THE 'PPP' STORY...

...from PADI to Pilot to Permaculture

It seems like I was drawn to trees from the beginning. This picture takes us back in time to reconcile with my 22-year-old self, an invincible young man who on a daily basis dedicated himself to the teaching and instructing of scuba diving, most of the time standing tall with his head up high while proudly wearing his instructor credentials.

The 'Cocos nucifera', also known as a dominican coconut tree, stood strong when I decided to climb it like I had seen both the monkeys in the jungle do so gracefully. The way up feels way safer than the way back down. Tropical coconut trees are smooth in comparison to the date palms in the Mediterranean climates, so during the time I lived and worked in the Caribbean, I used to do a whole lot of climbing.

This picturesque moment was captured on film, of which the below screenshot was taken, on a beach located about an hour's walk from the coastal city of Bávaro, headed southeast.

Living in the tropics allowed for a daily menu of delicious fruits, freshly caught fish from the marine ecosystems that surrounding the island, satiating local cuisines, an authentic local population, happy tourists coming from all parts of the world, activities and excursions; such as horseriding jungle trails to hidden water falls, coral reef snorkeling trips, deep sea scuba diving, not to mention a million other water sports activities, beach days and nights, and treks to witness old indigenous artifacts. It is by no mistake that this island's slogan is:

 "The Dominican Republic Has It All!".

Sometime during 2014, I left the Caribbean sea to venture back closer to what used to feel like home. I did not feel that my PADI days were coming to an end, but was rather seeking a change of environment - perhaps a stepping stone on the way to something new and even more interesting...

I ended up settling near the southernmost tip of continental Europe, just a stone throw from Africa. Málaga, Andalusia, was my city of choice, and I got to explore many beautiful  places in its vicinity. After working a series of different jobs during this time, I eventually found myself learning how to fly!

Somehow I decided to enroll in pilot's training, and during the next three years I became a commercial pilot of aeroplanes. I got to personally admire the bird's eye view from the skies on several continents. During the time I spent burning jet fuel, I felt high on life again, similar to my diving days.

In November of 2019, when I was just coming out of training to a seemingly open job market, 'safe and effective' life events put a temporary stop to my job search and flying, and brought along some upsets and disappointments, which forced me to reconsider some alternative routes to track.

The next couple of years were hard for many, and for some time I was working a series of jobs I was discontent with. It was at this time that I took a small disconnect and spent some weeks up in the Andalusian mountains. I spent my days dog-sitting for a family while staying in their farm house, surrounded by avocado and mango trees as far as the eyes could see. And then, one morning, I had a eureka moment!

Could this be my life?

For the next year, I did whatever I could to stay in nature. I worked on farms, sometimes with no payment except for food and shelter, on ecological farms, and from that moment on there was no way back. Diving and flying were still skills of mine, and even though I did not feel like closing those doors, I was opening up a new one, with horizons to a new world that appealed to me.

Not long after, I was introduced to Bill Mollison and the Permaculture concept. I enrolled in his online PDC - Permaculture Design Course - to learn more about this concept which had drawn my attention, and I spent the next weeks, like a sponge, absorbing new conceps and ways to think about things I thought I already knew, and one day, it became clear to me that this was a meaningful pursuit.

Sometimes, you must dive deep below the surface of the sea and fly high in the sky before you realise that all you really need is to plant your feet on the earth. These days, I wake up excited for what new ideas and projects I can engage with, and I become more aware of the natural world that is ever presently surrounding us.

 Thank you for reading.