THE JOURNEY | Danielle Paiva (Guest Series: 10)

“A man needs to travel. By his own, not through stories, pictures, books or TV. He needs to travel by himself, with his eyes and feet, to understand what is his. To one day plant his own trees and value them. Knowing the cold to enjoy the heat. And the opposite. Feel the distance and absence of shelter to be well under his own roof. A man needs to travel to places that he does not know to break this arrogance that makes us see the world as we imagine it, and not simply as it is or can be. That makes us teachers and doctors of what we have not seen, when we should be students, and simply go and see.”

This text by Amyr Klink has always inspired me. I discovered my passion for travel (exploring places), languages ​​(knowing how to communicate) and photography(recording moments) in 2005, when I did my first exchange program at the age of 17. In July I went with a group of young Brazilians to take a basic English course in Toronto, Canada. This group trip, which was guided, was organized and with well-planned itineraries. I do not deny that there are certain advantages in this type of trip, such as the feeling of greater security and convenience. But after I started traveling alone, I have never stopped.

After graduating from high school, I went to the USA. Although my brother lived in the same city, I chose to live on the college campus where my English school was located. I shared the apartment with another Brazilian, one Japanese and two Korean girls. I saw how interesting it is to live with different nationalities, learn about their cultures and enjoy their food. One detail is that at the end of that same year I had a car accident there which left me in a coma for days. Very thankful to the first-world health system where I was admitted to a public hospital, I could recover very well and that burns inside of me the desire to travel even more.

By returning to Brazil to finish my recovery closer to my family, I ended up attending college there. Still, during the holidays I traveled with the purpose of improving my Spanish and of course, venturing out. I spent a month in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a month in Santiago, Chile, and a month in Spain (15 days in Seville and 15 in Granada). In the first two countries I stayed in hostels in shared rooms. An excellent option for those who want to save money and meet backpackers, people from the most diverse countries with an open mind and a lot of history to tell. In Spain, I decided to stay in host families, offered by the school itself. Great option for those who want to learn the language and experience the local culture.

After graduating from college, I went to live for a year in Heidelberg, in Southern Germany. I stayed in this same homestay scheme to improve my German. I couldn't have chosen a better city. Small, romantic and full of students! In fact, this country enchanted me for its culture, education, people, beer and passion for football. That same year, I bought my dream backpack and for three months, every weekend I took the train to visit a new country or other German cities.

This year was so rich for me with stories, experiences and photos that I would spend pages and pages to describe it. But in summary, during the week I planned the short trip through the famous Google tool and backpacker blogs. I created my own travel plan with the main sights I wanted to visit and it all depended on where the reserved hostel was located. I recall well my own satisfaction of taking the train to the unknown! During this period I went to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Berlin, Cologne, Freiburg, Munich, Ulm and other towns in Germany, Paris and Strasbourg (France), Prague (Czech Republic), Gouda, The Hague and Amsterdam (Netherlands), Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp (Belgium), Salzburg, Innsbruck and Vienna (Austria), Zurich, Schaffhausen, Morges and Montreux (Switzerland), Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), Milan, Pisa, Venice, Florence and Rome (Italy).

Despite my preference for traveling alone, I can't help mentioning the places I went with my running team. A very cool alternative for those who travel abroad accompanied and still want to have fun losing a few pounds (laughs). We participated in half-marathons (running or being a support team) and as a prize we brought many pictures and stories in the luggage. We went to Oahu (Hawaii), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), and Tromso (Norway). I was fascinated by the beaches of Hawaii, I was surprised by the friendliness of the Africans (and can’t help to mention the safari which was unforgettable... it is beautiful to observe the animals in their natural habitat) and I fell in love with the untouchable beauty and the fjords of Norway (besides to have been very curious to participate in the race that starts at midnight with the sun cracking).

And I didn't stop there. I also studied Hotel Management in Leysin, a Swiss commune famous for its ski resort. It was a 5-month postgraduate course, but the stunning landscapes of this place did not let get stressed with the stricted and fast forward schedule. After graduation, I got a job in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. I was part of a pre-opening team at a Hilton hotel, worked as a hostess at a Starwood resort and finally worked in the lobby of the world's tallest hotel, Marriott. A magnificent experience of two years, through which I was able to get to know Arab culture a little better, to know how to deal with Indian chefs and to see up close this previously unimaginable wealth and glamour.

Finally, I had the chance to return to Brazil to become an entrepreneur and try to earn enough funds to continue traveling around the world. From everything I've lived so far, I can say that definitely traveling allows people to improve themselves. For becoming more independent, courageous, tolerant, happy, sociable, in addition to the positive aspect of often valuing what they have in their own country (returning to Amyr Klink). Whoever has the opportunity, should explore what this world has to offer. After all, at the end of our lives there is no use for the many material goods we have and rather the various experiences captured by photography.

 If you like this Journey please Comments below. Wish you all, Happy Independence Day 2020.

By: Danielle Paiva | Country: Brazil

Entrepreneur, Author