By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
Have you ever dived so deep that your lungs couldn’t take it, but your legs kept pushing you down to reach the sea floor? Have you ever felt so tired during a long run, but you couldn’t stop running to reach your destination? I’ve always been attracted by challenges, but I’m not a fan of competing against other people. I suffer, I lose my focus, so I prefer to compete against myself. In my life, I’ve always felt divided into two parts: one that stubbornly resists change, and one that pushes me to go beyond my limits. I remember I was frightened by roller coasters when I was in my teens. Every time I saw one of those infernal machines I thought it was way too much for me. Still, I had an intense desire to overcome my fears, ride it and show myself I could do it. I was 21 years old when I realized that, if a part of me craved to overcome my fears, then at least I had to try to do it. My first roller coaster ride was unbelievable: a mix of amazing feelings struggling against each other. At that moment I experienced for the first time the sensation of going beyond. And it was suddenly addictive to me! So I started to look more closely at my fears and try to react to all of them in order to analyze the effects that this could have on my life. The sense of achievement I felt, when I realized that my success was all up to me, was something magic. Deciding to quit competing with people and to start challenging myself was maybe the best thing that could ever happen in my life. This led me to take some very significant decisions: I dropped out of the university that I attended just because “It shall be done” and not because I really wanted to. I defied my fear of being a nobody without a degree, and I felt responsible for my actions for the first time. I moved to Milan, where I learned how to make a living only from the fruits of my labor. I wanted to challenge my shyness and my fear to go looking for a job. I remember the days I spent delivering CVs to every single restaurant in Downtown Milan, pretending to be the most outgoing guy. This actually made me more comfortable with speaking with any kind of person, in any sort of hierarchy. I started working on cruise ships where I defeated my fear to upend my life and say goodbye. Through this experience I saw that the world is beautiful and ready to be explored. This last experience was very relevant for my personal growth. Living on a cruise ship for months and months far from home, in a 12 m² double-berth cabin, sailing in good and rough weather all over the world, was proof to myself that I could win every fear. And this is the message I want to send to the world: “There’s no fear too great to be defeated and no place too far that it’s out of reach.” Taking all of this into consideration, I decided to plan a one-year trip to Australia. I took the decision when I was in London, on vacation. I was a little confused about what I wanted from my life, indeed a little lost. It was a hot summer day and I didn’t have much to do, so I started wondering: “Which are the furthest places from Italy in the WORLD?” “Why not AUSTRALIA?” “Why not NOW?” “Why not ME?” “WHY” is the keyword. I think everyone should ask themselves “WHY” whenever they are confused about something. Asking “WHY” about everything looks a little childish but it’s the secret to stay curious, and to identify the causes and the solutions for any problem. “Why do I always have to push myself deeper, higher, further?” I’m still trying to give myself an answer but, in order to find it, I decided to go as far as I could. I don't care if it might be a leap in the unknown. If I can do it, everybody can.