Hi everybody !
Many of you know that I am an argentinian guy living in Poland. I left all my family and friends from my whole life back there... But why?
I'm really sure that many of you think that Argentina is a wonderful and rich place. Full of amazing people and possibilities. My experience makes me say a different thing.
I want to divide this post in two parts, first (and to not make it too long) about my family, and then about the country itself.
(All the images are my own creation and so I own the rights of them)
Let's start with a little bit of my own story.
I am a seventh son raised in the quore of a very, very poor family. Since I was a kid I always wanted to make arts and I always been aware of the lack of resources of my relatives. So I decided (since I was 4 or 5) that I would find my profession and be the best at it. And I tried everything! (I was soloist violinist in the main orchestra of Buenos Aires since my 15, I wrote 3 novels in my adolescence, I been learning cooking for being chef, I was studying quantum physics and astronomy and considering entering in university for that -instead arts-, and of course, digital painting).
Long story short digital arts won.
The coolest part was that I was doing great on any field I wanted to develop my self at. But it wasn't cool for everyone.
See, when you start being good in things that other people also want to be good but they are not willing to sacrifice as much as you did, they start hating you.
So all my classmates, these ppl that called themselves 'friends' and even my brothers were super jealous about this innate ability to always pursue my dreams, to never stop in one place and always develop myself in as many ways as I could.
I wish it could be different, so maybe my wishes of staying with my family would be stronger. But my roots were too damaged by decades of psychological and physical aggression from them and from my parents.
Not their fault, we were seven children making trouble every day. I myself f!çked up took a lot of mistakes many times. So I can't really blame them: they are humans and did as good as they could.
So I grew up with a lot of criticism to myself in every step. They did such a good work that after some years/decades I didn't even need them to feel pity from myself and feel that any of the things I was doing was entirely wrong.
I remember few times my father and brothers repeating to me that I was a mistake and I'm worth less than a homeless dog (Actually, poor dog).
So my link to my family (and only thing that was making me stay in Argentina) was getting weaker and weaker.
*
One day, I decided that it was enough. I had a very toxic life, working for the biggest VFX studio in argentina dedicated to international advertising. I was the art director and 2D generalist there. And I had 1 hour and a half just to get to the studio, and 1 1/2 for coming back. Going through the worst parts of the city (where I got robbed few times -Inside the bus, with guns-).
Last two years before I left Argentina I also had 3 more works, 2 freelance and 1 part time: I was working 17-19 hours a day, from Monday to Monday. Yes, I was working in my way back home as well, or practicing if I could (and hated that shaking from the bus).
So it was pretty sh!%ty tough life. The solution was to stop, but to survive in that country you need to constantly work. I was making a lot of money (well, not a lot if you live in US, but a lot for being from South-America). But I was losing a lot of health and chances of living new experiences in the way.
Back to that day when I realized it was enough, I had two chances: moving to a new place and leave my parent's house, stay in the same position, same country, same way of living.
...Or traveling into the unknown.
And so I did: I traveled to Europe and met so many new people, had so many new experiences. Finally I could feel the real taste of freedom.
My family and many friends filled my heart with fears. But as soon as I got away from Argentina were completely gone. The world is filled with amazing people and amazing experiences worth of be lived.
The funny thing is that my relatives were dropping all their fears on me... And this is actually something very common on people. This is mainly what makes a relationship toxic.
In conclusion
Life is full of experiences waiting for you to be lived. People to be met. Beers to be tried Amazing places and cultures to try their beer discover. New horizons. New Smells. New everything!
I invite you to take a flight or a bus to anywhere and check it by yourself.
Not many things else to say,
Bye!