12 monkeys or what have I been up to...

 If you have been following my crappy writing for the past few years, you know that most of the years I write something to commemorate my "travel anniversary". When logging in, I actually discovered that I had two drafts. Didn't even remember I had them. One is from mid February and the other one is from late November, both from last year.

Not even to start writing about what was all that shite about. ugh!

Like it's a tradition, I think, here's the list of the places I've spent the super mega lame 14th of November:

2010: Prague
2011: Berlin
2012: Tallinn
2013: Tallinn
2014: Kraków
2015: Antigua
2016: Donosti
2017: On the road in Central America
2018: Graná
2019: Sevilla
2020: Porto

Every time it has been different and every time I had been in a different state of mind. This year is not a much different. Except for the fact that I'm overwhelmed by a lot of shit that I cannot control and that, unfortunately, affects my life in this planet I didn't ask to be born in.

I feel like that one Vodka Juniors song: Shadows in the Sunset. I feel like a shadow that will always chase the sunset. 

Actually, I was telling someone this very morning, that I write less shite when I'm listening to Vodka Juniors.  If you know a bit, you know that they're my favourite band. I'm actually wearing their tshirt. Wait, was I unconsciously thinking that I wanted to write something? Maybe, guatever. Suddenly, this song came on on the playlist: Waves. Coincidence? I will never know...

Like I said before, I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the shite I'm going through. I wish it was up to me to solve it, but there's the bureaucracy of a government that it's fucking me up. 

On top of that, we still have that motherfucking fucking virus making its round in this planet I didn't ask to be born in. Fucked up my plans of going back home and hug my mum, haven't seen her in over 4 years. That's too way fucking much.

I have been living in Porto for practically 5 months. It was hard to leave Lagos but it was something I needed. Something I had to do. My life down there was slowly going on a downward spiral, which good NIN album, by the way. I won't end like the man's story detailed in the album though.

Porto is an amazing city. I like it more than Lisbon, fuck me right? I mean, I still like Lisbon a lot but there is something about Porto that makes it, amazing.

Not sure how long will I stay in Porto. Forever is a long time. But I'm open to guatever it may happen. I'm open to guatever the universe will bring on to me. Whether I like it or not, I guess it will up to me.

I looked up to the top of the page and I realized that the title of the post is somehow weird. I'm weird so it shouldn't come as a surprise. But let me explain: it's just because of the number 12. 12 Monkeys is dystopian future movie with Bruce Willis. Not that I'm hoping for a personal dystopian future of my own, it's jut a play on words. Or numbers.

what I have learnt

The other day I read my friend's facebook status, it was something like: "this is what I know by now". After reading that I felt inspired to (attempt to) write a few thoughts and well, this is what I have learnt (or not) so far during my time on the road:

I have learnt through hitchhiking...

that there are still good people in the world. Basically I learnt to trust people. Maybe too much I may add. I've hitchhiked all over Europe, Central America, Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador and never, NEVER had a bad experience. Alright, I had a bad one: when my brilliant travel companion managed to get all our shit stolen.
Since I'm a shy person, HHing helped overcome my shyness. Given the situations I get myself into I've become a more resourceful person. 

I have learnt that friendship... 

is when true friends will be there regardless if you talk to or see them often. Last time I was in Guate it was so disappointing that the vast majority of my "friends" couldn't even take 30 min (or even less!) to say "qué putas vos serote?".  Only one took an hour of his time to have a coffee with me. A very few other hung out with me, hosted me, helped me (after being robbed of all my material possessions), to you my friends... a HUGE THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIENDS!
I have closer friendships with people I met only once  or with people that I have recently met than with those I have known for years. 

I have learnt...

how to leave my comfort zone. My first time in Europe I didn't hitchhike, I didn't even know the existence of CS, had no idea of what the fuck rideshare meant. I flew, I took trains and I stayed in hostels. 

That was then. This is now: I don't give a fuck wether if I stay in someone's couch or if I have to squat the small house (?) where the bank machine is. I always, alright not always, but 95% of my transportation within Europe has been done by hitchhiking. One thing is true: never flown inside Europe but I'm not counting connections to get to my final destination (I flew from Paris to Oslo and from Reykjavík to Brussel). I dumpster dive now.
I've become more persistent after being turned down for rides and having so maaaaany bad looks when I ask for a ride. I've learnt to be more tolerant for the same reason. And patient for the same reason.

When it comes to my romantic relationships... eeerr... hmmm
I have learnt... absolutely nothing!!!

I will keep making the same mistakes. Hhmm, they were not mistakes, maybe wrong choices? At the time didn't seem wrong...  So maybe, unlucky? One thing for sure is that I will never learn. I crossed the fucking Atlantic Ocean... twice and both times didn't work out but I'm sure I would do it again. Thank God my survival instinct is very much alive (now) and is preventing me to do dumber things. I still do dumb things. 

No, wait. I did learn something: take a hot shower and finish it with a cold one... but it's much nicer with her beside me.

I have learnt...
to be more patient. I had no other option. Once I was stuck for 12 hours in the same petrol station, although 6 of that half day were spent sleeping. Now I have a more positive attitude. During those 6 hours all I was thinking was that I didn't want to sleep in the bushes again!

I have learnt...
that karma does exist and it sucks!

I have learnt...
to never trust the police. I didn't trust them one bit before but in Colombia they were very nice so we left our shit at the police station in the beach town of Taganga and they kept my laptop and the girl's camera. It was broken but for me had more sentimental value and besides, I was going to fix it once I reached Guatemala.

I have learnt...
to become detached of material things. Not that I'm going to give you something I use but if I can live without it, then it's your! A guest gave me an awesome bicycle and 5 seconds later I had someone in mind to give it to. Never crossed my mind to sell it.

I have learnt...
not to plan. When I started traveling that was my main goal, go with the flow. I tried to stick to it, so far I have been successful except in two occasions, I will try to not have a third one but then again knowing me...

I have learnt...
that people is more important than places. To explain this I will use quote I used before that is actually one of my favorite ones because is so true! is from the movie "The Art of Travel" and it goes like this: "the only thing that matters in life is the people that you love, the hugs, the kisses (...) the actions we don't think about".

I don't know what else I have learnt and the song that I'm listening to right is not letting me think what to write. Well, I guess that these are the main things I have learnt.