Because I was so focused on practicing my Portuguese, meeting Renan’s family, and visiting a new part of Brasil, I didn’t think about how it would feel to be back in Salvador. Especially because it had been 8 years since my last visit for Carnaval — and thirteen years (wild) since my study abroad program.

*Saudade* is real.

Visiting Salvador has always been super important to me because it holds such a special place in my heart after living there. ***Returning did not disappoint***. I hadn’t realized how much my heart hurt for Salvador: the food, the beaches, the heat, the spice, the music and drums, the joyous, friendly, and kind people.

Catching our ride from the airport, all the emotions came flooding back. The easy conversation with our driver about how much Salvador has grown, explaining that I lived here for five months with a Brasilian host family, and that Renan was visiting for the first time.

There were literal tears of joy. A true reflection of the excitement and joy I felt — pointing out the university I studied in, the favorite popsicle and acai shops, the World Cup arena, the zoo in the middle of the city, where Carnaval ends, the terrible buses, and of course, the favorite beaches.

The city has grown! It was over 1 million when I lived there, and now creeping past 4 million. We pulled into Farol da Barra and immediately felt the heat — I was sweating from both the 36-degree weather and excitement. We beelined it to the beach; the water temperature, breeze, and beach vendors did not disappoint.

Over the weekend the main goal was spending time with my host family. We snagged all the makings of a churrasco to be sure we could continue throughout the evening. My host family was overjoyed to see me and immediately expressed their frustration with:

a) how much food we brought,
b) why we weren’t staying with them (a family of five, plus two more adults and a dog seemed like a lot),
c) why I hadn’t been back in 8 years.

It was as if no time had passed at all. My mom and sister quickly jumped into the caring and doting humans they are and made sure we had an ice-cold (bem gelado) beverage and some churrasco to settle in. Then I got to see the work they had done on the new house — truly a masterpiece that my sister started building in 2012 with her then-fiance — and separately walk around the corner to see my old house and room.

It’s an understatement to say “my heart was full.” I was teary-eyed for most of the first day and bouncing off the walls to see my cousins and neighbors, who all now had children. “Tia” was my new nickname, and I obliged all requests for a hug, cold water, or snacks. I reintroduced myself to my sisters (Monica) twins, who were just two years old when I last visited (photo recreation below).

We had a nice classic churrasco: caught up on life, reminisced about my time living in the house, toured homes for the additions and updates (aunt, uncle, grandma, and neighbors), shared in my life today, introduced Renan to the community, and of course, discussed what places Renan had to see in Salvador. And then eight hours passed and it was time to sleep.

*My family includes Raimunda (mom), M*ô*nica (sister), Anderson (brother-in-law), Arthur and Bernardo (the twins), Gra*ç*a (my aunt), and Silveira (uncle), plus my neighbors Eliete and Rita and her daughter.*

Of course, we reconvened the next day, but not after some beach time at Porto da Barra. This is a city favorite because of its calm and warm waters, soft sand, and plethora of vendors (acarajé, caipirinhas, beer, queijo coalho aka beach cheese, and more). Honestly, one of my favorite places to people watch and simply feel connected to others humans living life.

We made it back to my family’s for a feijoada, a traditional Brasilian dish with roots in the times of slavery, where all the pieces of the available meat were added to the bean stew. It’s typically served with rice, farofa (cassava flour), and my favorite — pimenta (hot sauce).

The night wouldn’t be complete without a futebol match — and of course we were there for the annual Bahia vs. Vitoria match (regional club teams, big deal) and celebrated alongside all the other Bahia fans. We spent some of the night practicing English with my nephew Bernardo, and listened to my mom’s favorite music, Funk.

The rest of the week I was posted up in the coworking space overlooking the beach and filled with ciúmes (jealousy) that I couldn’t be lying out on the beach next to Renan. But I was able to fit in some touristy moments including revisiting my old haunts: Pelourinho on a Tuesday night for live music, the site of Michael Jackson’s music video with Olodum, my favorite cachaça bar, riding the elevator to the lower city, Mercado Modelo for all the nick nacks, moqueca in Rio Vermelho, sunset at Porto da Barra, and of course more acarajé.

Plus we got to explore some new spots like Bar Monica in Gamboa, taking a boat taxi to Porto da Barra, and trying out some new açai spots.

During my study abroad program we learned a lot about the Candomblé religion, rooted in Angolan and West African religion, brought to Brasil by way of enslaved West Africans adapting to a slave colony in which Roman Catholicism was the official religion.

Salvador has long integrated candomblé into the community and you can find orixás (divine spirits or gods) in wall art, statues, street names, and on billboards. It has become more widespread/accepted but was often talked about as witchcraft and dark magic when I was traveling around Brasil back in 2012.

It’s safe to say our trip revolved around food. I had to have my daily dose of both acai and pimenta — plus my new favorite sorbet cupuaçu and umbu. Both are native Brasilian fruits that are tart and delicious.

Renan got a warm intro to Bahiano comida — carne de sol (cured “blanket” steaks), aipim puree (cassava or mandioca), the BEST pizza, moqueca de peixe (fish stew), picoles (popsicles) on the beach, queijo coalho (beach cheese) and my favorite pastels.