Pietro: moving to the Isle of Man to learn the value of solitude

Why did you decide to leave?

I decided to leave because I wanted to test myself. I wanted to know my mental limits and try to overcome them.

Why did you choose the Isle of Man?

I chose the Isle of Man because it was an inaccessible and unknown place.

I was fascinated by the idea of finding myself completely alone because for me the journey is something that must take you away from everything and everyone.

What attracted you and what scared you about this place?

What attracted me was the challenge and the possibility of having a revenge towards my past. I was intrigued by the idea of facing an almost extreme solitude.

It may seem strange but I have never felt fear, I had in fact studied what is called: "Cultural shock" and to anticipate it, I started to document myself on the spot, I traveled on the island through google maps, I imagined situations of difficulty and success before they happened and I must say that this technique has helped me a lot.

Fear can very well be controlled and exploited to your advantage.

What do you do on the Isle of Man?

On the Isle of Man I work as a nurse at Noble's Hospital. My goal is to specialize in the emergency. I'm dedicating myself enthusiastically to fitness modeling. In addition I manage a cultural site on Bisacquino www.satyr.it because for my territory it is always the center of my world. I dedicate myself to painting, sculpture ... I love reading and writing, I love cinema, especially in Herzog and Murnau. Mind and body are inseparable!

What did this isolated place teach you?

This isolated place taught me the importance of being alone.

Very often solitude scares most people, but from my point of view this is not the case. Loneliness forges your character, allows you to shape yourself as you want and not like others, during the path of life, they want.

I learned to observe my inner chaos and I'm trying to understand it!

Now I think that only the darkest moments of your existence give you the chance to look at the starry sky! The change starts from the darkest moments of your life.

What did you understand about yourself in this experience?

What I have understood is that very often we are afraid of freedom, especially of the inner one.

We are afraid of facing new adventures because these fears have been grafted by people close to us during our lives. I talk to a lot of boys and girls who are undecided about taking the first step, but what I try to make them understand is that in reality those fears are not theirs.

What would you say to the other guys like you who come from a village?

To the guys who come from a village like mine I say:

• You do not accept any compromise. The change, the one that shakes everything like an earthquake, starts from that! Even if this can completely upset your life by catapulting you on a small island of the Irish Sea!
• Find the thrust for the journey in your fears and anger. Accept it all as a challenge. Appreciate the thrill of insecurity, of the possible failure and of the fear of the unknown, do not control them, let them flow within you without letting go of your inner security;
• Anticipate the cultural shock. Many, before the trip, they will say: -Don't think about it! - My advice is instead: -Personate !!! - Think every moment on that trip, documented, take google maps and move around the city where you will go to live, imagine the emotions you will experience ... the difficulties you will encounter ... the successes you will achieve. Study the typical dishes and traditions. So documented !!! Believe me, in this way the cultural impact will be reduced to the minimum terms;
• Leave alone !!! Do not look for Italian communities in the place where you are going to live or if you know that there are Italians, try not to meet them for a while. When I arrived on the Isle of Man I knew there were a lot of Italians but I wanted to be alone for about a year. Result? I have speeded up the learning of the language, known the culture of the island and woven relationships with different cultures ... I have increased my resilience. What's the point of getting out of your comfort zone to create another one? So travel and face the difficulties alone !!!
• Always love your origins and be proud of it because they will be your strength wherever you are in the world. Your origins make you unique and it is precisely this that is sought abroad: uniqueness;
• Cultivate your personal ambitions but the "real" ambitions. For me personal ambitions, if they do not have a return to my land and my people are worth nothing. They only serve to satisfy their ego.
• Always give something back to your land !!!
• You leave not to know places but to know yourself. Take the best of other cultures to bring them one day to your land and make it a better place;
• You dream! Dreams are pure energy. They are the fuel of motivation and enthusiasm. You dream big !!

What are the books that inspired you?

The books that "inspired and freed me" and that I always have with me are:

1 Have or Be? By Erich Fromm, who taught me what is really important in life.
2 The Apology of Socrates by Plato, who taught me the importance of carrying forward the one in which one believes without accepting compromises.
3 Greek Mythology. That taught me that the journey of heroes to get to the stars passes by winding roads, full of sharp stones, sweat and tears.

What do you always carry with you?

I always carry with me a diary of " Brain Storming " of the trip on which I note observations of places and events and people I meet to see if they can be applied in my territory moreover I always have with me a pendant that was made by a person to me dear and that reminds me every moment where I come from and the importance of staying with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Personal improvement starts from that ... as we must forget the offenses in the same way we must forget the compliments because both are cement thrown on your feet that block your drive to improve.