For those who did not know, in 2018, you might think: ‘just another picture of her body’.
But the reality is different. In 2018, on May 17th a lot of things changed.
I was in Bali, and that morning I decided to rent a motorbike with a friend. I was driving and he was behind me. I did not need many meters to lose control of the motorbike and crash. He instantly got up and I smiled at him. I touched my face and I saw blood on my hands. But I was fine (I thought). The problem came when I tried to get up. I couldn’t. I didn’t feel my foot. Minutes later, I fainted, and he took me to a doctor on the mushroom island.
The doctor was super nice, but there was not an injection to clean and close the hole I had on my knee. He took 30 minutes to fix me and after the treatment, he told me I would be ok in five days.
– Little did I know the little ride would change my life plans.
I kept the positive vibe 
1 day later
Five days later I flew back to Australia where I was living
When I got to the airport in Australia, I asked someone from the crew to help me with my backpack. I could not carry it. No one helped me and the only question I got was:
- – Who is picking you up?
- – No one, I said – As I said this I started crying. Being sick alone abroad is something I do not wish on anyone.
The pain was so strong that I could not walk for weeks. I stayed for a month with my friend Tania, laying down in bed all day, every day. After five weeks, I went backpacking thinking that my leg was good to go. Very quickly I realized I was not healed at all. I had a huge scar on my knee and my foot hurt every time I put weight on it.
1 week later 
1 month later
I saw one doctor, another one, and another. They found that I had nothing, but after 2 months I was still limping. I was completely alone and without a drive. In August, after two months of jumping around without a home, I decided to fly back to Europe.
When I went back home without money, work, and feeling sick
I was completely lost.
-I arrived in Portugal without money, without a job, with 47 kg (not much, believe me) and limping from a leg.
It was one of the hardest moments; going back to my mom’s place without a plan at 27. We argued every day.
I cried everyday.
Without a focus, I started by only concentrating on my leg. I went to physical therapy every day and fortunately a month later I was feeling much better.
I did not break anything but the muscle tissues and little bones of my foot seemed to be quite damaged.
In a VERY bad moment, I found what made me HAPPY
In September, I flew to Paris with a goal to apply for university in the US (a dream I had in my head for many years). Why Paris? You might ask if my goal was to move to the US. Paris was the easy pick. I just wanted to feel loved and cared by friends. I wanted to feel I belong somewhere, and Paris is home for me.
By this time, I was still visiting a physical therapist, but I had stopped limping. My sessions were mostly to regain confidence on my foot.
When the good news arrived
From September till the end of the year, I dedicated myself to the applications to the university in the US and the blog. It was not easy to motivate myself every day, but I gave everything I could to be accepted to university in the US. And after failing applications 3 times, in 2018 I finally got accepted. In 2019, I moved to the US.
Had I not had that accident, maybe I would not be here today. One of the worst periods led me to one of my biggest dreams. You know, I used to hate the scar on my knee, today I see it as reminder to listen to my deep intuition. While in Australia, I knew I was not fully happy, but I could not find the courage to change things. Sometimes we need a big external push to make a decision.
I hope my story can help someone.
Beijinhos,
Daniela