Hey guys! I feel like I start every post commenting about the snow... But it certainly has taken over our lives hasn't it? We have had a big week over here at casa Peres/Pettinato. Pedro's sister, Laura, arrived from Rio just before the massive storm last Saturday. We spent the weekend/week in the kitchen - cooking up delicious meals, visiting with friends, and doing yoga. It was a great visit. I'm hoping that when I look back on this year, I think less about the snow, and more about the happy memories that we have created.

I don't know if you follow me on Instagram (if you don't, you can find me @photolexx), but I've been completing a 365 Project. I wanted to challenge myself to create a photo diary, and actually photograph something every day. I am 51 days in, and I have to say, I'm loving it. It's been so much fun curating the images in my feed, and actually thinking about what I am shooting. It's also been an interesting experience using my iPhone as a "real camera". My SLR isn't always the most practical option, but I've always got my iPhone on me - so there's no excuse to not take photographs! (Though I've also been forcing myself to use my SLR more frequently.) It's just a really low-key, enjoyable project. It makes me super happy that I have really been embracing the things that I love lately.

Check out some of my adventures below!

I guess you could have just looked at my Instagram feed, but that's not really the point of the project. I liked putting this grid together. It was so nice to go through the photos and remember something special from each day. Maybe I will create a book at the end of the project :)

OH! I finally upgraded to Adobe Creative Cloud, Yosemite OSX (on my laptop), and iOS 8 (on my phone). And finally set up my iCloud account so it functions. Wow, it feels good to have entered the world of 2015 technology. Was feeling a bit left behind there. Everything is running smoothly now, and it is GREAT.

I also finished putting together my first post for Mass Musings! It comes out on Monday. So check back (here + there) for more info on that soon. I will be posting about yoga + travel a couple times a month.

I'm off to eat a late lunch smoothie bowl + get on my mat. Rachel Brathen (@yoga_girl) just released a whole bunch of yoga videos with Gaiam, so I am about to give a couple of those a try. Then it's off to an izakaya date night for Pedro + I (OMG it's our 6 year dating anniversary this weekend <3)! Have a good one.

Until next time - peace, love and groovieness,

Alex

Well it certainly is a snowy morning on the east coast! While the blizzard rages (or, y'know, snow falls peacefully) outside my window, I can't help but look back on photos from our recent trip to conjure up memories of sea salt, sand and sunshine.

Enter Praia da Engenhoca. A beach in Bahia, it's nestled at the foot of a tropical rainforest - 12km outside the surfer town of Itacare. Known for it's waves, Engenhoca is a favourite surf spot, but it's not exactly the easiest to get to. Though a short hike through the rainforest is not a bad trade-off for a day spent on these shores.

Sitting on that beach made me feel so small in this great wide world. It became very clear to me that I am SO incredibly lucky. There were so many crazy twists and turns of fate that brought me to be in that exact moment. I mean, how did I end up on a remote beach in the Northeast of Brazil? And how did I hike THROUGH THE RAINFOREST to get there?

IT WAS AMAZING.

I'm incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to visit and explore this little corner of the universe. And, I'm so happy to have been able to explore it with this crowd! Without them, I quite literally would have been lost (and wouldn't have had nearly as much fun). Here we are drinking from coconuts on the beach, because let's be real - it's the best way to drink coconut water.

Ok, I'm sorry guys, I'm not really giving you the full picture here. In order to do that, we need to talk about THE FOOD:

We ate REALLY well on the beach. Pedro's cousin, Dante, is a sous-chef at D.O.M., in Sao Paulo. He and his girlfriend, Kafe (who is also a chef, and all around awesome lady), made us tuna ceviche, grilled red snapper, okra, potatoes and onions. They cooked in a fire-pit that we dug with our hands (and ok, rocks... and I didn't really help that much... but I took photos)!

Maybe I just watch too much TV, but I felt like Anthony Bourdain on Parts Unknown. Seriously, I had to keep asking myself if it was real life. It was some real Travel Network-like business.

Visiting Engenhoca in the way that we did, was such a unique and amazing experience. From the incredible vistas, to the perfect crashing waves (and the most delicious food ever), Engenhoca was truly a paradise.

Maybe you just see a beach, but what I saw was a shift in my perspective.

That this earth is a vast and wonderful place. That I am capable of a lot more than I give myself credit for. That I am the luckiest girl in the world. That sometimes you just need to be OPEN to new things, and stop worrying all the time. And of course, to breathe, and just LOVE, fully and unconditionally.

I had never been to a place like Engenhoca.

It truly opened my eyes, and cracked open my heart.

Peace + love until next time,

Alex