activism gives me a sense of worth and importance within myself. crossing km far away, to ground in a city willing to advocate, create bonds and co-create a space to discuss and impact education made my days in ilhéus the greatest ever.

by august 29-31, connection, people and purpose fed my body and soul. my body was fed with shared meals, in the presence of students from all the cities in my state, bahia, all together motivated by the wish to reclaim improvement, dignity and the right to their bodies to exist. my soul was fed by the sense of "i'm not alone," the drums, the shouted songs reverberating everywhere and the human warmth were all things that set this experience apart.

The photo captures me giving my skills and time to serve my community. Though it requires energy and effort, the act of service fills me with fulfilment and renews my motivation to offer the best version of myself.

This photo captures a mini retreat at Lake Victoria, where I chose to begin my Launch Year journey and renew my commitment to community service. Being at the source of the Nile reminded me that great rivers begin in still waters, and that service flows best when we first pause to ground ourselves.

I spent a week in Oman with my father in the month of August. Not having much to do whatsoever throughout the week, we unintentionally spent almost 4 hours in this beautiful tea shop we had visited. We got to talk about everything from his work and my gap year to favorite movies and politics. It is not often I get the opportunity or space to connect with my dad so it was quite wholesome and I was grateful afterwards :D

The fourth photo was on the morning of the day before and it's definitely my favorite capture from the month :P

Last week, september 7th, it was Brazil’s Independence Day. From early morning, the city was filled with music and parades, a big celebration of national pride. What touched me most, the magical moment, was the diversity I saw on the main avenue, students and performers of different genders, races, body types, and backgrounds proudly representing their schools and towns. In the past, parades often highlighted only the “ideal” few, but this time inclusion and representation stood at the capital. Families gathered, elders watched with joy, and the atmosphere radiated unity. For me, it was magical to witness a Brazil that truly mirrored its people.

Nothing crazy, just connecting to my host family mom on a beautiful sunset walk with the dog :)

This month, I embraced the freedom to organize my days, especially weekends, the way I wanted. Saturday, I explored the art museum, discovered the Piazza Square, savored traditional Georgian cuisine, and even visited a Russian coffee shop. Sunday, I rented a bike and rode along the entire Batumi Promenade under the sun (25 km), reaching the port and looking at the city from a new perspective. We can’t control everything around us, but we can choose our attitude and decide whether to stay in bed dwelling on life’s injustices or go out, meet people, learn new things and have fun. That choice is always mine.

During my first morning in Sawtell, my roommate woke me up to have a dip in the ocean. Stepping onto the sand for the first time made me feel like this place was truly meant to be my home for the next months.

Feeling welcomed by the world around me. 4500m above sea level, only myself and my travel companions were at this lake. Without access to wifi (or the world at large!) I felt truly present in the space I was existing in—both physically (the earth and mountains had let me inhibit this space) and mentally (I was at peace, without the buzz of the world beyond).

When I arrived in Phuket, the first thing I did was walk to the beach, step in the wet sand and listen to the sound of the waves breaking. As if welcoming me to this new place, the water was warm, the small waves by the shore felt like gentle ripples of joy. The sun was hitting my skin and I could feel my body absorbing its energy, its rays finding me now in another direction. The blue sky by the horizon showed me immense possibilties of becoming. I wanted to stay there forever.

It's been long since I've been to the beach. This first moment in Phuket, before even settling in, was as letting my inner voice guided me to that point of contact with the ocean, and I was so glad it did.