Published in About Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout me — Joana Araci Rodrigues AlmeidaThe whole story —or at least what’s coming to my mind— and the importance of the places and people that made who I was, am and perhaps who I will be. — Let’s try this again. My full name is Joana Araci Rodrigues Almeida, and I am Portuguese. I wish nationality weren’t a factor to determine in such a straightforward way my identity. However, part of who we are is determined by our surrounding world, and mine is Portugal.About Me Stories53 min readAbout Me Stories53 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·1 day agoMember-onlyEverybody is Crazy About Buying Things — I Am Crazy To Have NothingSuppose I had a house that I could call my own. If I had firm walls, where I walked in and thought: “Ok, what the hell, this is mine I do whatever I want here. I can finally buy one thing or another because they will stay here forever”. If…Consumerism4 min readConsumerism4 min read
2 days agoMember-onlyUnderstand This; It’s the Little Things That Make LifeAbout a few years ago, my mother got very sick. She started feeling very nauseous, and suddenly her body showed signs of something very wrong by having a high fever. These were the first signs. Shortly afterward, all these symptoms became visible, with a substantial purple spot all over her…Love7 min readLove7 min read
Published in The Portuguese·3 days agoMember-onlyCoping With The Discomfort of (Typical) Portuguese HousesHumidity, poor insulation, hellish heat, freezing cold… good luck with that — Spending these days at my parents’ house, there are things that one observes again. You go back in time; you feel things you had forgotten. You see rituals that are different from ours, and you silently ask yourself why they exist. But, above all, you feel the discomfort of no…Portugal6 min readPortugal6 min read
Published in The Portuguese·5 days agoMember-onlyThe Life of Women in Portugal, Yesterday and Today (and other articles)Hi readers: Medium has already given me magnificent things. It has allowed me to meet new people, improve my writing, earn money, and to be able to show my work to the world. And as such, one of my most-read articles, which already has more than 55,000 views, has given me great…Women4 min readWomen4 min read
6 days agoMember-onlySearching For Life and Seeking Life-Long DreamsWho hasn’t been young and wanted to venture out into the world? A few years ago, I would have said yes. I would think it was almost a condition of being young to want to go out and go further. …Relationships6 min readRelationships6 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Nov 16Member-onlyIt Seems That Being a Feminist Is Always a Burden You CarryStupid things that get on anyone’s nerves — Today my boyfriend —to whom I am giving some time away from him— sent me a picture of him ironing his shirt. I mention it again, his shirt. This doesn’t make anyone a super boyfriend, but it simply makes a person, regardless of their gender, an adult who can take…Gender Equality5 min readGender Equality5 min read
Published in The Portuguese·Nov 15Member-onlyAre You Willing To Break the Cycle of Violence or Perpetuate It?My mother married too young. She was only seventeen. A year later, she would have my brother, and at twenty-four, she would have me. When at 33, she got pregnant for the third time and had a miscarriage, everyone associated this with her advanced age. She was already old— so…Love10 min readLove10 min read
Nov 9Member-onlyWhen Has Life Stopped Being Fun?When was the official end date of your youth? — This is me, somewhere in the mountains of Liguria, between two Italian regions. On a border like so many invisible ones. Whenever I feel restless and anxious about life, I dig through my memories and look for my last, truly happy place. And then, I always go back to the…Love7 min readLove7 min read
Published in The Portuguese·Nov 8Member-onlyWe’ll Never Live Like This Ever AgainIn a time of so much pain, how can one not miss a past life? — We didn’t know it back then, but the movie Forrest Gump eternalized the fame of a t-shirt that my mother used to wear. This is noticed in a scene where everyone is running. A car passes them and fills them with mud. A guy following him gives Forrest a yellow…Life12 min readLife12 min read
