TheLB – TheLucaBonafede

I was meant to go but Covid – My trip to Fiji was postponed four times.

We all have heard this phrase. People that never leave their city and suddenly, out of the blue, they have planned trips abroad. Africa, Maldives, and South America… but suddenly, a pandemic strikes and corners them all. “I was meant to go. But you know? Covid…”

This “I was meant to go, But you know? Covid…” is used constantly in 2020 – 2021 and partially in 2022.

For many people, this sentence has just been a way to hide their fear of travelling in foreign places, returning home, or camouflaging their lack of initiative.

A few real-life examples come to my mind. Do you know those people who never go anywhere but are always talking about going somewhere one day?

They don’t lack money or time off. They are simply stuck in their routine Monday to Friday and getting wasted (or laid) on the weekend and repeating year after year, decade after decade.

Between 2020 and 2021, I worked in locations where I met people from all walks of life. Guess who I met there? A good amount of “you know? Covid” type of people. More than I can actually remember.

I left Italy nearly 12 years ago, and I have old-time friends from my hometown who need to tell me every year that they want to come to see me. No matter if I am in Australia, Malaysia or the Netherlands. But I know they will never do it… and that’s ok. I’ve never even invited them once.😅 They just need to tell themselves that they, one day, will come where I am. As you can imagine, I’ve received many messages during the pandemic, like “I was about to come, but you know? Covid…” 2020, 2021, and 2022, but they have stopped now.

But let me tell you a “secret”: I’ve used that sentence for a couple of years too.😱 The only difference is that it was true! However, I’ve always felt ashamed when I used it. So let me tell you why I had to postpone my trip to Fiji four times.

Why I postponed my trip to Fiji during covid (four times)

In 2018 a friend of mine from Australia came to Italy, and we also spent some days between Milano and Biella with my brother. And right there, in 2018, we talked about a leisure trip to Fiji a few years later. In late 2019 we decided on August 2020, just a couple of weeks. Amsterdam to Sydney, Sydney to Fiji and back to the Netherlands. It was all planned and paid for, from the flights to the accommodations. But you know, everything shut down, especially Australia.

Due to the tragic situation in Australia, we had to postpone the trip to December 2020. We were so naïve, I know😔 The following date was December 2021. Attempt number three was also delusional. So, only when Australia fully opened its borders to international travel we decided for December 2022. The only thing, a positive one, is that this time the trip got much more significant. Since we have waited for over two years since the original departure date. Basically, in every phone call, we added a week. And Life gifted me with two extra incentives: over six weeks off from university and the end of my first contract with Hard Rock Café. The time was optimal, so we opted for a long journey.

Moreover, something even more dazzling awaited me on the other side of the world, my girlfriend! Funny enough, I organized this trip way before meeting her, and I was meant to be back from this trip before our relationship even started.

So postponing this two weeks trip for over two years actually worked for me. I spent even more time in my beloved Australia, having the most fantastic time in Fiji, and last but not least, travelling with my girlfriend in Australia too. So the country visited together number 16.

People who wanted to, still travelled during the pandemic

I would like to leave you with a question: Have you noticed that those who really wanted to travel managed to anyway during the pandemic?

Elias, an old-time friend of mine who lives in China, was stuck there for over three years, but do you know what he did? He has never stopped exploring. His Instagram is full of amazing photos from the most remote corners of China. From breathtaking hiking tracks to motorbike trips. Just fantastic!

In 2020 I worked in two countries and travelled to two more. My girlfriend and I visited 12 nations in 2021 and a few more by myself. We have worked in the Netherlands and in Finland. She has also managed to move to South Korea and travel there too. “I was about to go, but you know? Covid…” didn’t apply to us, as it didn’t apply to all those friends who couldn’t care less and travelled anyway. We are part of a species that enjoys empty cities and convenient hotels, even more when something crazy like a pandemic happens. It makes the experience just unique.

I postponed my trip four times but kept travelling to other locations. I didn’t hide behind a pandemic. The truth is that some people travel no matter what, and others hide behind a used and reused phrase.

In a world of “I was meant to go. But you know? Covid… “be a “I was meant to go. But you know? I went anyway” 😎

LiveanExtraordinaryLife✨
Luca Bonafede

22 April 2023

Switching from gym to home workouts. How to avoid a disaster?

Nowadays, it has become sadly familiar to be “locked” out of the gym. For example, the fitness centre may close due to government restrictions, or maybe your QR code is no longer valid, or who knows what other reasons.

At first, you think you will manage at home because after all you know what to do and you also know that it’s enough to have a bit of space on the floor and maybe a chair and you can work out. However, you decide to wait, right? Why not take a day off and you can think about the home workout tomorrow? That’s precisely the best way to pave the way to a disaster. I am talking from a personal experience here!

Let me get something straight here: working out at home S U C K S! (I am using an expression that I don’t usually use, but this time it fits perfectly). It sucks, especially for gym rats and people who fell in love with fitness at the gym. Working out at the gym is like praying at the church; it just makes you feel closer to God (or fitness in this case) 😅

I’ll tell you more, it’s harder to work out at home than working (smart work) from home. Because at least in the latest, you have a boss or an economic reward that pushes you to perform. But who cares if you work out or not? Nobody!

But that’s not you. You work out for yourself, for your physique and for your overall wellbeing… therefore, you must avoid the incoming disaster to skip way too many workouts. It drives you crazy thinking about it. I know.

Below are my personal bits of advice that I’d like to share with you. The more I follow them, the more “real” my home workouts feel.

1.Start straight away: yes, yes, yes, I mean today. Let’s say you were meant to work out at 14:00 this afternoon, but you can no longer access the gym. Well, your day was already set to have that slot of time for the gym. Then keep it like that. You will work out at 14:00; it doesn’t matter if at home, at the gym or on the moon. 14:00 o’clock was the established time, and it will stay like this. But what do I do at 14:00? I don’t have any machines, my apartment is not a gym! That is when you need to look at my advice number 2 – write a plan.

