Living With No Parachute

Two years and eight months ago I left all the life I had in Lisbon and arrived to this city full of expectations, dreams, excited with the new possibilities and with many ideas in my mind.

Time flew by. It went so quickly I almost forgot it has been almost three years and that this will be the third Christmas that I'll be arriving on an airplane to spend a few days with family and friends and catch up on any major and minor tiny detail, knowing that my time is limited. It's still a weird experience.

All my dreams, expectations... didn't come out as I predicted. But with so many ups and downs (actually more downs!), two things happened: I've rediscovered myself in so many ways I could never imagined and also, even going through many tough times and experiences I could never wish for myself or anybody I love, I've been managing to be here on my own, taking care of myself counting only on me. And I've never felt so proud of me as now. I got tough enough to handle it, saw Life from so many other perspectives and lived on the edge for so many times and for so long that I'm really proud. 

This is totally leaving the comfort zone and throw oneself to the unknown without realising it. Because one believes that we have all under control and things are going to happen accordingly to what was planned. Well, it happens to some people. Great! It was not my case. And it hurts like hell... No one can understand unless it puts the sames shoes on.

But nobody will take away from me the perception, the experience and knowledge about real Life with no "social parachute" - friends, parents, money, contacts in the market, the gap you then realise exists between the tiny market you used to work in and the giant global one you've just landed with different processes and shaping the rules in Technology...

It's a precious gift from my two years and eight months that have changed me in many ways. I would like to think that it has been for the better.