Relationship status: Madly in love with Lisbon

We all know I’ve been here before—visiting a city for the first time and checking rental prices after just five minutes of exclusively strolling through the most scenic streets.

Envisioning myself living in different cities has become a weird hobby of mine, but isn’t it cool to think there are so many different versions of you living different lives all at once? (At least if you believe in a parallel universe, which I obviously do.) I constantly wonder which place would bring out the best version of me—or at least the sexiest. I feel like Lisbon might actually bring out the hottest version of myself. I imagine myself living in a bright, artsy apartment with a big kitchen island and colorful paintings on the wall. I envision taking Samba lessons and befriending all my favorite baristas. I picture myself strolling through the city on a Sunday with no plans besides listening to street musicians and eating an unhealthy amount of Pasteis de Nata. I think this relationship could really work.

I found this place on idealista yesterday, anyone wants to send me 4000€ monthly???

I’m aware Lisbon might be one of the trendiest cities right now—at least that’s the vibe I get from looking at rental prices and noticing that you can find little cafés that are also tattoo studios and flower shops on quite literally every street. Gentrification reached Lisbon a long time ago, and although I initially planned on not supporting this madness, I can’t help but fall in love with the city’s energy.

As you might know, I’ve seen many places in my twenties—from Hong Kong to Cape Town, to remote islands in Indonesia, to Amman, Nairobi, Tokyo, and LA, to name a few. Every place I’ve visited has a special energy, but only very few are magical to me. Lisbon happens to be one of the very few magical places I’ve encountered so far. Feeling magic in a place doesn’t necessarily mean it’s incredibly beautiful or popular (though this is true of Lisbon), because I’ve sensed the same magic in lesser-known spots. I would best describe it as a feeling of belonging—a feeling of being in the right place at the right time and having the right conversations with the right people at the right time.

I can’t point out exactly what makes this place so magical to me, but I think a lot of the magic is thanks to the people who live here. (Besides the fact that every corner looks as beautiful as a scene in a movie, and the fact that there are street musicians in almost every street playing Brazilian beats. Oh, and the colorful houses!!)

For now, it’s time to move on, but I’m already excited about hosting dinner parties in my artsy apartment one day!

What’s a place that made you believe in magic?

Sarah xx