There are intricate moments in your life where you sit back and remember the experiences, the failures and the progression to where you are. This post is at a time I returned to Sydney in an unplanned manner due to the Coronavirus state border closures and travel restrictions of today. I had planned to move to Melbourne and was staying prior to being stuck here on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
It is a time of reflection. So rather than type by words entirely, I thought being visual about reminiscing experiences was better. I created a tree of life. This tree continues to grow beyond this post, my 100th post published on this blog. The image of this tree is fixed in this moment.
Now to celebrate each part of my tree…
Sydney, Australia
This is the city that opened up so many opportunities to me, but my darkest moments also occurred here. In essence this dichotomy of good and bad, happy and sad is to be embraced now. It is the essence of experience to never quite be where you want to be in the moment but arriving there eventually with lessons of the ups and downs shaping you.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
In 2011 after years of study and hard work it was finally time to complete a year of student exchange in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I studied a Bachelor degree in International Studies with a focus on Latin America. This gave me an amazing opportunity to live in this city after some years learning Spanish and experiencing some of the intricate social elements of the location. Language is good for the soul and mind.
Auckland Harbour Bridge, New Zealand
When I was 4 years old my Dad obtained work in Auckland, New Zealand. I was born in Australia but we drove on this bridge often to and from my primary school. I lived in the centre of Auckland at one point but attended primary school on Auckland’s North Shore. I drove across this bridge many mornings, looking over Waitemata Harbour. It reminds me of my first time influenced outside the English language where I learnt Maori words. It was here that growth as a young person began. We should always appreciate each stage of life.
La Universidad Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City
I was completing two bachelor degrees in Australia and my second one was in Communications focused on social and political sciences. I applied to do another exchange in LA UNAM, Mexico for 6 months after completing my compulsory year for the International Studies degree in Argentina. My Spanish needed this time to further develop and it shows that when an opportunity arises you need to jump on it. My Spanish understanding would not be what it is today without this time in Mexico.
Sâo Paulo, Brasil
I had been lucky to experience the Spanish speaking world but I decided Sâo Paulo was where I’d complete my master degree study in Urban and Regional Planning. I took a 3 month desperate trip in 2017 to save this dream, meeting with local urban design professionals and practicing Portuguese. In the end I decided Barcelona would be a better fit to finish my master degree, but I learnt a lot about the city. My particular study focus on Placemaking showed me different experiences with the urban practice. It gives you an idea of how much is gained with diverse thinking.
TAFE NSW, Ultimo Campus, Sydney
In High School I was a bit naughty 🙂
I always loved English and Geography but I didn’t apply myself enough and did not get the marks to enter university. I always knew that a university education was what I needed to do.
So, I decided to complete an entry course into university and I passed well enough to follow my education interests. The decision to study here was my first step into not applying myself, applying myself and succeeding. It was a time I learnt that success comes if you try and try again.
La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Recently I finally completed my master degree study in Barcelona. Where I lived was down the road from La Sagrada Familia and it was nice to be constantly reminded of where my life journey had taken me. This building was like a reminder each moment I walked by on the warming days of mid 2020. Life needs visual symbols sometimes to mark the emotions you feel in a moment.
Chiang Rai, Thailand
In 2010 I decided to do a few months Volunteering in the northern area near Chiang Rai, Thailand. It was everything I had hoped. My eyes opened to a world unseen and a path to understanding the Asian culture surrounding me. I had recently broken up from my first relationship. This trip began a more independent version of myself. It shows how pain can create a re imagining of your understanding, depending on what you decide to do with it.
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
In 2014 this was the first hospital I was rushed to after falling 15 metres or 3.5 floors off a building. I owe my life to this hospital through their immediate care and services. It taught me the relevance of healthcare services and why money should always be invested in improving the health sector. I would be dead today if these services had not existed at such a crucial time.
The Desert
There have been several moments in my life when deserts and their isolation have influenced me. I’ll give three examples of this. The first was when I visited the Atacama in Northern Chile and through to Bolivia on my first international trip (outside of New Zealand and Australia). The second was a visit to the desert lands north of Mexico City, so much stunning beauty in a foreign land with me, some friends and the endless stars. The third was 6 months after my big accident in 2014 travelling through the Australian Desert and it was a stunning experience to witness such an intriguing part of the country. I learnt how the environment can shape our emotions.
Maubisse, Timor Leste
I had just completed my university work after a scholarship taking me to Timor Leste, a small country next to Indonesia. I had little money as it was at a time that suitable work in Sydney was never found after my accident. I was about to embark on a trip to Brazil for saving a long distance relationship and my final master degree study plan in Sâo Paulo. This small trip into the mountains was docile, thoughtful and full of wonder in a land I never knew before. Be open to enjoy the endless possibilities of life.
Chiapas, Mexico
The time I lived in Mexico gave me the opportunity to see a good amount of this amazing country. I really detest the bad press Mexico gets in Hollywood movies and the media. I loved every moment of Chiapas when I was there. Exploration really does open the mind.
Pablito...travelling mentally with you! 
Thank you Paul. Very interesting. To leave our country is in itself an incredible experience. Moments in time. Feelings for ever.