Well, it’s a long story, but in 2017, I made the decision to stop playing football—at a time when football was everything to me. It was an eye-opening experience. I made tons of friends, met top-level coaches, and had the greatest wins alongside teammates who gave everything they had. We built a name for ourselves. After 12 years of my life dedicated to the sport, playing for the national U16 team, I decided to quit.
I still remember the very first day when I was 5 years old, holding my father’s hand and begging him to take me to the pitch. My local club didn’t even have a team for my age group, but my dad convinced them to let me play. That was when I first realized that my father believed in me and would do anything for me. Football taught me a lot–discipline, perseverance, and above all, the importance of working in a team.
That brief experience continues to shape who I am today. But when I decided to quit, it wasn’t easy. Everyone I knew rejected the idea. My mother cried every day for a week, heartbroken over the decision. My brother–oh, how can I ever thank him enough for what and who he was? He traveled my world with me, he shouted and screamed for my name and my glory, he loved me unconditionally and was there for every game either local or national, he cried my wins and hugged my loses. It broke him, it messed him up, it killed something in him that was far beyond him, he loved football more than he loved himself, he loved me more than he loved football. For 6 months straight (after a dozen of folks made the brave decision to come and pay me a visit at home and a hundred ignored messages and calls) he begged me to go back, to see the hope in trying to find the power in me, to look being the moment, to persevere through the pain, but oh my dear brother it wasnt pain that was holding me, I wish it was because honestly for you I will take any pain in the world and still come on top of it.
When I was around 15, I started to feel a question growing inside me. I couldn’t quite place it, but it was there–a constant feeling that something was missing, something I needed to understand. Football was my passion, but it wasn’t enough to answer that question. I ignored it for as long as I could, but as time passed, I knew I couldn’t run from it anymore.
I failed after failing. Just because I had no lust for life, just because I thought that by stopping one thing the other will go on just fine. It didn’t and it led me to spend an entire year of dullness knowing right well that I was going to fail, and I did when I got the results of my first year of baccalaureate. I took a screenshot of the result, opened my notebook and wrote a small message. I pledged life to myself, but more importantly, to search for what It was.
“We study history not to know about the past, but to know about ourselves” my journey became one of self-discovery, questioning everything around me–my purpose, my existence, the meaning of life itself. I spent hours walking in nature, seeking solitude to reflect. In those moments, I realized that the only way to collapse time is knowledge.
Nietzsche once said, “He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how.” That quote changed my perspective. I understood that if I could find my why, I could overcome any obstacle. It was then when I decided to start painting. For me, painting wasn’t just about creating art-it was about finding a why for every brushstroke, every line. It wasn’t about aesthetics for me, it was about meaning, about creating something with purpose.
That journey of self-discovery gave me the strength to return to school. I had formulated a new philosophy: “The input shall force the output.” With that mindset based on logical thinking, I knew I could push through whatever challenges came my way.
My journey isn’t over, and neither is yours. After taking the time to figure out my ‘why,’ I knew it was time for a comeback. I dedicated a year to balancing my studies with developing healthy habits–after all, the mind needs a strong body to live in. I spent hours studying, applying a well–thought-out methodology based on my personal philosophy. The results? I didn’t just pass my baccalaureate; I more than doubled my initial marks. I more than doubled my initial marks. I was one of the top 3 students in my school and received an award for it.
That moment marked the beginning of my new journey. The summer after my baccalaureate, I made the decision to move abroad and study business in Spain. I threw myself into my studies, but I also made sure to live a balanced lifestyle. I made friends who became family, experienced a new culture that enriched my perspective, and traveled. I lived.
Despite the remarkable grades and the praise I received, something still felt incomplete. I couldn’t ignore that growing feeling in my stomach–the desire to stay open to the world, to experience more, to meet new people and hear their stories, to learn new cultures and languages. That’s when I made the decision to drop out of college and take another gap.
And here I am, in the present moment, a very different person from the one I was yesterday, but with the same dream.
Now, alongside Dreamando, I continue to pursue that dream, moving along the borders ofwho I am and what I want to achieve. Dreamando has become more than just a workplace–it’s a community I call family. It’s a privilege to be part of a space where I can keep discovering myself while helping others do the same.