There I was, I don’t know how many feet above the ground, swimming in the clouds of the unknown, looking at life from a different perspective, hanging in the air, uncertain if we would make it or not, as with every risk comes a tiny fear of the unknown, but oddly, I had never felt more grounded and steadier in my entire life.

One of the most beautiful paradoxes in life is that adrenaline rush we get when we take a risk (even if well calculated in my case of obsessive–compulsive personality disorder case) that somehow makes us feel that life is worth it. It makes us feel safe, on the right track, while pumping the biggest amount of blood from our sometimes hibernating, little stone hearts.

I have been stuck in a phantom zone, a dead ghost town, swimming in the numbness that life made me absorb and feel, unable to fight it or do anything about it at some point.

Sometimes the tiniest ray of hope can restore the balance in our being, set our souls on fire, and remind us of what really matters in this thing called life on this other thing called Earth.

What am I trying to say, you might be wondering?

With the fire burning in my heart after I took a long-awaited trip feeding my passion, which is traveling, I exposed myself (besides to COVID-19, delta, omicron, or whatever) to the new, enormous, gorgeous cultures of life, saw life through different lenses and points of view, tasted new food, breathed new air, and felt the history of another country.

With this fire, I am here today to recommend feeding your soul with whatever wakes it up and hits the reset button for your body and heart. If you were waiting for a sign, this is it.

Life is not fair sometimes, and from my little trip on mother Earth, I can honestly tell you it will not be fair anytime soon. But what if we take those small decisions that make us happy, that change our grey ambiance into a rainbow of colors, and work our assess off to achieve them step by step, even if it meant leaving our security blanket at home sometimes?

And since we all are in the trend of watching “Squid Game” and all those extreme life and death manga games, I see life as one big squid game where we might (and most probably will) get killed pursuing money, winning, and whatnot, so we might as well reflect on what really makes us happy—small or big—and chase after that feeling, that peace.

Because as those games teach us, people can be deceiving. Nothing is permanent—it can end in a bit, it can go wrong in the flinch of an eye. Nothing is certain or permanent; the only constant is change.

So yes, be ballsy, go after what you want, make what makes you happy a priority, put it first, pursue it, and aim for the win that matters to you—not the one that matters to society, not the one that makes you feel normal or convenient.

Be different. Be you. Be unique.

Floating in the clouds still, there I was, in peace, happily smiling for no apparent reason to people because what seemed like a normal trip to others was an exhilarating experience that still makes my heart jump every time.

And as I was reminded of this beautiful feeling, I now take a vow to keep it alive and well, and it will ignite my daily routine and turn it into a chase—a daily race to win my own authenticity and to keep myself going.

Would you take this crazy trip with me?

~