Kyoto

This city has changed my life forever. It’s where I’ve learned slowing down is important, as well as taking my time to unwind. Kyoto has taught me the beauty of awareness and intentionality. It’s the place I reconnected with myself.

Before all those changes, whenever I was at home without the tv on, or something on Netflix or YouTube, just to feel like I wasn’t alone, I would feel anxious and uncomfortable. I was also too addicted to my phone, automatically checking the notifications and social medias. I used to choose chaos over silence. I didn’t use to appreciate my own company and wasn’t really paying attention to the present moment. I was living far from myself, if that makes sense, and very unaware of everything. I was sort of just existing.

On the December 24th I traveled to Japan, where I was lucky to stay for two and a half months in a city next to Kyoto, so I was able to go there whenever I wanted. At first, I didn’t really like Kyoto, I thought it was too calm and quiet, not really my thing back then. I clearly remember of thinking things like “I’ll only go there a few times, I don’t wanna go there a lot”… How could I?

But as I changed as a person and after quite a lot of thinking during the trip, by mid-February, while visiting a garden of a temple in Kyoto, with bamboos all around me and a huge Buddha statue some steps later, I came to the realization that calm is good. Silence is good. For the first time I was feeling totally okay, peaceful and happy with quietness. That was also the moment I realized I was already in love with Kyoto, so that moment freaked me out as well, as I remembered I hadn’t really enjoyed the city at first, so how come I had changed that much and didn’t even see?

Then I did some thinking and noticed I was being the new version of myself for about three weeks so far, I was more open minded, positive, opened to the world, more confident and happier. So with the realization of all of those changes, I brainstormed for almost three days and decided to keep those changes forever in my life.

So after that day in the garden I brought some daily practices back into my life and started learning a thousand more things. I remembered how thinking about life is extremely important in order not to live on autopilot mode. Started learning about awareness, mindfulness and intentionality, felt more grateful towards life.

I took a piece of paper and started writing down things I want to do in life, things that make me happy, chose to always see the good, started to learn about meditation and to live life more aware. So everyday before I start my day, I take some time think of how I want to live it. Decide to align my actions to my future, to respect myself, pay attention to my intuition and feelings, try to go for things that make me feel good. Think of the person I wanna become and change my actions at the present. Remember that the ‘‘thinking + speaking + doing” must be aligned. I think of how important is to be aware of the words we say and how silence is good. Think that I am responsible for how I feel and because of that, I won’t allow any bad feelings in, and decide to use my energy very carefully, don’t spend it with anything or stressing about meaningless things.

All of that thinking before I start the day make me immediately more productive, less of a procrastinator. I feel like I’m living better, using my time more wisely, listening to myself more. Living like that and being more opened to the universe, that quote “when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” makes more and more sense day after day.

This is just the start, I am happy I’m excited about the present. I can’t be thankful enough for that day everything started to change. Kyoto will always have a huge special place in my heart. The city changed me and is still changing me as I evolve as a person and try to live better every day. I wonder how a city can be so graceful, peaceful and soulful… I can’t wait to go there again and I’ll be forever grateful for Kyoto.

Architecture to serve

I am an Architecture and Urban Design student, two years into this amazing career, and just got back from a two and a half month travel around Japan analyzing buildings, designs, architectural masterpieces and urban, public spaces, so consequently I had thousands of brainstorms everyday.

I loved visiting some projects designed to connect people, bring them together, focused on the human interaction, and on the communication between people and the city. So I’ve been wondering since then…

Why isn’t it obvious that architecture is so much more than I thought it was during those two years? And how come it took me two years to start realizing what architecture is about?

We should build to value people, buildings that communicate with the city, with their surroundings, with people, and always bring benefits to the city and everyone’s lives.

Of course sometimes architecture can be a piece of art, but for some types of projects built to bring people together, share knowledge, among others, shouldn’t at least these projects be very human? Sometimes provoking visual impact isn’t enough.

Architecture must serve people, serve the world, honor life and the earth.

Architecture is so magical and important. Took me two years to start thinking this way, but okay, guess it’s never too late, but there are still a lot of questions in my mind. Why do we focus so much on creating visually shocking buildings, fame, prizes? Why wasn’t it more obvious to me that architecture has a tremendous role and such a potential to change the world?

So how should we build today for a better future? We have power over the constructed world. Cities, environments, interiors and exteriors are deeply connected to people’s feelings, happiness, health. Which world do we wanna live in? How can architecture help solving social issues of today and of the future?

Buildings last for years, decades, and with world changing at such a pace, we have to take in consideration how things are gonna be in the future. Not only design from what we know about the past and the present, not only consider issues of the present, but think of the future’s.

So let’s try to design for people, not for prizes, not for fame. Let’s make good architecture because of the social resposability of an architect, we can make a difference and have an impact on the future.

See you soon!


Just get started

I’ve always been anxious when it comes to big things I wanna accomplish in life or that, at least in my head, will take a long time and effort to become reality, so I end up doing anything at all and getting frustrated.

This blog is (hopefully) a change in that vicious scenario. Since very young I take notes of my thoughts, make endless lists of insights I have, but guess what? I never see those notes again, so here I feel like they become real and like they have a… purpose?

I’ve always wanted to write and share my opinion with people but never knew how exactly I would do that. Starting a blog felt just right, I can post on my own pace, it’s my personal space, it will get me into writing and it doesn’t feel intimidating. It’s a way of starting. Now I’ll be able to get to know myself better, learn whether I like writing, and the most important thing, I’ll be writing.

So I hope to learn a lot about myself from now on, which topics interest me the most, and c’mon, if I dream of writing a book someday in a distant future, writing can and should be part of my reality now. And between writing a book and having a blog, the second option seems to be the best one now, it’s the first step towards my goal and it isn’t scary.

So if you have something you’ve been wanting to do, just start somewhere and somehow, take the first step, break it into smaller pieces! You’ll feel better instantly!

ありがとうございます