During a conversation, the topic of how I ended up in Europe came up, bringing with it a wave of meaningful memories. In this post, I’ll share my experience — the journey I went through and the challenges I had to overcome along the way.
The Prophet Who Announced the Journey
When I received my first paycheck, my first impulse was to give it all to my mother and suggest we go to the market together. At the time, we were going through a rough patch, and our fridge often had more empty space than food. Once at the market, an old man approached us and offered to read our future in exchange for a few coins.
When it was my turn, the old man looked at me and said, “You will go far away and then return, only to go even farther.” That final part left me puzzled, and the old man smiled nervously as he continued sharing his predictions and warnings.
To be honest, I didn’t see many possibilities for traveling back then. My life revolved around studying and working, and I assumed that would be my routine until I finished university. What I didn’t know was that just two years later I would be in the United States, and the year after that, in Germany. Life has surprising ways of taking us down paths we never imagined.
The Butterfly Effect
“You need to practice more,” my English teacher used to say, frustrated by my struggles with verb conjugations. Luckily, her comment pushed me to start taking English classes in my free time when I was 14. Later in university, my continuous efforts to improve my English paid off when I was accepted into the “Work and Travel” program in the United States.
Back at university, I found myself in a dilemma. I had to choose between asking a girl out — which would cost me the little money I had left from washing dishes in the U.S. — or signing up for an English-language seminar at a German university. Fortunately, I chose the seminar, not knowing that the program offered exchange opportunities for students. By then, I not only had a solid command of English, but also a genuine interest in programming.
One pleasant afternoon, during lunch with some German professors, I received two exciting pieces of news. First, I had been selected for an academic exchange program in Germany. Second, they would cover the bill for our lunch — a relief, since I was already worried about not being able to pay for my small order. It’s amazing to think of all the opportunities that came my way just because I decided to improve my English, all sparked by a simple warning from my high school teacher.
My Mother
At the U.S. embassy interview, the officer scrutinized my grades — especially my perfect 20/20 in Philosophy, even though I was studying Software Engineering. In the end, they asked me to verify my academic record through immigration services, without any guarantee that I would get the visa. “They won’t give it to me, it’s too expensive and we don’t have any more money!” I told my mother over the phone. But she calmly replied that it was okay, and that if I didn’t get the visa this time, it wouldn’t be the end of the world — I would surely get it in the future. In the end, I was granted the visa on December 20th, and I arrived in Florida on December 24th, never imagining that this would be the first of many Christmases away from my mother.
Later, when I was in Germany and preparing to return home, my mother called — moved by a hunch — and asked if I was feeling okay about going back. In tears, I confessed: “I’d like to stay here to study and work, but I don’t know if I can…” I listed all the reasons I thought it wouldn’t work. As always, my mother encouraged me and said not to worry about the money — that was her concern — and told me to at least try.
It’s clear that my mother’s support was key to helping me not give up, even when I faced countless challenges. But what I value most from this experience is learning how important it is not to fall into pessimism — and to get up as many times as needed.
Cooperating with Myself
When I celebrated my first year in Germany, I thought I was doing just fine with my level of German — or so I believed. One night, maybe influenced by alcohol, I rushed out of a gathering and went to Alfonso’s room. As usual, he was in front of his computer. I told him: “I think I can’t handle German anymore, I can’t even hold a simple conversation with anyone.” Alfonso, calm as always, encouraged me to keep practicing and ended with the phrase: “Stay still and cooperate.”
Throughout the rest of my time in Germany, I tried many different methods to learn the language. I watched German content, went to more events — even if I barely understood anything. Eventually, I started dreaming in German — in my dreams, Germans spoke to me in Spanish and my family spoke to me in German. That’s when I knew all the effort and all the tears had been worth it.
Today, I’m learning French and I plan to learn Quechua — the language my grandparents spoke.
The Eighth Job Interview
One day, tired of working inventory jobs in department stores, I decided enough was enough and focused on applying for internships as a programmer. I sent out countless applications and got very few interview invitations. Most companies were looking for more experienced developers or someone with a much stronger command of German. After the seventh interview, I started to doubt whether becoming a programmer in Germany was a realistic goal. One company offered me an unpaid position — but working for free was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
Then, a friend from salsa class recommended I apply to the company where she worked. I gave it a try — my eighth attempt. Not long after, they invited me for an interview, scheduled for a Friday when my phone had only 5% battery and the trains were delayed. The company was about 40 minutes outside the city.
I panicked. The only thing I could think to do was send an email letting them know I’d be late. As soon as I hit “send,” my phone died. I didn’t know if the email had gone through, or if they’d wait for me. Still, I decided to take the train. I got a bit lost at first but eventually made it.
I apologized for being late and tried to calmly explain what had happened. At the end of the interview, they asked me why I thought they should hire me. Inspired by the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, I replied: “Because, just like I did everything possible to get to this interview, I have the same determination to be a great programmer.”
When I got home, I wondered if I should’ve answered differently, or just rescheduled the meeting. But what was done was done. I kept applying for other opportunities — and to my surprise, they offered me the job the following week.
Conclusion
Looking at things realistically, what has helped me most in this ongoing journey called life is my curiosity for learning new languages, the stoic mindset I’ve developed over time, and maybe — just maybe — a touch of superstition that makes me believe in my own luck.
