Aγαπώ την Κύπρο

So in a blink of an eye it’s already February.

In precisely 15 days at this hour I have already put all the clothes in the luggages, begged on the flight assistant to not pay for the extra kilos in the bags, passed for the examination cabines nervously even though I have nothing to worry about or to hide and I already sat down in the airplane sits (which hopefully I will be next to the window so I can cry with all my head turned to it while seeing Cyprus being more and more far away from me without being asked if I am alright…of course I am, sure, can’t you see, why to ask??)

I still remember vividly the first time I was in the airplane when it was to begin my experience here in Cyprus. Every image I have from these 6 months are very high coloured, warm and lively. I cannot express how happy I was here and how happy I am reminiscing everything it happened here.

This was the first experience of me being abroad without my parents, without the certainty of what would happen, who I would meet and share house and life with or even if this place would fit me perfectly but all this were things that somehow when I started my journey were forgotten. I was not scared. I was excited to shake hands with everyone I meet and with this new future ahead of me, but never scared.

Well, 6 months are not so much, even less if you feel good and you are busy. And how busy I was with all the tasks and amazing activities Youth Center and OTI gave me during this time. I feel I grown a lot with this project and this Island.

When I came, I was very shy and reserved and I was afraid somehow on giving my own ideas and opinions but with the development of the activities of radio shows, creating events and Imap blogs I feel I overcomed some walls that were inside of me. Of course I still am in a long way of process but at least because of this project I’m not afraid to continue to break chains and expand my mind.

I’m not afraid also to go back home. Of course it’s a bittersweet feeling. I wouldn’t mind staying in Cyprus for a few more months, exploring myself here and the rest of the corners of the country (even though I visited almost everything, from Troodos snowing to Lefkara village with manual tradicional tissues, trying meze in Nicosia with live cypriot greek music and jumping to the warm waters of the Konnos beach.) But because it’s time to leave, it’s good to be grateful about the wonderful time I had and know deep inside that going back to Portugal is also a new beggining. Portugal may not be changed. But I am. I have in my mind a lot of different projects that probably I would never develop if I haven’t experienced this pioneer project. I will try my hardest to not let sadness and nostalgia consume my body. I will miss these days that I call memories now and I already miss the poeple that I crossed paths and who helped me being who am I today but it feels great for me to say that I have them.

I can say that these days were my best days of my life yet but my life is still short to end, so see you somewhere around in the world and like I would say in my radio shows…Stay tuned!