Search for reality...

Time have passed, as the same as places and people I have met.

On every place, there have been those experiences that leave you marks, or footprints. Those things that start to build a little of a new yourself.

And then again comes the question after that... What is reality? or what is real? and I don't mean it in a philosophical matter, but I would say more in an emotional and mental way of perceiving life, of following your dreams (or just keep dreaming itself).

I'm a dreamer, there is no doubt of that... And some times I've been admired by that, and some others I've been warned that it is not "the right way" to live.

And when I find this kind of persons, I just wonder what kind of life they had, what kind of experiences made them just decide that it is dangerous or not wise to follow your dreams. That instead it is better to "sentar cabeza" (from Spanish, "to seat down your head") because dreams can't fit in the "real world".

Right now I'm not going to say that they are right or wrong. I will just say that they had made a decision, as the same way I made a decision.

That is how I see life, it is a path of decisions you take, that leads you to the next experience, and for some, that experience is something they had always identified in their life, and for others there are always new experiences to discover.

In here, the important thing to consider is just that... the fact that you live YOUR life, the life you choose to live, and not the life you are expected to live, the life of others.

How was it in 2007...

I'm stealing this from Laurita's blog. In my case, I went through the first 9 questions and then just decided to answer them to get inspiration for my next post.

So, you can continue reading if you like, and you can also use these questions for yourself...

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Joined a Skydiving group. Danced salsa on the ice (while ice skating). Jumped almost naked in the snow/lake after being in 80 to 100 degrees sauna.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not typical on me, though I still have 10 passes to go to the gym that I got on my birthday. I should really give a good use of it...

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Luisa Fernanda in Colombia, she gave birth to Juan.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandma "Pepita" and Juan.

5. What countries did you visit?
Estonia (well, it's a loooong visit), Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Egypt, Greece, England, Hungary, Spain and bought the tickets to go to Turkey in Feb 2008.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
It has been a very good year, even there has been tough moments, they are also very needed and even welcome. I would like a little more sun and chances to go to a nice beach though...

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
So far the only date I can always remember and that I can connect with some specific fact is the 24th of September (but actually of 2006) when I arrived in Estonia to start my new adventure. And the other "date" so far would be April (2008 though) since at the moment is the date that I have as an end of this experience and as a beginning of the next

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
That I have found good options for my next new adventure... stay tune for more details ;-)

9. What was your biggest failure?
To loose important people for me and to let myself go into depression due different circumstances.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The worst I can remember was a terrible cold I got during Xmas, nothing more.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
All the airplane/boat/bus tickets to the places I've travelled :-)

12. Who made you happy this past year?
Puf! So many people I have met, it will be a very loooong list. I will summarise by saying the groups they belong to: International in Tallinn, AIESEC Estonia, friends that stay in touch virtually due distances :-) Thank you all of you!

13. Who made you depressed or left you disappointed?
I will not write down a name here, since anyway time is what will cure everything.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Go back to question number 5 and you will know ;-)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Ideas, challenges, feeling the music and the energy it brings, mentoring.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Read the title of this blog...

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder?
Don't remember how I was feeling last year on this date, but I guess it was with a lot of expectations. Today, I'm more calm, although I'm still waiting for some things to concrete.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Have more challenges. Have done more exercise also (or dancing more too :-) there is never enough dancing!)

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about external conditions and let them influence me and my choices.

20. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes.

23. How many one-night stands?
Those who made this questionnaire are very nosey...

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I have a TV, but I don't have cable. I use it only to connect my laptop to it and watch movies. Some really good ones: What the Bleep do we Know, Love and other disasters, The Corporation, L' Aubergue Espagnol, L' Aubergue Espagnol: Les Poupess Russes

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone, life is wonderful without hate. (I insist, very nosey people who made this questionnaire...)

26. What was the best book you read?
The 8th Habit, highly recommended.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Shantel! Disco Disco Partizani!!! hehehe... and some other Turkish artist, few songs but very good ones :-)

28. What did you want and got?
And unforgettable life-changing experience! I'm now looking forward for the next!

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Check question 24, and add to the list: Persepolis

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Friends came home, we shared a great time together and then we went to a disco. The night ended with a very nice walk to the center with nice company, then back home and yep, I became 28 :-)

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Not big changes... shorter hair than previous years though, it seems that I'm becoming a little more formal... or maybe not...

34. What kept you sane?
Patience and good friends around.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Singers, among them: Ricardo Arjona, Alejandro Sanz and Gilberto Santa Rosa.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Venezuela.

37. Who did you miss?
Family in both places, Venezuela and Colombia. Good friends, although thanks to technology we have kept in touch. My father.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Ankur and Zlata

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
For this question I will take the eight Paradoxical Commandment by Dr. Kent M. Keith because it in fact explains very well what I have learned this year...

"What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build it anyway"

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Ah! I will have to go back to the tittle of this blog... "La vida va y viene... y no se detiene..." (Life comes and goes... and it never stops)