2.Write a plan: we all know, or at least we should know, that we won’t go anywhere without a plan. And how sad is it to get lost in your own apartment? Let’s avoid that. Sit down, pen and paper and write down a possible workout that you could do at home. I don’t have any machines, I don’t have any weights, I don’t have anything. That may be true, but trust me, there are thousands of videos on YouTube about workouts without equipment. If for some reason, YouTube is hacked and all the videos are deleted for eternity, you can always do something. For example, abs crunch on your rug (or a towel) and do some push-ups in front of the fridge. The most important thing is to write down your workout plan as you would do it when you go to the gym. Let’s say 3 X 30 sit-ups, 3 X 15 push-ups, 3 X squat touching the couch and so on. A plan!

3.Act as if you were at the gym: as I’ve already mentioned in advice 1, you must keep up with your original schedule. You are at home now, right? Let’s take a vacation, let’s watch some series, have a phone call with a friend while working out, maybe I stop here and there to fix my eyebrow or the shape of my beard, and why not try that jacket that I didn’t wear for such a long time? Please don’t do be like me in 2020!😡You are at the gym! It just looks like your apartment, but your mindset must be at the gym! If you are custom to work out at the gym at 14:00 o’clock with your phone on flight mode, listening to your badass songs, why at home should it be any different? This step is essential. Act as if you were at the gym, and sooner than later, you will be on your way to avoid a possible disaster. And if you are losing your way... ask yourself: would I be really reorganizing my closet if I was at the gym? Remember, this is an act, so you have to act as if you were at the gym, and at the gym, you don’t reorganize your closet during your rest between sets! Focus! You are at the “gym”, and you are working out!

4.Wear the same clothes and shoes: this is crucial. I know you are at home and you want to feel comfy. You want to wear your ugly Hello Kitty pyjama and those horrendous slippers to work out since you are home. Isn’t that right? What can you expect from such behaviour? Can you actually believe that you will be able to pull off a proper workout? Or, since you are so well-prepared, once you start your squat touching the couch once down, you will never raise your ass again? And maybe by miracle, the TV will switch on, and next thing you know, your workout is over! If you want to have a meaningful workout at home, you must dress up accordingly. Shoes included.

Now, picture yourself: you are wearing your shorts, your singlet, your shoes, setting your playlist, headphones on, program on hand. You are set to smash your workout! Have fun! And stay away from the closet! 😬

BONUS tip: Do not fall into the trap to buy equipment, resisting bands and the like. Do you know why? If I decide to buy something today, I may just say, “I’ll wait until they arrive.” Then you have already fallen short of my advice 1, you will begin by postponing. You will end up being the protagonist of your own disaster. Start with what you have and where you are. The rest can be added later, but for now… start now!

I was happy to write this post to answer a person locked out of her gym in South Korea. I hope it helps!

With Gratitude,

The Luca Bonafede

Amsterdam, 07/02/2022

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7 February 2022

I don’t like my new city! How long should I wait before leaving it? Three simple steps to avoid a massive mistake.

Two months. Roughly sixty days. That is all you must ask yourself!

When you move to a new country or city, for an adventure, for work, for love or simply because you are running away from something… well, there will be challenges.

But nothing new, right? You may not speak the language, you may hate your “momentary” accommodation, you dislike the food on the supermarket’s shelfs downstair, the cost of living is too high, too dangerous crossing the streets, or you may be the only person of your “race” around. The factors that can make you feel uncomfortable are countless.

What to do then? Let me share with you three simple (but very effective) principles that have helped me through life:

1. To begin with, force yourself to find something you appreciate about your new place. Do you know when you listen to an unknown artist’s album, and you find a song you like? Well, trust me, you will definitely find something you can like about your new location too. Look around yourself… what do you see? A cute little shop on the corner selling something you have no clue about, a random stranger giving small flags at the bus stop, or that sunrise that looks so different over that hill? What do you see?

If you are looking for beauty, you won’t only find it; it will overwhelm you.

2. No, you won’t find your favourite Korean beauty products in Finland, and you won’t find the best Italian mozzarella if you have just moved to the Philippines. And that’s ok! This deficit of what you are so accustomed to will stimulate your brain, body and ultimately your soul. Try new things, embrace what is new. Try that spicy food, have a sip of that hot beer in Poland and experience an Indian barber instead of using your usual Gillette that you forgot to pack. You will survive! Once again, fix this in your mind: embrace what is new, welcome new experiences. The only downside is that you may start to really like what you try, and you will begin to wonder, “how did I live all my life without this??” – well, you were about to miss it – so, good on you for taking the chance.

3. What if you only see darkness around you, everything seems like a blur, you are constantly pulled by the memory of your past experiences? What to do then? What I am about to share with you is not a secret formula, but it can be easily overlooked when your mind is adrift. Therefore, do yourself a favour and focus on the next few words because they may be responsible for making you avoid a massive mistake. The last but not least principle is to remind yourself why – THE WHY – you have had chosen that location, that city, that country in the first place. You don’t have to do it publicly. Nobody has to know the real reason. You only know it, it is a private thing and sometimes it is better to keep it that way. Do that! Remind yourself why you wanted to move right in that location at this specific time of your life. Why? Why not another city? Why? Your mind will start travelling back and forth through your memories till it finds the precise moment when you DECIDED to embrace that idea to move to this new city. Was it for better opportunities? Did you move for love? Were you tired of your home country? If you close your eyes, you can very much see yourself taking that decision, a lonely decision, the one you decided yourself on despite the approval or refusal of the people around you, that decision that you felt right within your core. Are you there now with your memory? – I know you are not – you already see yourself when you were so excited about the new adventure. You couldn’t wait to tell everyone; you were making a list of things to pack, places to visit, buying a new coat, and saying goodbye to friends and family. Do you remember that time? How great you used to feel, full of life, maybe a bit worried about the unknown but ready to take a leap of faith. Regain, reappropriate yourself of that feeling because it is still there in you. Sometimes it may just fade away through the cloudiness of a grey day mixed with the present routine, but it is still there. Remind yourself your unique why, the personal one, not the one you have learnt to answer when somebody asks, “why did you choose this place?”. Be true to yourself. Your why will help you to go forward for another day, and then another week and then another month and then you will just begin to be glad that you stayed true to the excited version of yourself, That version of you that took the decision on the first place.

