Isn′t life always like this 2

Exactly one year ago I have been standing in pouring rain at the Monte Cristo monument in Rio de Janeiro. (https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/isnt-life-always-like-evelyn-kloetzer?trk=mp-reader-card)

I remember it as if it was yesterday. Up there – after 3 or 4 days of heavy rain in high summer season and me being depressed for it – everything changed. The situation was just too ironic, just me and maybe two more tourists made it up there, it has turned out to be the funniest experience ever. We had zero view on the city because of mist and were as wet as we could get, standing in pouring rain. It was a turning point for me on that vacation, all of a sudden my depression changed into a sort of “this is so unbelievable unique, that it′s actually really great” feeling.

I′ll also never forget the night bus tour I booked to see Rio at night….I still regret I didn′t tape the whole happening. After getting on the bus the tour guide “took some safety actions in case someone uninvited wants to get on the bus”. Yeah, didn′t make me feel very safe, neither the fact that people were asked to take off their jewellery before getting off the bus. When walking through the city center we had to wait at each corner if policemen were around “because at night we should only move around when police is visible”. Now I am laughing about it, didn′t laugh back then.

But since this first long distance trip many things have changed. Little things (obviously a trip to Rio didn′t change my life, let′s be honest), but still. Ever since I am trying to do things that scare me a bit just to find out they are not so scary at all. Including a balloonride with (a little) emergency landing last year. This year, for the first time in my life I have almost figured out my vacation plans for the entire year, thing that has never happened before. I never had any vacation plans and mostly decided very last minute what to do. So this year, a very scary trip is on the plan. NY (very funny) - not the location obviously (however, probably scarier than ever these days), but because of the fact that I will go with my mum to stay for 9 days. My mum doesn′t speak English, she is almost deaf and refuses to use a hearing-aid because it “itches”. Also, she doesn′t use a mobile when travelling. My mum and I never really travelled together. This is definitely much scarier than Rio de Janeiro alone (Losing her on time square, no English, not hearing anything, no mobile).

But at the end everything is going to be fine, Rio was fine, travelling with my mum will be fine. A trip to Canada is also on the list this year and it will also be fine. Message: do the things you want to do, the things you′re scared of, be brave or stick with regret. For me it′s travelling, whatever it is for you, do it! Don′t expect big changes out of it, but little, significant ones. It′s about creating memories.