running toward something — I was running away. My destination? Porto, Portugal. I arrived with an open mind but a restless, aching heart, searching for something I couldn’t define. And as you might expect, searching for the undefined is exhausting. My frantic quest left me blind to the beauty and stillness around me, to all the quiet signs patiently waiting to be noticed.
A week into my stay, frustration and disillusionment crept in. I gave up the search, exhausted by the effort of trying to pinpoint what was missing. And that’s when it happened: I fell in love in Porto, — but with Porto itself.
I fell in love with the cobblestone streets that whispered stories of history, the intricate hand-painted tiles glinting in the sun, and the warmth in the smiles of strangers. In those simple, overlooked moments, I rediscovered what I had truly lost: love. Not romantic love, but the capacity to love — to love life, the world, and myself.
Porto didn’t offer me answers; it gave me perspective. It reminded me to find beauty where I’d forgotten to look. And in doing so, it led me back to something I thought was gone forever.
I lost love. And then I found it again.
Now I pose this question to you: How has love affected you? Has it built you up or torn you down? For better or worse, love shapes us all. So take a moment, and ask yourself this: How has love affected me?
Peace, love, and chicken grease.
