2019 was an extraordinary journey for me. I’ve spent most of it away from the comforts I was used to back home. I slept either in a bunk bed or a sleeping bag. Air conditioning and hot showers were not on the menu. I walked long distances to reach a grocery store. I spent twenty days in a Colombian jungle without any form of technology, no use of a watch, no mirrors, no toilets, no communication with the outside world. Thirty-two weeks away from my son, my family and friends. It was a great learning experience that I will treasure till my last breath on this amazing planet.

I met a lot of people from all walks of life, different ages, many nationalities, different beliefs. I loved diving in Mayan Riviera while giving a hand in conserving the coral reef. Diving with 14 bull sharks was definitely a dive I will never forget. I always found a helping hand wherever I was. Some helped more than others. I will never forget the first day of March. The day I had an accident while diving. I was blessed to be surrounded by professionals who saved my life. The team at the base were amazingly supportive and helped get out of such trauma. It was the time where I had to make a choice. I started looking at things differently and a lot of positive things came out of this scary experience. This is where I redefined the purpose of my journey. I needed to do more and wanted to maximize my time in that region of the world to learn more about the communities’ relationship with nature and their cultures.

Many ask me which is my favorite country from the ones I’ve visited during this trip. I really cannot pick one. Every country has its own magic, its own beauty, and its own dark roads. They are all very rich in culture. They are very passionate about their music. They love dancing wherever they are are, being it at the beach, at home, in the street, in a bar. They are very spontaneous. Music is their daily therapy that constantly keeps them smiling and alive. I’ve witnessed a whole village dancing in the city of Merida in Mexico, old couples dancing on the beach of Puerto Morelos, young couples swing dancing in Santiago, kids dancing the traditional dance in honor the Sun in the main square of Cusco in Peru, couples dancing the tango in Buenos Aires. We are not that expressive here in Europe. It is very rare to see a couple dancing on a beach unless it is an organized event. I think, here in Europe, we take life more seriously and we are less spontaneous. We are too rigid within our rules. We are too organized which I believe hinders our joie de vivre.

In spite of all their daily challenges they face, they still smile and are happy. The majority are not self-centered individuals. They accept their reality and live by it from one day to another. This was a very common way of being in the small villages I visited in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. They have a very strong sense of community and family is sacred. They share the little that have and they are there for each other. I am not saying that everywhere is a paradise. Far from that. Each country has its dark clouds. The countries are also governed by politicians that have moral deficiencies. Corruption is today’s plague in today’s world. Minorities still suffer. I’ve witnessed indigenous people discriminated and treated as if they were a herd of cattle. I’ve seen destroyed mangroves and forests replaced by hotels and carparks, all approved by corrupt politicians. I’ve spoken to farmers in Peru who had to abandon their fields and move to the city since they found no support from their government to make up for the losses they are suffering due to climate change. People who dedicated their entire life to their land are now selling fake sunglasses in the street so they can earn a meal a day. I’ve seen how local cartels control the “public” transport in Mexico. Argentinian families who had to downgrade their lifestyle because of the economic crisis. Where buying a bottle a wine and having a steak at the dinner table is now a luxury. This is the reality.

This journey taught me how to observe more. How to appreciate more what I have. I remember clearly while trekking through the mountains in Cordoba Argentina, together with my two Argentinian friends. We stopped several times to observe the different colors of the grass and its movement with the cold breeze. The different shapes of the rocks. The sounds of nature itself. The fresh cold water from the mountain swinging by the stones in the river. The singing of the birds and the movement of the numerous insects. I recommend it to anyone to simply stop and observe the surroundings. If you look at a tree, you do not just see a tree. How many shades of green do you see? Look at the different forms of its branches. Observe the movement of the leaves. The soil that surrounds it. The insects parading along. You will find it fascinating. During my last weeks in Puerto Morelos base in Mexico, I used to be the first one to wake up and ensure to experience sunrise every day. I observed the sky changing its colors. The sound of the waves dancing in and out on the sandy beach. The pelicans flapping their wings. Feeling the warm sun gradually taking over the day. The same when I was in the jungle in Colombia. I used to start my day sitting in a stream where I gradually observed the jungle gain its colors as the sun rises. The cold water running through stones and trees. The small fish and the iguanas drinking from the shore. Same in Peru while walking the Inca Trail towards Machu Pichu and when I spent a whole hour observing the colors of Humantai Lake. This planet is really amazing.

My main take of this whole trip is realizing how everything is connected. How all living creatures, those on land and underwater, together with the forests, jungles, rivers, mountains, oceans, are all connected. Every decision we make has an impact on our surroundings; good or bad. Hence we need to be careful and learn to live together in harmony with nature.

Another take was the benefit to travel alone. There was no single day in all 224 days that I felt lonely. I was happy with who I was and what I was doing. I was at peace with myself. I faced my challenges but I was never sad. Many times I arrived in villages where I did not know where I was going to sleep at night and when I did not find a place, I simply put up my camp and spend the night under the stars. At the beginning when I arrived at the conservation base in Mexico, it took me a while to adapt to live in a warehouse shared with the other 26 individuals. But I am glad that I experienced it. Writing and sketching helped me a lot to keep my balance. It is important that a person has that “alone” moment every day. A few minutes a day will make a lot of difference in your daily life.

This trip also changed what I eat and drink. I drastically reduced my alcohol intake. Gone are those days when I used bilge drink till I drop. I even forgot when was the last time I got drunk and I feel so much better now. I am more in control and I drink responsibly. I enjoy a nice glass of wine during a meal and a nice cold beer at the beach but I now know when to stop. My meals are now mostly veg based and it is great. I’ve seen sea creatures caring for each other and also know that industrial farming is the main source of pollution on our planet. Hence, if I can do without destroying their lives and live a healthy life, why not?

On my return to Malta, many asked me “What’s next?” and “Why did you come back?”. I did not know what was next. I had a number of options in front of me. I could have continued traveling, buy a sailing boat and sailing around the world, buy and live on a small farm in a remote area, find a job a boat skipper, start my own green business, go back to the corporate world and a couple of more options. I was in no particular hurry to make up my mind. I discussed my options with my son, who has been a great mentor for me throughout the year. In September I flew to Amsterdam for some me-time and also visit a former customer of mine. Over there I realized that I like being surrounded by people hence the sailing and farm ideas were put aside. While talking about the industry with this customer, I got that excitement back from being part of that world. So I was open to opportunities to get back in the industry as long as it involved traveling. In fact, now I joined an exciting project and am looking forward to the coming year. However, I know that I am not the same person I was before I embarked on this journey. I am richer. Not in a financial sense but as an individual, as a human being who forms part of this wonderful planet. I know that the world is going through challenging times but we must focus on the good that there is around us.

I encourage everyone to take the leap and get away from the comfort zone for a while and get engaged with your immediate world. Travel to new places, experience different cultures, do voluntary work, climb a mountain, dance in the rain, sail the ocean. You never know when your time is up. You only have one chance on this planet as yourself. Make it count. Live with integrity.

Make your life your message.

Jose’ Micallef

31st December 2019

TREKKING IN COLOMBIA

REFORESTATION PROJECT

My Journey in 2019