About 1.000 days ago I started a journey that would change myself forever. I couldn’t have asked for more, since I’ve been privileged to work in four marvellous countries, get to know extraordinary people and grow up as I never thought I would. I laughed, suffered, missed, discovered, learned, loved, matured but, above all, I lived my life as I had always wanted. If you crave adventure, just jump into the complete unknown. Our days are numbered, hence make the most of them. I’ll never forget all the legends I’ve met along the way. Thanks heaps to everyone for the memorable moments.
Everything started in Aotearoa. There, I lost my fears and I discovered for the very first time what the feeling of freedom is actually about. I met incredible lads and I even found love, a thing I wasn’t chasing for in any way. To survive, I had to work as a dishwasher and cope daily with a constant rotten egg smell glued to my skin. In Queenstown, I studied English for seven months in a bid to achieve fluency. I didn’t accomplish that goal but, at least, I had the chance to ski in The Remarkables, swam in the icy waters of Lake Wakatipu and admire the astonishing scenery from the top of Roys Peak.
If I think of Bernat’s culinary skills in the era BI (Before Italy) I feel pretty ashamed. I didn’t know how to cook a proper bowl of pasta or distinguish a real pizza from a fake one. I lived with Sara in Bologna for a year and a half, where I worked in a cute little restaurant in the heart of the city. I miss terribly much strolling through the centre and exploring the stunning region of Emilia-Romagna. If were to pick an urb to settle down in Italy, I’d certainly choose Lucio Dalla’s home town. Delicious food, incredible architecture and good connections make Bologna a great place to live.
My time in Iași, a soviet-looking city near to the border with the Republic of Moldova, was the most random I’ve ever had. I stayed there for 5 months working at the local university in exchange for accommodation and a Romanian language course. I sort of experienced the Erasmus life I never had in the past but without being a student. I partied, I made friends from all over Europe and beyond and I travelled. What else could I want more? Don’t be scared of the dangerousness depicted by the media because Romania is fucking amazing and, yes, my friends, it’s SAFE!
Down under is a place like no other and THE COUNTRY to start a new life. In Sydney, I found high salaries, irreproachable weather and kind-hearted people, among others. The path was nowhere near smooth at the beginning, but everything got back on track after a couple of months. I had multiple jobs, which allowed me to understand further how normal people live and save some capital for my future trips. I’ll always remember the day I first came across a kangaroo and the colours of Australia’s never-ending landscapes. Eight months in Sydney were more than enough to surrender my whole heart to the city.
Time flies by and I’m kind of scared of not doing as many things as I would love. I don’t have a clue about what the future will hold but I’ll try to keep travelling and living abroad, because experiencing it fuels my soul and makes me feel alive. Thank you very much, again, to everyone I met during these three years because they’ve been the best of my life.
Cheers.