Changes

It has been a while since I last wrote... the thing is that when things change you're often left speechless, you're often overwhelmed by feelings that you can't seem to express in words.
Well, that is exactly what happened. Things changed!
I'm still not convinced that change is, indeed, a good thing, but I'm getting used to that idea. And when you feel some sort of relief than you can be sure you've made the right choice... even if it is still weird...

Anyway, I'm taking the time to enjoy what life has got to offer! Probably something I should have taken the time to do a few years back. Someone once told me I was meant to fly high, and I guess I now feel ready to take that advice.

responsibility...

When you need to take your life upon your own hands, things can get complicated. You might be misinterpreted as being selfish, you might end up hurting other people, or you might just take decisions that you're still not sure they're the best to be taken.
I believe that's what being a grown up is all about: it's all about the decisions you make, and the actions you take. It's all about taking responsability even if things don't go according to plan, and still be able to accept what others may think of it...
I often wish I was still five, time when I had no responsibility but to set the table or keep my room cleaned. I don't wish it anymore, since that acting my own age gives me the opportunity to take matters in my own hands...

a fresh start

Because sometimes a fresh start is just all we need...
It can feel weird, scary, and any other name you want to give it when thinking about leting everything go and just start again. It is, indeed, weird and scary. When some small change happens we feel like the world is about to colapse, so why wouldn't we feel scared if the change is big enough?
But on the other hand, what is so scary about change that actually freezes our actions and thoughts? Why can't change be seen as a good thing, and we can't just get along with what comes our way?
Sometimes, most of the times, a fresh start is just what we need...

Inspiration...

Some things inspire me!
I wish I could tell exactly what, and exactly when, and get inspired upon demand, but I can't... inspiration is something so deeply personal that getting it out into the world can be an overwelming experience.
I believe that that is the main reason why I've always shown interest in any form of art: draw, paint, write, act... because art is a way to express what inspiration might be of the moment, in a way that can be seen and that may be understood by others. It is a way to let go of myself and enter a whole new world, where my imagination is leading the way, and where everything can be as perfect as I want it to be...

Escrevi isto há imenso tempo num blog antigo, mas adequa-se perfeitamente ao dia de hoje...

"Gostava de saber escrever, pintar ou esculpir!
Gostava, porque quando o coração aperta, quando os sentimentos são muitos e não temos maneira de lidar com eles, é preciso expo-los de uma outra maneira qualquer... de uma maneira não necessáriamente compreensivel aos olhos dos outros, mas que nos alivia a alma e faz sentir reconfortados!"

Word of the day: Home

I still find it funny calling Toulouse home. For a long time my home was where my parents were, and for a long period after that, home became Lisbon, place where I lived for 6 years. Now home is here... but, if home is here, what should I call the place I stay at whenever I got back? Or if this isn't home, than what should I call it here?

The fact is that from the first time I've come here I've felt at home. This city is  becoming more and more enjoyable with everyday I spend here, and I've gotten around to meet some great people that really make me feel welcome.

However, the thought of going back is still a very nice thought. Being with family and long time friends is so warming that everything else seems to go away... and isn't that what home is supposed to feel like too?

so this is it

This blog was long due...
When I came to Toulouse many people told me that writing a blog about the experience should be a fun thing to do. I soon realized that writing a blog about the experience could be quite depressing, since at the very beginning not everything goes as well as planned. As such, I decided to spare you the trouble of reading about all the bureaucracy (that, oddly enough, originates from a french word) I had to endure, or about every other aspect of starting a life in a foreign country!

So why start now? I could tell you it was a new year resolution, or could give you a great amount of untruthful reasons... but in fact the only reason for starting it now is because I felt like it! I do enjoy writing, or babbling, or anything you want to call it, so this seems like as good a place as any to do so.