Ibiza, July 2020
María has been a waitress in Paris, a shop assistant in London, a Spanish teacher in Tokyo… recently she shot an experimental movie and she plans to move to an ecovillage before the year ends. However, most people would say she is a freelance content creator —which is also true.
Maria just arrived on the island and we´ve gone to eat sardines in front of the sea to celebrate my birthday. We met here in Ibiza, but she lives in a little house in the outskirts of Madrid. This was the last place I watched snow fall, two or three years ago.
She insisted on going to the secret beach on the other side of the hole and I grumbled because we had to walk a lot and it was really hot, but you can't say no to Maria so we ended up there. We were alone.
Maria and I always end up talking about love.
Alba: Sometimes I ask myself if we expect too much from the other. Lately I realized I have a tendency to expect something specific and that from that moment on, I give up from getting surprised. In fact, I feel that whenever I create a space free of expectations, what arrives is even better than what I expected; it’s more genuine.
Maria: I try to make plans without being attached to a specific outcome, but it’s not easy, of course. I also try to be more creative… we have thousands of ways to relate with friends, for instance, but then it seems as though we follow just one single model in our romantic partnerships.
A: Exactly, although theory is one thing and practice is another. I believe it takes a conscious compromise with oneself not to fall into the typical structures and to allow ourselves to be open to a more sincere and less egocentric love. You have been with Juan for half your life, how does this translate in such a long relationship?
M: The thing is that we have always given each other a lot of space. For many years we lived in different countries and we spend long periods of time apart. We both respect each other’s freedom as well as our own. I feel we are in constant transformation, even if it scares us sometimes.
A: I agree, I think freedom is the base of a healthy relationship. To me it is essential to give space to myself and to my partner, in order to choose freely, each day, whether we want to be together or not. To my understanding, being in a relationship requires growth, otherwise it makes no sense.
M: What matters is to keep questioning, rethinking… not only in our way of relating with others but in every aspect of our lives.
On the way back home, we stopped by my favorite beach and later Maria helped me water the plants and remove the laundry. We prepared a salad with the tomatoes from the garden and we dealt, half seriously half joking, the goddess oracle cards. She got Dana, the High Priestess and I got Yemanya, Goddess of the seas.
A day to remember.
A film: Jules et Jim, by François Truffaut
A book: Revolutionary road, by Richard Yates
A song: These days, by Nico
María wears the Ambar Bikini in Taupe and the Blanca One Piece in Black.
Photography Alba Esteva
#figpeople is a series of interviews with people that in one way or another are connected to figtree, to its philosophy and to me. I decided to start this interviews with the intention to share one of my most valuable treasures, the amazing community of people that I love and care for. I feel very grateful to have them around.
Thanks #mariastorregrosa for your trust and time and taking part of this project.
With love,
Alba