On the other hand, if after two months you don’t really like anything around you and NOTHING works for you… well, you can always move and go elsewhere. You can move. You are not a tree! But don’t go back before sixty days, strive at least until that point… and later you can go through the three principles listed above again and take your new decision, which will hopefully lead you to an extended “trial” of thirty days…

P.S. rest assured, whenever you will arrive at the new destination, you will begin to miss the location you have just left. But you won’t admit to anyone but yourself in the quiet of your room when the day is over, and nobody is there pointing the finger at you… you will whisper to yourself, “ damn, what did I do? I should have tried just a little longer.” It gets sadder, you will be that old person at the dinner table, and when someone mentions that city, you will say proudly, “I lived there”, to sound interesting, and they will ask you for how long and you will softly say “ for two weeks.”

Two months. Roughly sixty days. That is all you must ask yourself!

With love,

TheLucaBonafede

Amsterdam 03/10/2021

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^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

29 January 2022

I hate Finnish cottages! -the twist-

A few days ago I was invited to spend my first weekend off in weeks to a rented cottage somewhere near the forest.

To begin with, my imaginary idea of a cottage was somewhere between a tropical beach house in Thailand and the criminal location in the woods of Unabomber. Sometimes I’ve also imagined the Finnish cottage as something like Johnny Depp’s house in ‘the Secret Window‘. And since I hardly google anything, I let my imagination build my “expectations”. Something that we should all avoid.

Anyhow, I accepted the invitation, and I came along after a night shift arriving at the destination by breakfast time. To my surprise, the cottage was in a little village with other cottages. And that bothered me. I looked around, and I saw a beautiful forest, but well…

I went inside and quickly realised that the place was nice but smaller than where the person who invited me and I live. The outdoor was in the forest, but so is our home. I checked the sauna, and it’s even smaller. The upper floor with four beds. What are we? Twelve years old?

I started wondering why someone would pay 180 plus euros per night to stay somewhere near home that looks and feels less comfortable than your own house.

To make it even worse, I realised that there is no lake nearby in these set of cottages, destroying my imagined stereotype of a cottage by the lake where you can dive in after a hot sauna.

I was sleepless, hungry, and tired, but I eventually ended up in a small, tiny, natural lake six minutes away by car. Wow, I truly enjoyed my hours there. I also fell asleep, totally forgetting my drone’s bag unattended – Nobody stole it – We are in Finland after all.

I came back to the cottage, and somehow the feeling began to change.

I enjoyed my shower with a bit of window open overlooking the forest. I began to observe the six people table by the large window. Also, the outdoor deck started to make sense and feel relaxing and welcoming… what was happening to me?

Since I promised them that I would cook dinner, I began to look through the kitchen appliances. There was everything you could have imagined of. There were massive sizes of pans to cook for many people, so big that it would have been way too large for my kg of pasta that I made. Another thing that I noticed was that every plate, glass and cup are from the finest Finnish brand Iittala. Fancy!

I smashed two plates of pasta myself while watching Portugal- Germany. I just remember exulting for the last German goal, but after that, I began to “passing out” around several benches. I was tired from last night’s shift, the hours of sun and the large amount of pasta just eaten. I laid down on that super comfortable sofa. By the way, during the day, I told my girlfriend that in case I would fall asleep on it to never ever try to wake me up – I love sleeping on the couch.

And that happened!

Blackout, a blackout that was only interrupted by the sound of someone washing the dishes and cleaning the mess I made while cooking and the change of light coming through the window. As you may know, in the North of Finland, during the summer, the sun never truly goes away, it sets just to come back straight up. Being in the West’s bottom of the country, this phenomenon is also visible, but there is some sort of darkness.

What has happened to me? I woke up during that sort of darkness. Everything was cleaned, and someone also tried the Tiramisù I made. I can’t remember passing out so bad in front of other people. Maybe the last time was in Amsterdam in 2019 when my friends and my brother were at my place drinking and eating while me; after two sleepless days, I passed out on the couch missing out on a nice party.

What has happened to me? I went out from the back door, stood on the deck looking at the forest first, the beautiful trees playing with their shadows, then I looked up: on one side of the sky, the last minutes of the sunset, on the other part the very beginning of the sunrise. It was sometime around 3 am and the sky was of that kind of blue that you can’t even reproduce with the best software.

A lazy personality of mine said, “go to bed, it’s time to sleep, you are tired!”. But I couldn’t disagree more! As Johnny Depp’s character in Stephen King’s story, I felt terrific after sleeping on the couch. I then went for a walk barefoot in the nearby forest; I was awake before most birds, so the quiet was absolute. No wind, no background noise, no car passing in the distant highway, just the music of the tree remixed with my steps over the forest’s undergrowth. Magical, I would say.

I came back, I got myself a slice of tiramisu, I grabbed my backpack, and I sat on the large wooden table on the deck, and I began catching up with all those things that I have been procrastinating for the last several weeks. I felt as good as I didn’t feel in many months. Was it because I was alone? Was it because I was awake so early? What was it?

It was probably the sum of everything, but the striking ingredient was that the environment was just right. Looking to the shadow of the forest in front of me, listening to the silent, and see the rest of the neighbours’ life in the still of the night put me at peace with myself. I was not high, I was not wired, I was not thinking about the past or stressing about the future, I was here. I was here, and there is nothing better than that. Being in the moment.

