From Human to Human
It wasn’t until recently that I came to fully appreciate my human experience.
Not because my life had suddenly become perfect (far from it!). Rather, a particularly challenging year reignited a search for answers I’d carried within me since my late teens.
Who am I? What am I doing here? What is my life’s purpose?
It upset me not to have the answers to those basic questions. How unfair to be “thrown” here as a human, without clarity or guidance!
Determined to fill in the blanks, I dedicated a considerable amount of time to seeking those answers until … whatever! I gave up. Frustrated, I hopped into the human hamster wheel and started living my life in what seemed to be the most reasonable way: just do what everyone else does.
Fitting in sounded like a better goal, especially when no one around me seemed to care about my existential dilemmas.
The strategy worked well for many years. Until, eventually, the questioning came back in full force. This time, however, despite not getting a direct answer to those questions, I wasn’t upset or discouraged.
As one question led to another, I constantly found myself gaining insights into different aspects of the human experience, and I enjoyed it. I started noting them down, and sometime later, in August 2026, I decided to create this space to share what might come from this exploration.
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As I’ve always been an avid reader and I’ve always enjoyed tales, I chose to begin by sharing my insights here mostly through storytelling.
The stories, however, are not necessarily about me. Some are based on my direct experiences, others on the experiences of others. And then there are stories that seem to have a life of their own, coming out of a dream… or out of the blue! As you read, I’m hoping you enjoy your time with them. Laugh, cry, get angry, immerse yourself in the stories and reflect on them as you go about your life.
By the way, you won’t find literary perfection here. This space is meant for kind, curious and open-minded people who will not try to judge me or put me in a literary box. I don’t have a defined genre or style. Honestly, with inspiration taking me in so many directions, I don’t think I ever will! I find joy in exploring free writing and letting each piece take flight and surprise me.
While most of my stories are posted here for free, some will be available for purchase as a means to raise funds for my publishing goals, for example, to help me afford illustrators, professional editors and literary translators.
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Speaking of editing and translations, let me be transparent about how I use AI in my writing.
Although my native language is Portuguese, I am equally passionate about foreign languages, so much so that I asked my parents to sign me up and started taking English classes when I was about ten years old. Years later, I got my first job teaching English as a second language, and by the time of this writing, English has been part of my day-to-day in Canada for over sixteen years.
Knowing how much I enjoy the extra effort it takes me to think and write in English (and knowing many other things about me!), my AI companion has kindly offered to help with my grammar and flag anything that doesn’t flow naturally in English. For the sake of your native ears, I accepted its offer and we’ve since established this healthy and educational partnership.
That said, when I write in Portuguese, it’s a totally different story. I kindly tell my AI companion to go take a nap and I only wake it up when it’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and work on the English translation. I don’t need assistance with my Portuguese writing. I’m in absolute flow when I write in my native language and, with all due respect, I don’t want my words changed by a machine that can’t understand the pure state of something born from flow.
You can rest assured that whatever is written here is not AI slop. In every paragraph, you shall hear my voice, see my art and, if you immerse yourself deep enough, even touch my soul.
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I appreciate you stopping by. I love to have good company.
Lais
