Blessing in disguise

Picture this scenario:

You are living somewhere, you got offered a job; excuse me, a shit job. Why shit you ask? well, shit because not only it was insulting (325€/month, my friend's room was 400€/month for fuck's sake!) they even charged you if you wanted to live in! I have a bit of self respect and ignored the offer.

Things gets better. You got offered a job in the South. Faro, a city in which I found a bar that sold 70 cent beers. You moved there with all your hopes and dreams only to be told while having a pizza that you are only going to get paid a minimal fraction of what you were offered during the message exchange. Then, you even got locked out of your previously agreed upon accommodation and a day later actually got kicked out.

But then, things actually got better. Aced an interview to move back to the place I had been wanting to move back for a while. After three weeks of "training" in Lisbon I learnt more Portuguese language than all of my prior years living there, so I'll take that as a very positive experience. Four stars, I'd live in Lisbon again. I had a very small but very, very nice groups of friends. Normally it takes me a while to get on the swing of things when I move to a new place, this was not the case in Lisbon.

After those three weeks in Lisbon, I finally moved back to Ericeira (from now on just E). Then things started to not get better anymore. I mean, I was living in paradise but felt going to jail instead of work. The first few weeks I was living in the hostel, not because I wanted to but because I had to.  Anyone who has lived in Portugal know how difficult is to find a room and how ridiculously expensive is rent. Two months into the new job and my friend told me I looked miserable behind reception. Maybe I did. I was back into the corporate world. One of the main reasons why I fucked off from Guatemala was to leave that stupid world behind, to not be part of the system, to not be just a number, not to make money for someone that didn't give a fuck about and didn't even know me. But there are always two sides of the story? No, wait. That's not it. You use that sentence for something else. While living in E, I had my own life outside of the hostel. I have only managed to do that two or three times so far. I got to eat pregos any day I wanted. Well, except Sundays but you get the idea.

Work environment sucked so much and I was to blame for so many stupid shit that I started to take photos of how I left the hostel before leaving because, since the kitchen and common areas were not locked at night, any-fucking-one could come at whatever-fucking-time and do whatever they fucking wanted and leave said fucking kitchen and fucking common areas completely fucked up. Of course, it was my fault because I was the last one to leave and there was no one staying in the fucking hostel working the night shift...

When my contract didn't get renewed, or in other words, when I got fired. I felt like it was the end of the world, like I was completely fucked. Maybe I was but then I started to see the broader picture. I started to think outside the box. I was miserable there. I didn't enjoy working there. My colleagues didn't like me and I didn't waste my time not liking them back. I just didn't care. For them, I was doing a lousy job but guests thought otherwise. I had reviews mentioning me by name praising the good work I was doing.

But hey, it was not only shite. I was living in motherfucking paradise! I rediscovered surfing. My flatmate told me after a session "I have never seen you smiling this much since you moved back". I couldn't stop smiling that day. It was amazing.

It was the first time I truly enjoyed summer. The first time since the summer of 2012, when I was in Colombia. I celebrated my birthday in Cartagena that year. Last summer? my colleagues "forgot" that it was my birthday... lol. I don't care. I don't need an excuse to go out.

So, like I said. First time in 7 years that I was able to enjoy summer again. I went to see my friends in Sagres, I wanted to check out the hostel I used to work for because they changed name and image. Jesús, the owner, did an amazing job. Go and check it out: The Lighthouse Hostel (this was not paid advertisement).

I went to Lisbon to see my friends there countless of times. I hung out with new friends made in E. I finally got see Porto! Two roadtrips (Galicia - Portugal - Andalucía) and already a few years living in Portugal and never made it up there before last summer. Verdict: I will go back! I did a small roadtrip from E to Peniche with a friend of mine and her friends. I was thankful that I had a good sleeping bag, we slept at the beach but it was fucking cold!

All in all, it was a great summer. I wouldn't change anything. Met so many new people, disconnected from others but that's the cycle of life.

Summer was coming to an end. I didn't quite looked for a job because I was busy enjoying life! Besides, to find a job during the peak of summer you have would have to be very lucky because every business have to be already prepared for the season. Unless some emergency would happen, there were no openings.

I sent emails to hostels to many cities in Portugal and a few in Spain and I only had one reply. Actually, it was not a reply. 2 minutes after sending the email, I got a call from the owners.

