My Portuguese adventure turned out a bit different then expected. But then again, everything does. Plans are only made to be changed. Something better might come on your path and shake your whole world upside down. Like what happened to me on the last night of Boom Festival. It all started with a workshop named bio-energetics. Where I danced, stared deep into strangers eyes and saw their souls, got showered with love by a hundred people I didn't even know. It sounds like weirdness was taken to a next level. Believe me, it was. But it was so damn GOOD.
I never danced while staring into peoples eyes for long minutes that never seemed to end. Nor did I ever receive a shower of love from complete strangers before. People patting me on the back, holding my hand, stroking my hair and whispering beautiful words in my ear, why doesn't this happen every day? It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I felt so loved and emotional I just had to run to the water while throwing my clothes in the air and swim for hours. Okay, minutes. I'm not that sporty.
While watching the sun set over the water, I heard everyone around me cheer. This is another little ritual I enjoyed at Boom: yelling goodnight at the setting sun. If you think this sounds too hippie to be true, imagine 40 000 of them shouting, cheering and dancing at the sun, then turning around to greet the rising moon. The last night of the festival, the full moon filled the whole area with bright white light. Nights like those always have a crazy energy in them that rushes through every living thing. Magic happens. Everything makes sense. Like meeting someone you are sure you have met before. Although you both live on other sides of the continent, you know you've met a long time ago. But you never did. Well, something like that happened to me on that last night under the full Portuguese moon. And he shook my life around until there was nothing left but the core. The important stuff. Love, true friendship, honesty, freedom and pure happiness. Or how the end of something is always the beginning of a new adventure.