Summary of my 2018. Reflections of a year

2018 has been an imperfect year. It could have been much better. As good as it is, it can always be better, right? I have health, plans, objectives that I am approaching little by little, I can move forward, so what to complain about?

2018 has been full of uncertainties with incidentals and uncomfortable situations that, perhaps, some could have avoided, if I had decided to shut up.

Perhaps, it has been a year in which I have not made the most convenient decisions, simply for wanting and hoping for something better. And waiting, waiting, time goes by. For letting myself be carried away by the opinions of people I love and care about, for having trusted something and someone without having signed, without having 100% sure. And then, that he did not get ahead. Plans undone and in search of new adventures. If Plan A does not work, you have to move on to B or C. Everything happens through something, and you have to move on. Or so it is said, to console yourself?

2018 a year of denunciation, indignation and impotence for many unjust situations that occur around us. Is it better to cover your eyes? Avoid the problem? Do not talk about it? Do as if it did not exist? Let us manipulate as if nothing happened? Lost social causes? I have tried to contribute the bit that I could to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and I want to continue in this task with more dedication.

The year that I have traveled the most and the one that has seen the most farewells. Each time, I confess, I like farewells less. I'm colder in them. I would like to leave without having to say "goodbye" because we are going to keep in touch, we can meet again if we really want to. Why leave? At the same time, they are necessary. It is the way to close a cycle, a stage. Everything has a beginning and an end.

2018, the year that I have taken more flights and in more countries I have been. Specifically, in 13 countries. Several of them, for the first time in my life. I started 2018 in France, I went back to: Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Belgium and Germany. I stepped for the first time: Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Estonia and Lithuania.

It has been a year that although, I almost go out of Europe, on several occasions, in the end, I have spent the whole in the old continent. With a Christmas marked by an attack in the "capital of Christmas, Strasbourg".

2018, a year of unforeseen events that have made me feel even more fortunate and grateful for the friends I have, for having crossed paths with them at different times in my life. Knowing that we can count on each other is a great support because we have all had and have complex, unusual situations that, perhaps, not everyone can understand and empathize with, although at the same time, they seem typical of our generation.

Our lives give to write a novel, a soap opera, a movie, a trilogy ... We would only have to change names and sign as anonymous or with pseudonyms. Although as the saying goes: "in all the houses they cook beans".

2018 has been a year of trying other things, which I love. I have done, for the first time, something that I really wanted and that until now, I had not found the time or the right company. Although I have no problem doing many things alone, this is something that alone, for now, I dare not, as paragliding, climbing and via ferrata. I'm glad to have crossed paths with good people you can trust. I am looking forward to repeating!

In 2018, I made the Camino de Santiago for the first time. Something that I also wanted very much. It was easier physically, than I thought. It was only 102 kilometers. In 5 days, 5 stages and we finished it. A calm rhythm There are people who do it for weeks and even months and strive to do their best and do 2 stages a day, which is double the recommended kilometers. A unique experience that I believe, everyone should do at least once in their life. The Camino is a metaphor for life. In a short time, everything can happen. Live a whole life in just a few days.

Although its origin was something religious, nowadays, it is done for all kinds of reasons, personal challenges. The people of my generation with whom I have spoken about it, nobody has done it for religious reasons. Many, nor do they follow any kind of religion.

One more year, one of the things that I consume the most and love, is ART. Everything that art, in its different aspects, makes me feel, fascinates me.

2018 has been a year of which I have created more of my own content and that has been rewarded with special mentions, small and humble acknowledgments that have been very important for me. As the following:

- One of the 3 winners of the photo contest on Instagram of Europe AID and European Youth Event, which allowed me to attend the European youth event in Strasbourg, where at the same time, I participated in a photo contest on social networks with the European Solidarity Body and video, with the European Parliament. With the first, they gave away some very good headphones that come great for me to work with. With the second, I go to the next point.

- One of the 3 winners of the European Parliament video contest on next year's election campaign #ThisTimeImVoting. The award was to attend Brussels at EYE Hearings, the audience of the European youth event, in which young people presented their ideas and conclusions to members of Parliament to improve different areas of the European Union.

- Finalist in the World Youth Contest on Climate Change, organized by the United Nations Climate Change - Action for Climate Empowerment, the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Program, the BNP Paribas Foundation and Tve BioMovies.

- One of the 3 winners of the European Commission blog competition #EUinmyregion, which allowed me to spend 3 weeks in Brussels learning from the work they do and the European bubble that lives in this city with two other colleagues, Radu from Romania and Amaury from France.

- Winner of the video contest of the European Youth Media organization together with UNESCO. With this award I had the opportunity to work directly with the team of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture in the Global MIL week event, the Global Week of Media and Information Literacy that took place in Estonia and Lithuania.

Recognitions by text, photography and video. Without a doubt, although there are those who advise me to focus on only one thing, why should I like the three of them? I have to remain multimedia. Nowadays it is impossible for me to express myself in a single format.

What will this new year bring about that is about to begin? It remains to be seen. We will have to make an effort and try to give the best of ourselves to continue improving.

Thanks for this 2018.

Because despite the difficulties and the bad times, which always exist, one year gives a lot, I feel lucky of all the good people with whom I have crossed this 2018.

Happy New Year!