I am originally from Faido, a small village nestled in the Leventina Valley, Switzerland. Since I was a child I was fascinated by the sky, the stars and all that concern the universe … I was sure: I would become an astrophysics.
But life and personal circumstances led me to re-direct my gaze of 180 degrees, so my nose was not pointing to the sky but to the ground … I became a geologist. From the stars to the stones.
Also thanks to the geology studies I started to travel, usually alone. Away from home, from my loved ones and all that it was familiar, I discovered new colors, flavors and smells (especially in India). I wanted more and more. My trips took me in magnificent places and approached me to cultures and people that as a child I could only see in the documentaries. On TV all seemed so unreal and remote and then … cabooooom! I was/am in the documentary.
I even brought my body to the extreme just to immerse myself in people’s lives, to see the light that shines in their eyes (yes, exactly that light), to feel that spark of energy that lights up when you create a connection despite the language barriers. Many laughs and tears have been sheared. Over the years I realised that travelling was part of me.
Despite a PhD degree in my hands, a secure job, a comfortable life in an extremely stable country, inside me rationality was in conflict with the spirit: I did not feel well. No one was going to rescue me from that black hole. Only I could do something for myself. So I left my job, my flat and sold my belongings and set off with my cats. A leap in the dark that has so far given me a lot of serenity.
Stefania
Me and Pohn somewhere in the jungle of Sarawak (Malaysia)
