Category Archives: Europe

Video: All in a Day’s Work – Ibiza Style

Check out the video to our adventure below:

Let’s be honest about Ibiza … Everyone knows that not much goes on there without tourists …The local businesses, population, and general siesta-minded work ethic almost paint a very sleepy picture for Ibiza in general.

But, the key-word here is “almost”. To put it bluntly, this place is completely and utterly insane. The capital injection that comes from tourists every single weekend is something that is not seen in many other places in the world, and is also something that has made Ibiza a much sought after location for anyone in the “party” industry, or really just anyone who likes to party in general! The entire economy of this island is dependent upon partying. It is like something out of a movie — except it takes place 24 hours of each and everyday. Just to give you a tiny taste of what is to come… This is a real place in the airport:

F Me I'm Famous! Club

F Me I’m Famous! Club

 

By day Ibiza, is a beautiful little island set in the Mediterranean, people are able to take in the sites… Wait a second… Never mind… That never happens in Ibiza. The more often chosen options for daytime activities would be either going to a pool party to ‘detox’ while watching models strut around a pool-side catwalk or hitching a ride on someone’s yacht to bake in the sun while being served freshly made mojitos via a scuba diving bartender around Ibiza’s neighboring island of Formentera. (Yes, this really happens)

And, by night Ibiza turns into a Disney world where 20-somethings can enjoy fist pumping in a mosh pit full of people in some of the world’s largest clubs or it can also play as a fantasy to the classier trendy type by sitting for dinner at 2am at some of the hottest restaurants in the world (Cipriani or Roberto Cavalli’s Restaurant)

We got about an hour’s worth of sleep prior to our adventure, and upon arrival in Ibiza I found out that my identity had been compromised due to working with a fraudulent vendor through airbnb.com … and… oh, yea… Our luggage was lost. But, we continued on to have an unforgettable weekend!

Moments in Madeira, Portugal

A day after arriving in Lisbon, Portugal, and Gesy tells me, “We are going to Madeira next week, I’ve already got your ticket.”

My thoughts at that exact second – 1) Wow, she bought my ticket… That’s really nice of her, and 2) Madeira, Portugal… Sounds cool, it must be a very close flight if it was just another place inside of the country.

Long story short. I had no idea where Madeira, Portugal was. In fact, when I was told it was an island I said, “ah that’s nice, it must be a little island off of the coast” … Wrong again. Madeira is an island just north of the Canary Islands off the coast of Morocco. It is actually closer to Africa than it is to Portugal! I had no idea that this place even existed.

After arriving in Madeira, I was blown away. Imagine a cross between the liveliness of Key West and the charm of Monaco. The island is beautiful. From the picturesque ocean views from everywhere in town to avenues littered with cafes, live music, and the occasional gypsy. Somehow it is able to capture the essence of ‘Europe’ and project it in the display of a single street… on an island… in the middle of no where.

My fascination with Madeira doesn’t just stop with this aesthetically appealing part, but is deeper rooted in the actual mechanics behind the economy itself. It is an island in solitude without any other land mass too close at all. The island is able to sustain itself within its little bubble while only having to import a fraction of what they consume, mainly consisting of cars and other technologies. After every amazing meal we had, I asked how it was possible to make such good food in such a remote destination, and the answer always was, “We make it all here on the island.” Incredible. The country of Portugal may be in a crisis, but I don’t think Madeira has caught word of that yet.

We were shown around Madeira by one of Gesy’s partners who made sure we got the most out of our stay. He showed us the best spots in town and treated us to a day out on his boat where we were able to see Madeira from a whole different angle.

After having been to such an incredible place (without even first knowing it existed on a map) I can now honestly vouch for this little speck off the coast of Africa as a destination most people would thoroughly enjoy. I will definitely be back.

The Next Adventure

Ok … Asia is done… for now. So, what’s next?

That is the ten million dollar question, and is the exact question I have been trying to answer for over 3 years since my accident. I knew that I didn’t want to do the same thing I had done before, I knew what I didn’t want to do, but what did I want to do?

I have caught myself in this same predicament many times since my accident. The second chance at life has created an interestingly unique perspective on my decisions and on my overall direction in life. Like everyone else, I start things, I work on them, and I finish them … sometimes.

Now … I am not one to shy away from hard work, but usually it happens more like this: I start things, work on them to a point where I realize that I wouldn’t be happy with doing it for the rest of my life, and then proceed to come up with the next big thing while leaving the previous item drift off by the wayside.

I have been told that I have a heightened level of introspection, but let me ask you a question, is that a good thing?  Is knowing what you don’t want to do and what won’t make you happy a good thing at all? Or, does that just lead you into a trap of searching for something that you may never find? Is this another reason why ignorance should be considered bliss?

The current goal is similar to the last one. It is an adventure. I have embarked on a temporary  “relocation” package, if you will. I am currently residing in the beautiful country of Portugal where I will be for a few months while studying for the GMAT and working towards that ‘next big thing’. What will be the answer? Only one way to find out.