I was still in E. I couldn't afford to pay rent anymore if I had none of the monies coming in. I decided to move to Sevilla, Spain and 2 days later I was on my way here, where I'm writing these lines. Sitting on your couch, craving a beer and surprised why I'm even inspired to write without alcohol! Maybe is because you are sitting next to me, doing your own thing but next to me.

That's why that after all the shite I had to go through, that brought me here, allowed me to meet you. And that's a blessing in disguise.

where do I start?

I have been meaning to write something for the past (almost couple of) month(s), but where do I start?

Maybe I should start where I left off...

The long bus ride from Madrid to Lisbon. Ticket lady told me that the bus was full but it wasn't. Was a long ride to Lisbon and a short car ride to Ericeira. I was exhausted after the long flight and long bus ride but I've finally made it! I was in the place that will be my home for the season... who knows, maybe more?

Like many of you know already, I always have a hard and long time adjusting to new places. There had been exceptions but this have been the case lately. I arrived to Ericeira still in low season which made things even harder.

Ericeira was small fishing town. Still have a fishing industry but now instead of fishing the major industry is tourism. Ericeira is regarde to have some of the best surf the world has to offer. I'm sounding like a brochure.

It's smaller than Lagos therefore it doesn't boost the same amount of people. That's where I found the charm of this little town.  It's also home of one of only five World Surfing Reserves around the world. A couple of Kilometres from where I live there's a beach, Ribeira d'Ilhas that host regularly a date in the ASP World Tour.

The first month felt like a year. I barely knew people but that's changing now. I'm meeting more people. There were few guests I could interact with but is beginning to change. Slowly but steady.

A bit over a month ago, a intern started working so I have someone to talk to. At least in the mornings and a few weeks ago, a girl started working here as well,

Things are looking good. I have already found a few favourites: restaurant, pub, snackbar...

Like everywhere in Portugal, here is very cheap as well: beers for 80 cents! They're small but the feeling of paying 80 cents for a beer is unbeatable!!

I have been exploring the area so far. I have been to Cascais and Peniche. Other two surf spots in the country.  Cascais is nice, much bigger than Ericeira but nice. I've heard so much about Peniche and my expectations where so high about it, that once I got there, I was actually a bit disappointed but it not lived to the reputation I've heard it had. Maybe Baleal, not far from Peniche is nicer...

I have three goals for this year: learn how to surf, learn Portuguese and learn how to code.

Let's see how it goes...

I leave you now with some photos I've taken since I arrive.

New Year

I promised that I was going to try to write more. This is me trying to deliver that promise. 

New year, new post, new crap.

It's been three months and 3 days since I got back to Guatemala. A few weeks went by and I already had the first visitor and in the following weeks a friend of mine whom I haven't seen since Roskilde 2011 is coming in a couple of weeks. A couple of more and a good friend from Kraków is coming! And I'm in the process of convincing a guy I met in Portugal to come to Guatemala. Yes Ricky, it's you!

Three months went by, I have been working for 2,5. The last time I was here, I also stayed for three months but I didn't work. I couldn't find a job. That added the melancholic depressive stage I was going through was not not good. Not good at all.

Things are different now. I do have a job. I can put my mind to other things. My mind can drift away from reality for a few hours and listen to travel stories. 

Once, my good friend asked me if I was envious of people traveling (when I was working in Tallinn). I said that I was not. Actually, guests were jealous of me when I said that I had been traveling for X amount of years.

I'm at the beach. I'm staying in a Surfhouse in the Guatemalan Pacific. Makes me wish I should have learnt how to surf in Lagos. I set myself the goal to learn how to surf when I go back. That and also to go kayaking, it was free for me to do it for fuck's sake!

I'm at the beach. I'm in Guatemalan Pacific. I shouldn't be in front of the laptop attempting to write. I should and go into the ocean. Hmmm, maybe not that but still, I should go to the beach and finish reading The Beach (for the second time). 

Yeah, I should to that. 

Small post but it's the first of the year and I wrote something last week meaning that if I continue at this pace, this year is going to be good for writing... I hope.

Happy New Years peeps!

PS. no beer or Vodka Juniors were used in the writing of this post. Instead, three cups of coffee and a healthy breakfast... That's a first!