Now, only now, I understand, or begin to understand why Finnish people need their cottage time. It’s not about the luxury, it may not be about the natural resources around it, it is because living is also being together somewhere where you can feel peace with the world, and first and foremost with yourself.

So, now, tell me: do you also hate Finnish cottages like I do?

Virttaa, Finland 20th June 2021

Virttaa, 2021 🇫🇮

Kankaanjärvi, 2021 🇫🇮

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^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

20 June 2021

A love letter to the God of motorbikes.

It has been more than a year since you have been taken away from me on that cold Monday night. I know, the Netherlands wasn’t your place. It wasn’t mine either.

You were born in Japan to a lovely family that everyone knows around the world. Moving to Italy was already a bit of a stretch for you… but we made it work anyway.

I was just 18 years old when I rode you for the first time; it still makes me smile thinking about our first time together. You were so powerful… you took my breath away.

It’s true I left you alone for many years while I was travelling overseas, also there, where you were born. It’s also true that I let my brother riding you. And probably the worst part of all is that in Amsterdam I left you waiting for me in the rain more than one time.

We shared many girls together, some were important, some a bit less, but all of them fell in love with you too.

I rode you on our first long road trip from Italy to the Netherlands, nobody believed in us, but we did it anyway. Despite our dangerous lifestyle, we never got into trouble with the authorities… was it luck or destiny?

Since you have been gone, it has not been the same. Needless to say that I haven’t ridden again. It’s not the same without you.

The truth is that I loved you, despite the distance, despite your age. I was your first, and I should have been the only one. I still love you even if you are no longer with me.

To the God of Motorbikes, please say hi to my stolen motorbike. I miss her.

Forever yours,

your first rider 🏍

TheLB

TheLB Italy🇮🇹 2019

Somewhere in Germany. TheLB 2019

Amsterdam Canal. TheLB, The Netherlands 2019

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^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

1 June 2021

What does it mean being 30 in 2021?

It’s my 30^th birthday’s eve, I just moved to a new country at my girlfriend’s place, I still study at the University of Amsterdam, and in a few days I will start a new job. But what does it really mean being 30 in 2021?

When are you getting married?
When are you having kids?
When are you buying a house?
When do you stop travel and settle somewhere?
When do you stop sharing an apartment and buying your own place?
Why do you want to learn how to play guitar? You are too old for that!
Mixed martial arts? You are not 19 anymore!
How about your job? Are you still a temp?
Internship at 30 years old? When will you start working for real?
30 years old living with your parents? What a looser!
At your age I already had a family and finished to pay my mortgage.
Did you only have one woman in your life?
30 years old life is over. One step inside the grave.
Do you remember when I said that after 25 the years fly away? And now that you are 30?
Why are still studying… come on… you are 30!
We cannot go to club anymore. We are 30!
Now we are 30, a serious girl, a nice house, and a nice job. If you don’t have by now.. well…
Look at that 30 years old girl, she clearly needs to hurry up if she wants to have a family.
If you don’t have someone with you by 30 you will probably spend the rest of your life alone.
30 with a new job? Come on! Stop trying different career and focus on something solid.
Hang on a second. Do you want to start to workout at 30. You can’t. Muscle memory.
You are too old to follow your dream.
You are too old to sleep with her.
You are too old to take that year off.
You are too old to do an adventure with your backpack.
You are too old to change country… again!
Stay in one place, see how it goes… you are 30 after all.

Fortunately, my parents were supportive of everything I did so far 90% of the times. I didn’t have to hear these long lists of conservative-playing-safe-already-dead -crap. However, those are phrases that everyone around my age has heard at least once. Sometime the people close to us are the ones who take us down the most. I would say DO NOT LISTEN but that would be stupid. It is impossible, these comments go down deep and they stay there for long time.

My advice to the youngest is to make/earn as much money as possible, life is better with money! Not for the money itself but for what money empowers you to do. Do you think America is the place for you? You have money, buy a ticket and sustain yourself for the beginning. Nobody will ever tell you anything, they can just envy you or admire you for believing in yourself and have a nice set of balls!

To the 30 years old like me… in an hour or so I will be part of the club. What can I say? I feel privileged that out self-pride and some vanity I’ve always wanted to do something different and provocative at times and that helped me a lot to feel good about myself by myself. But not always among others… I did a lot of things, met a lot of people, and being in so many places but now that I am 30 my life is over.

Right?

Fuck that.

Life is over when you listen to whom gave up on life 10 years ago, those people who settle for less, people who said “well, this is how it is”.

We are 30 years old and living in 2021 is not easy. We tend to isolate ourselves and to look externally just to compare ourselves with others…. I do that too. How damaging is that?

If you are 30 like me, take a deep breath… you are not dead yet!

Time flies, but you are the pilot!

#LiveanExtraordinaryLife
#Iam30

TheLB
Rauma, Finland 22:57 08/04/2021

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^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

8 April 2021

Good books take their time. Un indovino mi disse – Tiziano Terzani

Good books take their time, and a perfect one may take years and years before finding you.

It was the end of my first year of high school when my professor gave us three mandatory summer readings. I still remember the titles: an Italian book titled Una Storia Semplice, an eternal classic by Hemingway The Old Man and the Sea, and another 400something pages book. (Photo 1)

It was September; the days were getting colder and shorter when we came back to class. With a shift round of questions, I asked around who read the books. Some of my classmates read all of them; others answered me like “were we meant to read books

???”. I soon figured that I was right in the middle of the spectrum. I was absolutely mediocre; I read two books out of three. I remember myself, on the very first day of the second year wearing a camouflage jacket (Photo 2), saying to myself “I am not the best student, but not even the worst one…”. Mediocre!

