2017

Karlstad University, Sweden

I like to consider myself as someone who is ready to move to another place rapidly. I always have prepared for that since moving out of my country 13 years ago. However, in reality, I was relatively stable in most places when I moved somewhere. 2012 - 2018, Lisboa. 2018 - 2023, Atlanta. 2023 onward Anchorage. However, 2017 is an exception. In certain sense, it also feels like the peak of craziness. In a good way. I moved between countries real rapid. Portugal -> Belgium -> Portugal (and then some back and forth between Portugal and Belgium) -> Belgium -> Saudi Arabia -> Belgium -> Portugal. A year that tested my limits and also the summit of "seek discomfort." It is also the year I traveled most. I went to 9 new countries - and 16 countries in total in that single year. Often I have thought about this year. I have even tried to intentionally overtake the record of 2017. The last time I put a serious effort was 2020. But then the pandemic hit and ruined the plans. Although I tend to believe my subsequent years 2019 and 2024 have greatly overtaken my 2017 in general, the peak of adventures, discoveries, new lands, travels, and sleepless nights (there was a 60-hours no sleep for 2 nights) of my 2017 have left 2017 sort of a peak in my life. I still think of overtaking the year at some point. But not everything can be planned. Stuff happens organically and 2017 had its magical moments.