As soon as I got into the public transport to arrive to my 9/5 job, I had the same feeling of each day, the thought that life could not be just that… Passing 3 to 4 hours in traffic, being in front of a computer for 9 hours and arriving home so tired that the only thing you wanted to do was sleeping.
Our life is so valuable that it was not logical for me to spend it in that methodic and banal way, for what reason? Money? My salary wasn’t even enough, my answer: it was not worth it! Therefore, with this thought in mind, I began to search for alternatives… I just wanted to know what was outside there. How other countries look like? Other cultures…
So I decided to apply to a master in Europe, as I didn’t had the money for my life changing adventure, studying was the best way to get an scholarship that allows me to live abroad. I made a research and I found that Milan in Italy was the most suitable city to launch my life project; as an architect I love restauration and interior design, and the universities from this city offers me the master that I was looking for.
I passed one year and a half learning Italian and getting all the paperwork ready to apply to both the master and the scholarship. I put all my chances on a unique option; I’ve chosen only one master and only one scholarship, so it was that or nothing; that’s how I’ve always behaved in my life, I’m convinced that if you only have one option you will put all your energy to that, because it doesn’t exist an option B.
On March 2016, I received my acceptance letter to the master, on July 2016, I received the acceptance of the scholarship and on September 11 of 2016 I got into the plane that brought me to Milan, leaving all my life behind me, my family, my friends and all the things I used to know…
I got this tattoo on the summer of 2017 on a small visit to my home country Colombia as a representation of my journey and its meaning. I’ve always wanted a tattoo that represents something special to me, so I put all my effort in this; it is designed by myself as a result of putting together different symbols that means exactly that I wanted my tattoo to say. I know that each symbol comes from a different culture that were not supposed to be together, but they matched so perfectly that I just went with it.
For that reason, I want to share its meaning with you
From bottom to top:
Three points: There is still so much to live (the thought that makes me take the decision)
Two arrows: I create my own destiny (the believe that put in action my journey)
The pathway: An Unalome from the Buddhist culture, it begins with the spiral that represent a moment of confusion, when you don’t know what to do with your life (back in my country), then the path begins (my travel), not always straight, with some nodes that even they confused you again they made you learn and evolve.
The Om (ॐ) symbol: The combination of the physical with the spiritual. One of my travel’s goals was finding myself, understanding who I was and what do I like, as soon as I manage to connect with my inner spiritual self I will find the real me.
The Lotus: Once I’ll find myself, I will flourish.
The Circle (the universe): And I will be connect with the energy of the universe
That was the beginning, and it has been many adventures since then, I will continue my journey in the research of myself. Moreover, in the meanwhile, I am going to share with you my life experience, the Pao’s Journey.
Pao's Journey 