In fact, during the summer I had read Una Storia Semplice a 58 pages book, and the other beautiful, but kind of short story The Old Man and the Sea. I did not read them for pleasure; I read them because I had to. Saving the best one for last.

I was 15 years old, it was the very end of summer, and I still had this – to what appeared to me – gigantic book to read. I was in Palermo, in the very south of Italy, at my grandparent’s place. (Photo 3)

I took this book by the red cover, nobody was around after lunch, and I decided to go to the toilette to “finally” read it.

Something amazing happened, like a deep moment, a revelation… by just reading one page I was so into it, I was connected that I fell dead asleep right there on the toilet halfway through the turning of the first page. Fortunately, the book fell on the floor.

What did you think I said to my Professor? That I read all the three books, of course. I could not possibly tell her that it was the most boring thing I had ever read.

A couple of years ago, during a short holiday in my hometown, I explored my parents’ home looking for some texts that would have helped me during my studies in Amsterdam. Somewhere, somehow that 400something pages book came out. Talking to the book, I said: “come with me, I may read the second page this time”. I put in my library in Amsterdam and there it was looking at me passing with my pointing finger looking for the perfect book but never picking that book up. More than one year passed this way, maybe more, till one day, (this time I can say FINALLY) I chose it.

By the end of the first chapter, I began to feel goosebumps. I was in the mezzanine of my building, wondering why I waited so long to read such a book. Why? Why? Why me?

I remember writing on Facebook years ago “my heart beats Asia…” how did I miss such a book?? (Photo 4)

Now, a few weeks away from turning 30, I can look back to that 15 years old version of me (a young little Luca) and understand why I did not read it. It was not the time. I was not ready to appreciate the true story of a journalist who crosses some of the most remote areas of Asia without flights for one year simply because many years before a fortune-teller told him his fate. The journalist took the path less travelled, met unique protagonists of the most populated continent, but mostly travelled like a few in the world did. Definitely not understandable by a mediocre student.

I am talking about Un indovino mi disse (a fortune-teller told me) by Tiziano Terzani. (Photo 5)

I haven’t been to my favourite continent for more than three years now, and I miss it every day. However, thanks to Tiziano Terzani’s stories, I re-lived that vast continent, and I miss Asia a bit less. Or even more?

Maybe the title of my story is wrong; good books do not take their times. It is just us that we are not ready for them…

Thank You Tiziano Terzani, I wish you were still alive to meet you. Even if only once.

1: Una Storia Semplice & The Old Man and the Sea (Italian version). TheLB – Amsterdam, The Netherlands 🇳🇱 2021

2: A little TheLucaBonafede 15 years old, the first day of high school. Biella, Italy 2006

3: Palermo Cathedral. TheLB – Palermo, Italy 🇮🇹 2012

4: Facebook post in 2014

5: A Fortune Teller Told me (Italian Version). TheLB – Amsterdam, The Netherlands 🇳🇱 2021

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^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

4 February 2021

How to avoid jet-lag? My first memorable sunrise in Japan!

How excited I was to move to Asia finally. After a previous month-long experience between Thailand🇹🇭 and Singapore🇸🇬 , I know that Asia was my place. I was repeating over and over again to myself: “Luca, you are about to live in Tokyo!”.

The reasons for my excitement were infinite, but the main one was TOKYO. Tokyo as a city, Tokyo as busy living (photo 1), Tokyo, as all the stories I had heard till that moment.

Yes, I am super lucky to have a good friend called Taishi since I was twelve years old, half Italian half Japanese (photo 2). At school, no day was passing without him telling me some stories about the rising sun’s land, and most and foremost, some crazy adventure in Tokyo.

He invited me to Tokyo, and me being a twenty-one years old young man who just began to discover the world said: “absolutely yes!”.

Many years have passed; however, I am still absolutely grateful to my dear Friend Taishi and his father, Masahiko. They hosted me in Tokyo and always made me feel very welcome there (photo 3) One day will be the time to give back what I received…

1. Big city life. TheLB. Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan2013

2. Taishi and I. Biella, Italy🇮🇹2011

3. Taishi, Masahiko and I. TheLB. Roppongi, Tokyo Japan🇯🇵2013

Let me go back to my story. After a very stressful time at Malpensa (Milano’s airport), I left Italy. I managed to fly via Russia🇷🇺 with Aeroflot ✈ and finally arrive the following day in Tokyo – without sleeping. It was afternoon when I met Taishi, who took me to his father’s restaurant. My excitement was above the stars – TOKYOOOOO (photo 4) – while Taishi was working (photo 5), I spent the evening with his father drinking, eating and drinking again. I was not very used to drink at that time, but how can you refuse prime quality sake (Japanese wine rice) and other drinks that I would lie if I tell you that I remember the name?

After work Taishi joined us and the night started, we went clubbing, and I think we ended up home not later than 3 am. Clearly, I went straight to sleep.

4. Super excited. Tokyo, Japan🇯🇵 2013

5. Taishi and I first day in Japan. Omotesando, Tokyo Japan🇯🇵 2013

6. Out of the window. TheLB. Aobadai, Tokyo Japan🇯🇵 2013

I’ve always had three rules to avoid jet-lag (see the full article: Avoid Jet-lag in 3 “simple” steps).

1) Arrive at the destination at an optimal time. My favourite is sometime between 11:00 and 14:00. Check ✅

2) Avoid taking a nap. This is the most important one! Once you check-in, leave your luggage and go around the city do not come back before dinner. Check ✅

3) Go to sleep early in the evening after a nice shower to wake up in the morning nice and rested. Check ??? ❌❌❌ But let me tell you if it affected me or not 😬

Suddenly, I woke up. Wow, I went around the apartment when I saw the sunlight coming through the window. Wow! I remember myself in underwear standing there and thinking “wow, this is my first sunrise in Japan. Here in the land of the rising sun… I will never forget this moment.” (photo 6). After having a moment of gratitude in underwear, I looked at my watch 05:30! “It must be Japan if I feel so good!” I said to myself. I didn’t sleep for basically two straight days, I have been travelling, dancing and drinking and it was enough two hours sleep, and I was feeling supercharged. Was it maybe the Japanese attitude to work hard from the very beginning of the day? Perhaps, in less than one night, I was already becoming a bit Japanese 🧐

7. FamilyMart.Pinterest. Japan🇯🇵

After having a glass of water, I convinced myself that I would go back to sleep to better recover from the night before. It was early after all. On my way back to my room I noticed that my Friend was not there… but I didn’t think much about that.

