Brazilian Accent
Hello,
How are you?
I’m writing this letter to you without a big brilliant theme. I was expecting one to come to me, but it’s now 9:21 p.m. Saturday, and nada.
Maybe because we’ve been wrapped up in new projects? The past two weeks were of much anticipation and preparation around here, but I’m happy to finally write to you.
Mel and I headed to Baltimore last weekend where she participated in a Kung-Fu tournament. It was my first time in beautiful Maryland. Aside from delays in our flights on both ways, making the 2-hour and 12-minute flight, an ordeal of almost 10 hours, Baltimore was dreamy. Mel scored a silver medal, but most important, she coined in some time with friends.
Mel is now 12 but is still very much into being a kid and going wild on playgrounds, which I love. I try to soak in every glimpse of her on a swing, coming down a slide, or carrying herself with ridiculous ease on the monkey bars. When I decided I was going to take a sabbatical-ish time over the summer, this is exactly what I had in mind — to spend quality time with her, to catch all these micro-moments in my mind & heart, to be really present in the moment.
Back home, Matt was working full steam getting everything ready to release his new album on top of his nightly shows. This is such a new body of work in which he explores more tropical sounds. Search for Matt Duarte wherever you stream your music from and hop to the new album entitled Brazilian Accent. Like his other singles and albums released in the US, this one was also entirely produced by him, beginning to end, with the addition of some pretty special guests.
My favorite song High Imagination is about an impromptu day trip we took to St. Pete Beach. I’m linking here Spotify and Apple Music to make things easier for you. :)
And me?
I’m happy to tell you that I have finished Chapter 1 of my memoir. Well, the first draft at least. I felt so weird the day after though. I felt happy for having finished but extremely exhausted, and just so over it, like I couldn’t even look at it. Artistic postpartum depression? Is there such a thing? I got better after receiving feedback from my teacher and classmates.
Encouraged to stay on track, chapter 2 is underway!
Friend,
I appreciate you riding this season of writing with me. Your comment, message, call, email, DM, mean so much to me.
Untangling my life and re-focusing on new projects, personal and freelancing, hasn’t been super easy, but I’m feeling so happy. Some balls are being dropped along the way, for sure, because I am giving myself all the space that I need to stay happy. It’s still uncomfortable to realize I’m not meeting someone’s expectations, but as my therapist says “Sometimes this is the price we pay to do what we want to do, to be who we want to be.”
For sure, I am counting on people’s grace when I am not able to show up as I did in the past, and that grace… that grace is real love.
❤
Next time you receive a letter from me I’ll be 40 years old. What!?! Yep! But still feeling 28, except when my lower back reminds me otherwise.
Have a lovely Sunday and a beautiful week.
Your friend,
Thali
