Since the early age of consciousness awakening, I started to develop a strong interest in philosophy. While some were talking over Barbies or the colors of their marbles, I was questioning myself on life: “Who am I? Who is this person I only see in the mirror, but feel so much inside? Why do I think this way, why do I react like that? What makes me like what I like? What makes me distaste what I dislike? What is the meaning of this life?” All those interrogations were indeed part of the human process and they inevitably were a significant part of my growing years.

During my younger years, I was always the quiet child of the pack, blessed with an active imagination. I would dream of many adventures alongside Huckleberry Finn and Jim, navigating a powerful river aboard a wooden raft.  In a parallel universe I would be Huck, Jim would be my lionheart, the river would be my society, the raft would be my freedom.

My early existentialism has given me a strong sense of purpose. I had big dreams. I had big thirst. I started to build a lifelong bucket list and worked on making my goals a reality.

When I left the comfortable and safe ground of my hometown, I flew high and proud. I wasn’t scared, I had so much to live and accomplish! I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast of the country, a backpack with a teenage life on my shoulders, carrying the little English that I knew and left for my first big adventure. I then got bitten by the travel bug. 

Studying Cinema at University was, for me, money and time consuming. Travels on the other hand, became the best form of education. The most fulfilling lessons I’ve learnt are from the experiences I gained while travelling and from the people I met along the road: a 5- foot tall guide in Nepal taught me strength and compassion; a praying monk in Tibet in a temple at the foothills of the Himalayas taught me hope; kids playing in the slums of India have taught me in the way of wisdom; a little boy in a jungle of Thailand taught me simplicity and pure happiness; a hard working BICI taxi guide in Cuba taught me not to worry because in the end, everything will turn out okay. ”No matter what is going on around you, just hold on and be strong. Smile again, because you’re alive and you can”.

Some might think I’m irrational to be in my late 20’s and not having a successful recognized career, a fixed home and a family with munchkins. Some might think I’m a foolish bum for travelling around and coming back broke, filling my pockets working at some of the most beautiful places in the world, and doing it all over again.  But those things that I gain from those unique experiences are worth a life of gold. I am already rich.

‘‘Travels are the only thing you buy that make you richer”.

‘’Work to live, not live to work’’.

So what is it in life that I am searching for? I already know what I want: to be happy everyday. As long as I nurture my dreams, accomplish my goals, cultivate compassion… As long as live less in the past or the future and live more in the present (it is not about the pursuit of happiness: it is about being happy today. While we focus so much on working on our future happiness we forget how happy this present moment really is)… As long as I can open my heart with love, be grateful for what I have and keep myself surrounded by inspiring people, I know I will achieve. 

So maybe we shouldn’t focus too much on searching for that one meaning. Perhaps everything that we own, in our hearts and in our souls are really all what matter.

Maybe it’s not always about the meaning of life, but a life full of meanings.

”It is physically and psychologically healthy for a human being to have a strong sense of purpose. The state of mind you have when you’re absorbed in the accomplishment of a purpose is called “flow,” which is an engaged, pleasant state of focus. Those who have learned to develop a sense of purpose and who have learned to become engrossed in the achievement of purposes are the most likely to be happy and healthy. This has been shown in scientific studies and in everyday observations. Happy people are purposeful people because the most reliable self-created source of happiness is taking action along a strongly-held purpose”.-Albert Einstein