Guess what I did? I fell asleep! I woke up a couple of hours later; the watch indicated 07:30. Wait for a second, hang on! Why was it so dark???????

That was the time I realised that what I thought I watched was not my very first sunrise in Japan but my second sunset in the land of the rising sun 🙈🙈 that is why my Friend was not there… he was working!

Suddenly I realised I was super hungry! Thankfully Taishi had shown me a Family Mart (convenience store- photo 7) the night before, and that was where I ran to.

Picture me sitting in a convenience store, looking out the window while eating honey chicken rice. In front of me, a beautiful neighbourhood telling myself ” I will never forget my first sunrise in Japan… so memorable!”. I knew that it was another story to tell… a unique way to start my adventure in Japan.

To sum up, messing up with my three golden rules did affect my first week in Japan. I kept on waking up super late and going to sleep very late at night. It was ok for me because I spent a few months there, however, if you are going somewhere far for a holiday not following my 3 “simple” rules may ruin your vacation entirely. To sum up the sum up I am glad it went this way, I couldn’t start my Japanese adventure any better and definitely, I couldn’t tell this story to you…

8. Beautiful street. TheLB. Tokyo, Japan🇯🇵2013

9. By night. TheLB. Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan🇯🇵2013

10. Out the window, TheLB. Aobadai, Tokyo Japan🇯🇵2013

11. View. TheLB. Aobadai, Tokyo Japan🇯🇵2013

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^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

18 January 2021

3 “simple” rules to avoid jet-lag ✈

I want to share my three rules with you to avoid jet-lag and better start my time in a faraway land. The more you will follow the rules, the quicker you recover from your trip and the time difference. Of course, as always, I speak out of my own experience in nearly 10 years travelling and many international flights – and all the mistakes I made along the way. 🙈

Rule number 1:

Arrive at the destination at an optimal time.

I know, it may sound obvious, but it is not, this detail is often underestimated and often regretted. Many believe that the time you depart is the most important one. Well, let me tell you that this is not the case. When you reach your destination, you are often a place where you are not familiar with. What if you arrive there late in the evening? No public transport to go to your hotel, no reliable taxi and only some non-so-reliable individuals who offer you “private taxi” for three times the price. (Trust me, it happens). What if instead, you arrive around lunchtime? Everything at the airport is fully functional and full of people that can help you with direction, or you may be able to share a taxi with? – I met quite a few friends this way – I usually recommend arriving during the day in the new destination, and not caring too much what time you depart from home. Come on, you know your “home airport”, you know your language, and you know where to go. My personal favourite time for arrival is between 11:00 to 14:00. It’s the perfect time for check-in in the hotel, and you have the full day to enjoy the city! It will mostly allow starting your vacation stress-free, and you will be able to choose what time to go to bed.

Rule number 2:

Avoid taking a nap.

Once you check-in, leave your luggage and go around the city; do not come back before dinner. Avoid, at all cost, taking a nap. This is the most important rule! I have countless examples that I could give of waste days sleeping while life was happening just outside my hotel room.

Listen, it does not matter how tired you feel. Wash your face, dress up. No! Do not sit… go out for a walk. You will feel much better once you immerse yourself in the new city you decided to spend some time in. If you wanted to sleep, you could have slept simply at home. Right? Avoid naps! The time to sleep arrives soon enough; in fact, it is the 3rd rule.

Rule number 3:

Go to sleep early in the evening after a nice shower.

You may be tempted to go out partying on your very first night, and I am the last one who tells you not to. However, if you are serious in syncing your sleeping schedule with the new time zone, you are better to have a shower after dinner, lay down on your nice bed and let nature due its course. You will sleep like a baby and wake up on time for breakfast, fully charged and ready to rock your time in a foreign land. This is what happened when I did not follow this rule

If you don’t follow these 3 “simple” steps, nothing will really happen to you. Nothing is better than sleep while all your friends are having a good time and being awake around the hotel talking to the night cleaner. Poor guy, he chose that job to be alone, and you are there annoying him 😅😂 Jokes aside, jet-lag may seriously take a toll on your “holiday-health” and consequently to the memory you will have of that place. Which is sad! Trust me on these three rules… try them and let me know if they work for you too.

P.S.

Do you know that uncle who always tells how much he hated that place far away he went for a holiday a few years ago? Does it hate the place because he was jet-lagged till the last day of vacation? Well, next Christmas dinner you should ask him if he broke any of my rules. Trust me, they work! 😉

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^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

18 January 2021

What is the opposite of “living”?

Exactly! The opposite of “living” is dying!

You won’t look back to your Life and remember the days you wasted watching Netflix all day long. You won’t remember the days you consumed your thumb scrolling your way down to your Instagram feed. You won’t remember the days you passed between the couch and the bed playing videogames. You won’t remember those days, trust me, you won’t!

You will remember the day you graduated, you will remember that run to catch your last train home, you will remember your hangover after a crazy night out, you will remember a stolen kiss, you will remember a walk uphill to see the sunset and the walk back in total darkness, you will also remember the time you ended up in the hospital. You will remember those days.

The truth is that we try to cheat Life by dying daily with meaningless activity and lazy behaviours. How about living Life by actually living it?

