With nothing out ahead of us but ocean

On December 24th I got on the plane to Lisbon. I was convinced that, upon arrival to Porto (a three-hour drive from Lisbon), I would finally have the chance to rest and forget about packing boxes, as well as sorting out all kinds of administration related to my move. I was wrong. Most of my time is now dedicated to unpacking boxes, as well as organising what I will do next. Between one thing and the other, I spend time with my family and friends. And I have just managed to do the one thing I wanted most ever since I landed – to stare at the ocean.

I arranged to meet my very good friend José in "Praça da Liberdade". It was sunny and warm so, while waiting, I enjoyed the lovely view over the town hall. As soon as he arrived, we walked down to "Igreja de S. Francisco" and got on the tram to "Foz do Douro", where the city’s river - "Douro" - meets the mighty Atlantic.

Those of you who saw "Titanic" surely remember Jack screaming "I’m the king of the world!". What you might not remember is that, seconds before, Fabrizio, Jack’s poker partner, mentioned that he could already see the Statue of Liberty. In my opinion, what he could see was a world of possibilities, a world of hope, freedom and justice; and as I stood facing the ocean, with the waves breaking around me, I could see it too.

Time will tell if my ship will hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic. At this very moment, I chose to believe that, if it does, I will be one of the six people rescued from the freezing waters and will finish my journey staring at Lady Liberty...