Hell yeah!
I’m eccentric, a proud dad, an artist and a real people person. My life motto is: hell yeah. It might sound a bit crazy and abstract, but what I actually mean by this is that you have to take the plunge and do things. Whatever I’m asked to do, I always try to think: ‘hell yeah’. That’s how you find yourself in new situations, discover new things and keep life full of surprises. It has certainly taken me down some surprising paths in my life.
Life in Puerto Rico
I was born in Puerto Rico. I lived there with my mum and two sisters, and I used to dream of becoming a stuntman or a helicopter pilot. It seemed fantastic to me to fly wearing one of those helmets with a visor, or to perform stunts like Evel Knievel. He really was a remarkable man. I was actually listening to a podcast about him just the other day. Sometimes I find myself fantasising about what it would be like to become a stuntman after all, but I’ve decided not to even think about it anymore.
My mum, of course, didn’t think much of my dreams. She wanted me to become a teacher, a doctor or a lawyer. For a while, I did as she wished. I worked as an English teacher, but the economic situation in Puerto Rico was very dire. When I wasn’t paid because the school had no money, I accepted an offer from a recruitment team in New York and moved there to teach English as a second language in The Bronx.
My mum still lives in Puerto Rico, with my sisters and nieces, so she’s never on her own there. That’s a lovely thought, especially as I live so far away from her. She’s 83 and I last saw her about a year and a half ago, when we flew her to Madrid so we could all meet up there. It was lovely to be together again, but saying goodbye was difficult. Even back then, we could clearly see that she was getting older and more forgetful.
A new phase
After 10 years of teaching in The Bronx, it was time for something new. I came across a job advert for an air filter technician and arranged to spend a day shadowing the role.
