An inspiring story

Last December I traveled around Europe with couchsurfing, and I stayed at Bartek's flat in Krakow, as I wrote earlier in my blog. Bartek wrote a welcome note for all couchsurfers, recommending to check one book on his bookshelf. And I did.

The book was called "Led by Destiny" and wrote by Kinga Freespirit, based on her 5-years journey hitchhiking around the world with Chopin, the love of her life, from 1998 to 2003. The book is a precious collection of stories from the road and from all the places they visited and people they met. They flew from Poland to New York and arrived with $600 in their pockets. That's it!

Their motto: "Every dream is given to us with the power to make it come true."

Not satisfied with the trip, there was one continent missing, so in 2006 she left, this time alone, hitchhiking towards Africa. Months later she passed away, from Malaria. As Chopin wrote in her website: "Kinga lived her life to the fullest and passed away at the peak of fulfilling her dreams, in the happiest time of her life. She left us with the great power of inspiration to live a meaningful life and cherish each of its precious moments. Kinga passed away peacefully, strong and well prepared for her next and greatest journey... and such readiness I wish us all from the bottom of my heart."

As the Tibetan saying goes:
"You never know what will come first: a new day or the next life."
I wanted to share this story, because it's just so powerful. At least for me. I rather live my own life (as more difficult it might be sometimes) than live other people's expectations. Hope you like it too...

The subtle charm of tea

Since I stopped drinking coffee six months ago, I started to enjoy more and more drinking tea (especially my dear chimarrão). While in Warsaw I saw a quote from Kakuzo Okakura, and I wrote in my travel journal:

"There is a subtle charm in the taste of tea which makes it irresistible and capable of idealisation. Western humourists were not slow to mingle the fragrance of their thought with its aroma. It has not the arrogance of wine, the self-consciousness of coffee, nor the simpering innocence of cocoa."