Dare I believe my eyes? Yet my eyes were telling me that one of my long held dreams was within reach: my feet dancing samba in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Talk about walking (and dancing!) out our dreams. Where is my passport?
Dreams do come true.
(Good morning, Good Tea People! Welcome to the all the good tea people around the world who make time to read this unapologetic tea aficionado’s words. Thank you. Go ahead, prepare your favorite tea or tisane — no, thanks, no sweetener necessary for me. I prefer my tea Straight From the Leaf. )
Remember Your Dreams
When I started learning Brazilian Portuguese, I did so out of a profound, yet inexplicable, love and respect for Afro-Brazilian culture. I desired to visit the land and to dance on the cobblestones that gave the world samba.
Yes, I am from Philadelphia and so cobblestones themselves are not impressive. It is the history of the people who walked and lived among the stones that impress me. Like Philadelphia, Salvador was Brazil’s original capital and I wanted to immerse myself in Bahia’s history to understand the dance that moves my mind, body and spirit.
Then I saw this.
Follow Your Dreams
The Dandha da Hora, my teacher’s teacher, is one of the most brilliant artists I have the pleasure to meet and to study Afro-Brazilian dance. Whenever Dandha comes to the East Coast, I make it my goal to get into her class. Dandha’s dance classes are not just cardio, they are therapy, history and choreography. Please do yourself a favor and go whenever Dandha comes to your city.
Now she was making a 10-day trip home to Bahia and invited others to join her. The logical and creative sides of my brain started exchanging synapses to determine how — not if — my dream of putting samba feet on Brazilian soil could be achieved.
Then I kicked my Duolingo practice into high gear. I was going to Bahia!!!
(Good Tea People, there is nothing like experiencing a country through the eyes of someone who grew up there. It cuts through the tourist traps and, if you are willing, opens you to respectful appreciation of the people who live there.)
Dandha da Hora’s attention to every detail combined with her deep local connections made my first trip to Brazil exceptional. There were too many precious moments, sacred exchanges, and phenomenal people encountered during this time to share them all here in one post. I will share one photo here where someone caught me pausing, being present and feeling overwhelmingly thankful for this dream becoming real. What a life!
Cups Up Conclusion
Whenever I think of Salvador, I pray the same prayer that I do for Philadelphia: that the rich cultural history of the people will not be destroyed by popular tourism. I’m also convinced that before this occurs the cobblestones themselves would cry out.
Salvador reminds me that just like this one dream became reality, there are others waiting for me to decide to bring them forward.
What dream is living inside you? Start living it out.
Cups up to dreams no longer deferred! #DrinkTea #LiveYourDreams