Picture this... you're on the coast, in Portugal.

Imagine this with me for a moment-- it's going to feel good.

Picture this... you're on the coast, in Portugal. You’ve got a chilly as fuck glass of vinho verde in one hand and a lit cigarette in another. You’ve been in the sun all day and you just took a cool shower, your skin is bronzed and tight from a day spent outdoors. You smell like soap and your hair is damp.

You don’t know how long you’re staying, you may stay indefinitely. There is no end to this delicious respite on the horizon. You run your finger down the well-worn spine of a weathered paperback book, your favorite, exhale deeply, and open it up to where you left off.

I never know how much you know or remember about me, those who know me in real-life excluded, because I am likely one of many newsletters that land in your inbox. I do my best to remind you of the essential details and to never make assumptions, but today, the essential detail you need to know if you forgot who I am is that I hit the life partner lottery when I met my boyfriend.

João, as a person, is so many things that…