hey there.

Hey there.

I'm Maíra. I've been blogging on and off since 2005. I've written about linux, about studying cinema, about moving to another city and the myriad of strange things that happened to me back then (for example, I once visited a "flat" for rent that was built in between two floors, had no windows, and was about 1 meter / 3 feet high floor to ceiling, I kid you not). I then wrote about moving to another country, about photography, about changing careers, about web development.

I've written about many things and I pondered for a very long time about what I wanted to blog about this time. I don't think I have a focus. Or a niche. I don't want to write keywords, optimized posts targeted for an audience. I want to write about programming, photography, cooking, dogs and plants. Unrelated topics that are all a part of my life. For me, this is a return to pure personal blogging, like we rarely see nowadays. A sort of digital journaling. I'm truly excited to have a place to write without worries, to publish my photographs, to share when I feel like sharing.

I'm lucky to have lived in five different countries, during different times in my life. I was born in the northeast of Brazil, in Recife. I've lived in Brasilia (too young to remember) and then in Rio de Janeiro as a young adult. I've also lived in Chile as a child, then in France as a teenager. At one point, I found love and moved to Sweden. Together we moved to Spain in search of good weather and quality of life. I think we are here to stay, but I'm not sure. Moving has been a constant in my life, with all the good and the bad that comes with it. I should remember to write more about this.

a return to personal blogging

I honestly think that moving to other cities and countries has given me perspective. It is hard to put in words, it's more of a feeling. I feel my life experiences up to this point have made me more open-minded, more relaxed, more tolerant. Moving has given me empathy. And inspiration. Lots, lots of inspiration. Seeing different cultures has taught me about colors, smells, flavors, languages.

I think my personality became a patchwork composed of every place I've ever been to. Does that makes sense? That's why this blog must be a mix of everything. It cannot be confined to one city, one color, one topic.

So welcome. Look around. You're free to stay around if you enjoy my images and my texts, and you're free to leave if you don't. If you really, really enjoy my stuff, you might feel the urge to write to me. Maybe we will become pen pals? Maybe we'll follow each other on instagram? Who's to know? In any case, hello. Hi. Let's get back to blogging!

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Maira Martins profile picture
Maira Martins

Maira is a programmer and photographer currently based in Valencia, Spain. Originally from Brazil, Maira has lived in five countries throughout her life, which helps to infuse her work and her life with colors and creativity. She loves traveling, cooking, learning languages, watching documentaries about nature, and she recently developed a passion for gardening.

A long-time fan of cats, she discovered a passion for dogs during the six long snowy years she lived in Sweden. Specifically, her golden retriever Astro deserves all the credit for turning her into a dog-person, and teaching her that no matter how many times you vacuum the house, there will always be more dog hair everywhere.

Maira likes telling strangers random facts about her life and thinks that writing about herself in 3rd person makes it all seem very legit. She's been blogging on and off since 2005, but she swears this time she's really back to blogging. So welcome! Grab yourself a cup of whatever you like and browse around.