TheLB

From my Coast to Desert solo road trip. William Bay (Denmark) Western Australia. TheLB- Australia 🇦🇺 2018

^{Thank you so much for reading – or merely looking at -my work.}

^{And huge thanks to those of you who continue to recommend it to family, friends, and coworkers.}

^{Every content creator continually seeks to expand their audience, and you are vital in helping me to grow mine. I sincerely appreciate it!}

^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

12 November 2020

What is PEPERO day? And do we need it in Europe?

PEPERO day is a sort of Valentine’s day celebrated in South Korea, where lovers exchange chocolate, but not every chocolate, a specific and delicious one . Let me tell you more!

To begin with, PEPERO day is the 11th of November. How do you write this date in number? 11 – 11. So please now keep the visual of this sequence of ones in your mind and let me explain to you how I discovered the existence of PEPERO day.

I was fresh of the boat in Australia back in 2011 (see photo 1), I was studying general English, and as you can imagine, I had many Asian classmates (see photo 2). I loved that. To speed up my learning, I used to hang out with several Koreans and Japanese ( plus I was really into some of these girls ). Anyway, one day, suddenly one of these girls gave me some chocolate and in return asked me “where is my chocolate?”

Between my broken English and my PEPERO day’s ignorance I had no clue on what she was talking about

Another classmate with her friends came to rescue me, and they took me to a Korean shop next to Brisbane Town Hall Clock Tower (see photo 3), and they show me a new version of “heaven”. Many packages of chocolate-covered stick cookies, all flavours and many more special editions.

Do you remember the date I ask you to keep in mind? 11 – 11? PEPERO day is 11 – 11 because the date resembles the shape of the chocolate covered cookies (see photo 4). The stories and “excuses” for this unofficial celebration are many, but my favourite is the one from the 1980s down in Busan (see photo 5) the second-largest city in South Korea (over 3,5 millions, at the very South of the country – amazing city, and crazy party ) where students used to exchange boxes of PEPERO teasing each other saying something like “let’s lose some weight”.

However, that does not end there… the company who produces this tempting chocolate is LOTTE. They notice back then that the sales were higher on the 11th of November so – as every excellent company should do – created a “holiday” for themselves to sell even more. Ultimately, to have even more chocolate going around every corner of the country inhabited by over 51 millions of people – without counting the large diaspora in several countries, Australia perhaps.

Do we need PEPERO day in Europe? My answer is simple: yes, we do. Several companies have similar products, I remember a similar cookie called Mikado when I was growing up in Italy. But if we welcome LOTTE to our continent, we will open our chocolate-boundaries to an all-new level.

By the way, in case you missed it, I discovered the existence of PEPERO day the 11th of November 2011 ( 11 – 11 – 11 ) which makes it THE PEPERO DAY! Lucky me!

TheLB

1 Trying Korean food for the first time. TheLB – Brisbane, Australia 2011

2 Korean friends. TheLB – Brisbane, Australia 2011

3 Brisbane Town Hall Clock Tower. TheLB – Brisbane, Australia 2017

4 PEPERO classic flavours. Photo by Amazon

5 Busan beach city view. TheLB – Busan, South Korea 2013

^{Thank you so much for reading – or merely looking at -my work.}

^{And huge thanks to those of you who continue to recommend it to family, friends, and coworkers.}

^{Every content creator continually seeks to expand their audience, and you are vital in helping me to grow mine. I sincerely appreciate it!}

^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

10 November 2020

Why study in Amsterdam? Three reasons why you should study in the city of canals.

Besides the obvious ‘it is a city with many nationalities living together’, and other – “mind-blowing” facts such as ‘Amsterdam is a very open minded city’ and so on… there are so many more interesting realities besides the super-obvious truths I just listed.

So, as a student who studied in 4 different countries let me tell you why you should study in Amsterdam!

1. The weather: it rains, it rains, and some other times it rains. For weeks you can absolutely forget about that yellow thing up in the sky. It rains. And yes, if you are about to say that this is a negative thing… hang on a minute and let me show you how the grey and raining days may work for you. Picture yourself looking out the window, what do you see? – I just told you, RAIN and grey sky. So what do you feel like doing? Shopping, enjoying sometime on the beach with friends, or a romantic time with your lover in a park? No, you do not. You are not in Gold Coast Australia where you feel like surfing 365 days per year you are in Amsterdam. Therefore, Amsterdam with its sad and long -lasting weather will already eliminate the massive temptations to waste your time outside. The time outdoor is for some other days. * I will explain more at the end*

2. The bicycles: no I am not here to write what has been written by many about the bicycles in Amsterdam. It is well-known, over documented, and somehow boring. The good news that I want to bring here to you is that it does not matter where you are from, how much money you have, or how good your house is… you will end up using your bicycle to go to class. And that is what I call “BD” Bicycle-Democracy. All students, maybe dressed up differently, will struggle to find a spot to park their bicycle, and they will take even more time to look for their bicycle once they need to leave, and last but not least all students will get wet during a raining day. Of course, there are students that will come to class by public transport, walking, or motorbike (like I did till it was stolen) but trust me… Bicycle-Democracy keeps all students equal, and that is something that you will see in Amsterdam day in and day out. And this is a plus for Amsterdam.

3. The professors: do you remember the Bicycle-Democracy? Well I am sure you can get it now. The majority of Professors I had till now came to University by bicycle. Sometimes, you also park next to them and express a comment or two about the weather. Now, think about any movie staged in an English or American schools. What do you see? Rich students driving dad’s car, poor students reaching University by bus and the professors? Well the successful who won prizes and wrote important books come to university driving a full-optional Mercedes class C, while the freshly PhD drive a second hand Toyota Corolla 2005 and this professor does not even have the assigned car park! Here in Amsterdam you cannot see this massive difference gap. Professors are professors, and students are students. However, here in Amsterdam, the professors do not go around with an untouchable aura of prestige and look down to students. For my experience the opposite is actually true. By the way, do not get me wrong, the professors in Amsterdam are top class. If you do a little research you will see how many international scholars chose Amsterdam to lecture.

