5 years ago, I asked myself one simple question… how do I make Madeira feel like home? I had just arrived from a massive city in South Africa… now here, in a small village, a single mum, everything slower, quieter… different. Beautiful, but different in a way that can feel lonely if you don’t have your people. So I started REC. At the time, it wasn’t a “community” — it was just a need. A need to feel connected. To create something that felt like home, not just for me, but for anyone else feeling the same. And somehow… people found it. From all over the world , choosing Madeira, different lives, different stories… showing up, again and again. Not just passing through, but staying. Choosing each other. It’s never been about perfect events. It’s been about real moments. Conversations that go deeper than small talk. Old school hugs that ground you. That quiet feeling of “I belong here”. And somewhere along the way, it stopped being something I created… and became something we all hold. I’m not just running a community. I’m part of a family. And being part of it means showing up for someone else, just as real. 5 years later, based in Machico… this isn’t just a place anymore. It’s home. 🎶 like a prayer 🎶 A special shoutout to @numberone.pub for hosting our community and celebrating @backpacks.and.borders special day 🥰 #Machico #Madeira #Community #Belonging #RealConnections
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