the future is the return

We are overworked, overconnected, overwhelmed. Smothered by the claustrophobic weight of doing and being better, we can easily crash and burn. So our defence mechanism kicks-in.

Some prefer to express this anxiety via traveling and clubbing, and others retreat to what seems and feels easy and simple — activities that trigger fond memories of our childhood. From baking a cake to horseback riding, walking barefoot on the grass and escaping to the countryside, the old is new, the familiar is pleasant, the return is the future.

A few weekends ago I had the chance to experience a genuine and authentic farm-to-table meal hosted by our cultural workspace, Second Home, in partnership with Twopack Kitchen — a recently launched creative project that connects people through food. The Saturday began with a liberating motorcycle ride to Melides, about 1.5 hours south of Lisbon, where despite the grey skies, the freshness in the air made it all worth the tangled hair.

We met at a local organic farm where we learned about their farming principles and picked the vegetables that would be soon cooked for our lunch meal. Freshness here is an understatement.

We then drove for about 20 minutes to a completely off-the-beaten-path location, only known to the locals. There we were welcomed with organic wine and ready to feast on a meal that was genuinely cooked with love by Chef António, Marta and his team. it’s worth noting that Chef António traded his life as a chef in top restaurants in London & São Paulo, for a more richer life in the countryside.

We must have been a group of about 20 people, bonded by our desire to retreat to what feels familiar, reminiscent by the love our parents showered us with when we were kids. No wonder the industries around wellness and self-care are booming. We need more. Much more of simple and genuine moments. The future is the return.