BOOK
Photographer. Blogger. Author.
LEAVING SHANGRILA: The True Story of a Girl, Her Transformation and Her Eventual Escape
Shangrila - the name of the farm where I grew up in the mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro - was closer to hell than paradise.
I didn't want the life that I had, so leaving Shangrila was a goal I had since I can remember. But to leave one's life behind, you have to do it twice: one is the physical distancing of a place. The much harder task is leaving the bad habits that enabled you to escape in the first place.
I tried to forget my past - but once I stared at my newborn's innocent face, I had a calling to tell my story - to show to him and to the world, that one needs not be defined by circumstances they grew up in. And that with a little luck, a little help and a lot of perseverance, anyone can chart their own path through life.
Leaving Shangrila is my memoir of a time that's important not to forget - because evil mostly happens when people good people choose to stay silent.