Jurney into the Unknown

Itchy feet have always ran in my family… Having been born in an African country (Angola) and returning at a young age to the country of origin of most of my genes (Portugal), moving around became so familiar to me that these days I feel like “home” is where I leave my suitcase (or backpack…).
The most interesting thing about traveling a lot, I find, is that the more you venture into previously unknown cultures the more you find commonalities. So, rather then focus on the dissimilarities of the many different traditions spread across this beautiful planet of ours, after a while, what becomes clear is how universal the human experience is. Not only is no one immune to the human condition – and everywhere I´ve been, I´ve seen people laugh at a good joke or cry over a loss – but we all seem to want the same things… Over the centuries and across the vastness of the land, a few core things seem to have always (and still do) motivate and inspire our lives, no matter where or who we are, or what religion, political system or sports team we belong to: Survival instinct, passion, faith, curiosity, desire, expansion and a spirit of adventure, seem to be a few of many common denominators to all cultures and all times… So, sometimes, I wonder if we, as citizens of a 21st century metropolis, are that different from a herd’s man in Mongolia or a Fisherman in Ghana? A 14th century navigator discovering a new continent, or a spaceman in 1960, stepping on the moon for the first time? Because, regardless of who and where we are, we all find great joy and excitement in new found situations, places and circumstances and we all love to share our experiences and our findings with those around us… Maybe that is why we feel driven to write books about our travel experiences… To share our knowledge and our joy with others, as we wish for them the same thrill of travelling to a new place and discovering new scents, customs, traditions and dances, foods and stories, which are really a common aspect to all humanity… Perhaps in travelling to a foreign land we are only discovering more about ourselves and of how similar we all are as members of the human race and as co-inhabitants of this beautiful blue jewel in the milky-way, that we have the privilege to share with so many other amazing species of living beings. So far, traveling to unknown places has only brought me closer to knowing myself and understanding my own culture that much better - and thus added tremendously to my ability to understand others and that we are all one big family as Humans on Earth (maybe strangers really are friends we haven´t met yet).