India, Kashmir, Puerto Rico, France, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Nepal, Portugal, Russia, Vietnam, Italy, Czech Republic Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland.
I shared flats with people coming from all these countries.
Korea, China, Germany, Taiwan, Cook Island, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Brasil, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Israel, Lebanon, New Zealand, US, Colombia, England, Australia, Argentina… and I’m sure I’m missing some. These are the home countries of some of the people I had the pleasure to work with in London, Australia and Barcelona.
Do I still remember all their names? Probably not. However, I definitely remember a little something of each and every one of them. Their religion, their courage, their story, their passions, their food culture, their music, their way of dressing up.
Every person I met made my journey special, in a good or sometimes in a bad way.
Frank and his brilliant idea of making money by taking Polaroid photos of tourists on Abbey Road. Momo, my first Muslim friend who introduced me to Ramadan, fasting and enlightened me on why women wear burqas or head scarves. Always patient and welcoming to answer all my ignorant questions.
Cook Island people, how could I forget them? I met them in a remote farm in the middle of nowhere, 1000 km from Sydney. These people moved with their tribes or extended family, from a semi-desert island in the Pacific Ocean to the land of hopes: Australia. Now think of an aboriginal who lives only of fish hunting and trees fruits for his entire life and one day, without knowing ANYTHING outside his little island, moves to a big westernised country, where all he can see is skylines, fast cars, Burger Kings and most of all Alcohol! With no education and guidance, that person will most likely become an alcoholic, obese and will never be able to adapt to the fast pacing lifestyle of a big city. I’ve been asked from one of them how long it took me by car to get to the farm from Italy… obviously she had no idea where Italy was. But I am telling you, I’ve been taught some great life lessons from this people. About generosity, hard work, giving and not asking back. Once one lady told me: “I don’t understand why you people from the west of the world are so attached to money. You look sad. Don’t you see how happy we are? We have no savings, everything we earn, we share it in our community…because what is happiness if not sharing life with people you love?”
I was speechless. And I perfectly agreed with that.
Yasin, escaped from Afghanistan 3 times, travelled for weeks by bus, unstable boats (no seats, no toilet) to finally arrive as a war refugee to Darwin. In his broken English and with his big dark eyes, his brave story gave me shivers. He was younger than me and only God knows what he went through in his life. He made the decision to change his life for better, and he did it alone.
Linda ❤ an Iraqi lady who took care of me like a daughter, preparing me delicious food and caked. I called her Mum (don’t tell my original mum, please). She, her husband and brother in law used to work for 9 months in a raw (no days off) 13-14 h a day to manage to save up to USD 150K, go home and buy properties for their kids and help the rest of their family.
And all the backpackers I met on my way, crazy travellers with no objective in life at all!
Strong stories. Brave people. Incredible adventures. I will never forget them.
All this goodness came to me because I was curious to explore, willing to get out of my comfort zone, to sail out my safe harbour. I’m glad I had the opportunity to see so much, to experience life in different countries, different languages, slang and cultures.
I don’t blame ignorant people, because they have no fault in being born in certain places, surrounded by closed minded folks. But I do blame, people who have the possibility to get out of that hub but not wanting it at all!! Guys who don’t want to improve themselves, thinking that what they are living is the best possible life option. People who travel but don’t open up to different food experiences or meeting random foreigners and hang out with them!
We are so immensely lucky to be born in this part of the world, being educated, having paid jobs, internet and books!
But most of all to have passports who are accepted EVERYWHERE in the world.
Give yourself a gift: TRAVEL and never stop wondering!
Myheadisananimal 