Last November I left, alone, with a lot of hope and a lot of desire to take my life back into my hands.
I had many jobs under my belt and felt that I was ready for this great new adventure, I was ready to overcome my fears especially the biggest one, the fear of being alone.
I did not expect the big change that it would actually bring to my routine, my life, and especially my emotions.
It was early November and my first destination of the trip was Porto, here I had chosen my usual trusted hostel, Selina which is located exactly in the center of the city.
Impressions of the first day
Already from the first day, I realized that this city had something magical about it, it had something different from the others; here, as in my beloved Mexico, I felt comfortable and at home. The fear of being alone left almost immediately, that same evening, when preparing my dinner in the kitchen I met my first friends: Veronica, Noorin, and Hussein.
Every day since then I have met new people who have been with me on this adventure and supported me in the moments when I needed them most.
They definitely helped me at the time when one of the people I cared about the most decided it was time to remove me from his life and I had a time when I felt lost and especially betrayed.
It happens to everyone you will say, yes of course, but when you really care about people problems are solved with dialogue and cooperation when so many things get in the way (past, feelings, and especially fear of facing things you are not ready for) things are not as easy as you think.
The City
If I had to say something in particular about Porto I would call it a city with a soul, a city that gives you its life and embraces you with its simple and authentic atmosphere.
Here you are surrounded by Portuguese, you hear the language everywhere, and in every corner, you turn it all seems to be built inside a movie.
The best way to visit Porto? On foot! You may not know it but it is my favorite way to discover the cities and places I visit. I don’t like to take transportation if I don’t have to, I love to smell the scents, experience the atmosphere enjoy the moment, and be able to go into unknown corners and streets.
Here I had the feeling that everyone lived slowly, the alleys leading from the cathedral to Riberia reminded me of Italy, narrow, colorful, and full of magic. The day in Matosinhos brought me back to my favorite element, water, for the first time I knew the Atlantic and was fascinated by the coastline and the waves that washed up on the beach.
Yeah, they can really say it, Porto quickened me, brought me for a while to find myself and to understand how much the contact with new cultures is leading me to radically change my way of seeing and living life, lighter, free and following one spirit, that of letting go.
Everything has its own course and if we want or desire something sooner or later it comes back to us, often when we least expect it!
This taught me, Porto, that we can have all the expectations in the world, and then things, cities, and people surprise us.
After three weeks it was time to leave Porto and move to Lisbon, but a little piece of my heart remained there and I hope to return soon to get it back.
