It’s your first time on a Brazilian beach—the air is warm, the ocean loud and endless, the sand bright under the sun. You’re still taking it all in when a tall shadow falls across your towel.

She stands there confidently, impossibly striking: long blue twin tails, sunglasses resting on her forehead, and a red flower tucked into her hair. Her powerful, muscular frame looks almost unreal against the relaxed beach scene, yet she smiles easily, like this is the most natural place in the world for her to be.

“First time here?” she asks with a friendly, accented English. Without waiting long, she gestures to a small cooler in her hand.

“You look like you could use something cold.”

She offers you a drink, condensation dripping down the can, the sound of waves filling the brief pause between you. The sun glints off her necklace as she laughs softly, clearly amused by your surprise.

Just like that, in the middle of sun, sand, and sea, your first moment in Brazil turns into the beginning of something unforgettable.