Parents, future students, and general internet surfers listen up (well… read up) Amsterdam is the right place to study for so many reasons, but the listed above three reasons are the most relevant that you will face day in and day out. So please considered them.
Ah yes, I promised that I would have explained how to enjoy the good weather day in Amsterdam. Listen, and listen well… study every day, do not leave anything to the last minute so when – magically – the weather in Amsterdam is sunny and hot you can get the hell out of your house and meet some friends and spend all day out without studying. It will be a great day, trust me, Amsterdam, when the weather is nice and the sky is blue (and you have already submitted your assignment) is one of the best city in Europe! – and the perfect place to study!!!

If you believe this article can help other friends to choose Amsterdam please leave a comment and share it

Dank u wel!

TheLB

Rijk Museum. TheLB – Amsterdam, The Netherlands 🇳🇱 2019

Bushuis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 🇳🇱 2019

Oosterdok, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 🇳🇱 2019

^{Thank you so much for reading – or merely looking at -my work.}

^{And huge thanks to those of you who continue to recommend it to family, friends, and coworkers.}

^{Every content creator continually seeks to expand their audience, and you are vital in helping me to grow mine. I sincerely appreciate it!}

^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife✨}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

31 October 2020

Should I move overseas ? Australia perhaps?

No English, not that much money, no actual plans, just one-way ticket to Brisbane – Australia 🇦🇺 What are you going to do there? Where will you live? How will you communicate? You have always been the worst at English. People, relatives and friends asked me over and over again. I do not know it yet. I will figure it out once there – I answered.

I would give everything to go back to that morning, the 26th September 2011 of 9 years ago, I did not know anything, but I was open to everything. If I could just go back in time to that feeling of uncertainty and mixed feelings. You may think it was fear, but it was actually the best expression of Life.

I was leaving for Australia. My first country away from home, it was the very first time. You will never forget the first time – of anything. I was 20 and not ready; however, I went to Australia nevertheless.

TheLB

Airplane Milano – Brisbane. Milano Malpensa Italy 🇮🇹 2011

International sunset. Somewhere over Asia 2011

The last photo in Italy. Right to Left: Alessandro, Carola, and myself🙃. Milano Malpensa Italy 26 – 09- 2011

^{Thank you so much for reading – or merely looking at -my work.}

^{And huge thanks to those of you who continue to recommend it to family, friends, and coworkers.}

^{Every content creator continually seeks to expand their audience, and you are vital in helping me to grow mine. I sincerely appreciate it!}

^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife✨}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

26 September 2020

Can I drink tap water in Thailand ???

Many of us are lucky enough to come from countries where the tap water is delicious, or at least drinkable.

However, in most of the South East Asian countries, drinking tap water from the tap is a huge NO – NO. It can ruin your holiday within hours, sending you to trow-up, toilet, and in the worst case scenario hospital.

I remember the first time I arrived in Thailand, after a whole year in Australia I totally forgot about the water’s issue. So, I drank the complimentary water bottles, and I refilled them with tap water, place them in the fridge, and left.

I went for a walk around Khao San Road, Bangkok; I sat down in front of a Seven Eleven (chain of a convenience store) and started to eat some street food. I was halfway through my Pad Thai when I noticed a homeless person buy a bottle of water, and after two minutes another homeless, and another one… then I said to my self: “if local homeless buy spring water, then I must be crazy to do not do it!”

So… yes! Seeing a few homeless buying spring water probably saved my one month trip in Thailand.

In my experience, together with Thailand, there are the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia where I know as a fact that you must drink spring water

TheLB

Khaosan Road by night. TheLB – Bangkok Thailand🇹🇭 2011

Thai street food + fun view 😂. TheLB – Ayutthaya, Thailand 🇹🇭 2014

^{Thank you so much for reading – or merely looking at -my work.}

^{And huge thanks to those of you who continue to recommend it to family, friends, and coworkers.}

^{Every content creator continually seeks to expand their audience, and you are vital in helping me to grow mine. I sincerely appreciate it!}

^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife✨}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

8 March 2019

I am a Rocket Man… long long time 1972 – Elton John

Last year about this time I discovered – Rocket Man ( I think it is going a long long time ) – by Elton John (1972) Well, I always knew it, it sounded kinda familiar when it was at the end of the episode of my one of my favourite TV series ever.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this song, a song that many will call “old” but I simply describe it as “magnificent”. If you pay attention to it, you can really feel the countless meaning that this song has to offer; on top of that, I truly believe that, like many other songs, it has a different meaning when listened in a far far away time in the future. I think this song is timeless… and from now on, forever on my playlist.

What do you feel when you listen to this song? Do you know, or are you a rocket man?

TheLB

Telstra Tower. TheLB – Canberra, Australia 🇦🇺 2016

Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time). Spotify 🎶

^{Thank you so much for reading – or merely looking at -my work.}

^{And huge thanks to those of you who continue to recommend it to family, friends, and coworkers.}

^{Every content creator continually seeks to expand their audience, and you are vital in helping me to grow mine. I sincerely appreciate it!}

^{#LiveanExtraordinaryLife}

^{With gratitude, TheLucaBonafed}^e

8 March 2019

Almost escaping my memories – Unforgettable – Robin Schulz

Do you know the song by Robin Schulz and Marc Scibilia called – Unforgettable-

Wow, simply wow. Besides the charming beat, the lyric is something extraordinary. The main topic I feel at the core of my soul through my headphones is a perfect description of the perfect one-night-stand and the following days’ mix feelings.

If you ever had a fabulous one-night-stand, met a great person, and wonder about her for days, weeks, and forever in your memory … this is the song for you. Robin Schulz nailed it, once again!

TheLB