Travel, Poetry and Introspection

They say that bonds forged in the fires of adversity are among the strongest in the world. That’s definitely true of my friendship with Filipa. We met while living together in a shared apartment in Lisbon, Portugal that was a hot mess of a place, you know, the kind nightmares are made of – only without the actual gore. From messy housemates to crazy housemates to a nutcase landlord to a single fridge for 7 that never worked right, we had a lot to put up with, and… well, you can imagine… It was a mess. Eventually she and I found another place to live in a couple of streets away. That place was millions of times better than the first, but the bond was forged. It’s gotten so strong that she and I have now essentially adopted each other as extra siblings.

She actually started her blog, Crónicas de Utopia (in Portuguese, with some content in Spanish) before I started getting serious about my own writing. On it she shares poems, accounts of her travels, and some social and historical commentary. Her content is built largely on emotions and impressions, and conveys them with true passion and feeling.

Far from the strict schedule and rigor of journalism, a more creative version of herself, a rebellious and misunderstood spirit, awoke and cried out from inside, longing to be heard. She wished to navigate unknown dimensions of herself, to push her imagination farther than ever. This is how her blog was born. On it you will be able to read personal stories and poetic daydreams, individual pieces and real tales.

Factsheet

Filipa Santos Sousa was born in the north of Portugal. She was interested in monuments, books and history from a very young age. She has a Bachelor in Communication Sciences and a Masters degree in Information and Journalism. But as her career began she quickly realized and embraced her love of writing.