A Smile on My Face

Being here in Madeira, I have run into a few obstacles that I had not initially anticipated. One of those is the ability (or lack thereof) to meet people. I am not the type of person to be shy when spoken to or afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger at the grocery store, but since I don't speak Portuguese, speaking to anyone is a challenge. To compound the issue, Madeirans are- how can I put this- not always eager to talk to people, much less a foreigner, outside their circles.

So, I've been making an attempt over the past few weeks to go do things where I can meet other English speakers and hopefully a friend or two. And yesterday, I did something fun- super fun! At the English Church in town, there are art workshops every Tuesday at 1 PM. There was not much information on the website, so I just showed up and hoped for the best. When I got there, the people were so friendly and genuinely glad I came. And, to make things better, I turned out a pretty awesome piece of art, if I do say so myself.

My watercolor painting

The church also has "social afternoons" on Wednesday where they have tea and coffee and "socialize (I assume)", and I had planned to go. However, instead of looking like I am completely desperate for human contact (I'm not...really...), I figured I should wait to just go back to art class next week. I can't wait! Having a blast, getting my hands full of paint, and chatting away with random strangers never fails to put a smile on my face!