Sleepless in a Dream

I Can’t Sleep.

Can’t fall asleep. Can’t stay asleep. I toss and turn, and I’m wide awake the minute the light hits my room. It’s partially due to the lack of AC and the fan that just blows hot air around my face. But mostly, it’s because I’m so damn excited about life here in Lisbon and all the amazing things to come.

When you have an entire city and its surroundings to explore, 70+ people to join you, and 8 or so hours in a day to see the world before and after your job that you have to keep up with, things can get a little overwhelming – in the best way. This is why I lay awake for hours, my mind spinning and my head dreaming about the possibilities ahead of me.

Finding Balance

Ultimately balance will be what eases my mind and lets me dream for real. This is easier said than done, but it’s key to mastering this life we’re living. Work is priority, but finding that secret rooftop and hiking to that castle are close seconds. So you adapt: You bring your laptop to that rooftop and connect to wifi once you’re there. You wake up at the crack of dawn to go to that castle so you can hop online once it hits 8 a.m. EST.

Balanced health has definitely been a luxury left behind in the name of adventure. Making new friends = alcohol. Living in Lisbon = pastries. And as I said before, Remote Year = no sleep. On the bright side, living in Lisbon also = never ending hills. Sort of balance?

I’m still struggling to find that harmony. I’ve been overwhelmed with stress over work once or twice. But if this instability means I get to float in the turquoise water of Lagos one Saturday and fly to Morocco the next, I’ll take it.

Weeks 2-4 Highlights

A fellow remote here recently said that every time she thinks she’s had the highlight of her day, another one comes along. I can attest to this theory. My recent highlights include:

Stumbling on and working at this killer rooftop
Lisbon scavenger hunting
Spending a weekend in Porto which included:
- A very hungover 12 mile bike ride
- A very loud snoring man in my hostel
- A street-side run-in with a friend from DC
Attending a traditional Portuguese Fado music show
Sprinting to board a ferry that, turns out, returns every 10 minutes
Exploring Portuguese Tinder 😉
Spending a weekend in Lagos which included:
- A booze cruise of the Spring Break variety
- A 200+ stair trek to a beach straight out of a postcard
- Fitting 10 people in 5 person Air BnB
- Eating snails
Eating at “Illegal Chinese”
Chilling in a palace in Sintra
Getting handcuffed to the wall at a serial killer-themed Escape Room (my nightmare in the flesh)