I already mentioned on the first post: around 2008 with a book. That's when it all started. As someone designing a route on Google Maps - point a, point b, directions between the two. The departure and arrival points won't change - unless you want to - but moving the directions' line up, down, right or left, it will find other alternative ways. I knew what I wanted but as much as I tried to predict the route, it would inevitably change with time, never loosing the sight of the destiny. The final goal.
It was good that I've written the first posts. Nowadays I wouldn't remember well the quantity of things I already had in mind so many years ago. I wouldn't remember how long ago it had started. But it was right there. The silence in between is part of those route adjustments we have to make. Everything went more or less without mishaps, "more to the more than less" (we say that in Portuguese, I don't know if it's the same in English). Let me explain myself better: it all went as it had to, full of mishaps. An unfortunate extra year studying; half the salary in the first year of internship (state budget cuts); resignation.
However I never lost sight my very destiny. I risk to say that 90 to 95% of the money I spent these last years were destined directly or indirectly with that goal. Bicycles, material, equipment, books, mountain bike trips... a never-ending number of things. The rest of the money unspent and kept aside will serve the same purpose. The percentage of time that my thoughts were busy with this was inferior, lamentably. Work obliged. Sometimes I felt it (the "point b") as an unhealthy obsession but time showed me that letting it flow made that same obsession taste like determination.
I'm convinced, which day more than the previous one, that every event in our lives are opportunities. Of everything. Of meeting, knowing, learning, growing, turning, changing... living! I finally learned that I may also fail, that not everything is meant to go as planned because after all what doesn't go as planned is precisely what will bring you the taste of life. Resigning my job simply gave me the opportunity to open other doors and windows. I resigned not before ensuring I've done all necessary arrangements to have the final card attesting to be "Architect". Letter sealed and end of story. Now I can move on with my life.
[Just a curiosity... this blog used to be called ArchiCulTouring...]
After resigning I didn't sat down a single week waiting to feel the taste of unemployment. Fernando invited me to pick up pears with him at Cadaval (Portugal). And so did we. By bicycle! Actually it was something I never imagined doing in life. But it is also true that it couldn't have pleased me more. Not even that sweltering August heat in the interior of Portugal made me enjoy it less. Or physical exertion. Nothing could be more opposite than sitting in front of a computer in an office, hours and hours on end, where the head can't stop thinking. There, the hours went by, the buckets (and mouth) were filled with pears and in two blinks of an eye the day was over. The head, itself... clean! I don't know if there's anyone agreeing with me on this, or understanding, or even if they had the opportunity to try... but it's an unspeakable feeling of pleasure...
We continued apple picking and grape harvesting in the same region, invited by the same boss that was very satisfied with our work. We were a click away to decide grape harvesting in France. And, none of us hesitated, we were taking our "baby girls" on the plane so they could be our faithful companions in every necessary travel and on which would our brand new home be rolling. Working with pleasure is something every human being should be untitled to, shall they (too) give themselves the opportunity.
It was in 2008 that everything started but in 2012 too.
What could I say more? I hardly could be happier!
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