There are 7 deadly sins...

What are they? Luxuria, Gula, Avaritia, Acedia, Ira, Superbia and Invidia. In everyday life we know them as Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Pride and Envy.

Let's talk about envy. I hear that people sometimes envy me for the life I have. That is something I will never understand. I'm just an ordinary 28 year old guy, with a normal life. I have my ups- and downs like everybody else. I have moments of hope, despair, sadness, happiness... I cry like everybody else, I bleed like any other human being. Sometimes I believe in myself almost as much as I doubt. I write a lot of my life on this blog, but not everything. At the end of the day some things have to remain private, as you can understand. I live by my motto "forever have a good time". I work hard and play hard. But it isn't all fun and games, and airports, and hotels and private car services etc. There is a side that some of you may not be aware of. I had to sacrifice a lot when I started this job.

People have no idea what it's like to have to be available for the job 24 hours a day! Having to walk with around with 3 phones, a laptop, and a PDA wherever you go! One moment you are lying on your bed in Dordrecht, the next you are in a suite in Dar-es-Salaam. It's a very unpredictable life. Appointments can never be made too far in advance, many times I have to cancel with my friends, I miss parties, bithdays and holidays. You can't imagine what it feels like when you are in a hotel in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, while there is a big smashing party going on for your boyfriend's birthday in Rotterdam. Or what about when you are sick with the flu in Seoul. When really all you want is the loving touch of your Mommy or partner, but all you can do is drag your sick self out of bed, find the nearest drugstore, stuff yourself with medication, because the next day you have a meeting, flu or no flu? Or being on a trip with someone you just can't get along with for whatever reason. All you can do is be professional and hope for the trip to be over as soon as possible. And there are so much more examples. My luck is that I have very understanding friends, family and partner. You make the best out of the situation at hand. At the end of the day, I did chose for this work afterall. Of course there are more upsides and downsides.

I guess what I am trying to say is that what you see, isn't always what you get. And be happy with whatever you have. Because you can envy someone for what you think they have, but really you have no idea what hides underneath. I believe that life is a journey. One that is much better traveled with a companion or companions by your side. They can be just about anyone. A neighbor on the other side of the street or the person on the other side of the bed. An irritating co-worker or a demanding boss. They can be parents with the best intentions, a child who's up to no good or a brother who will do just about anything for you. Still, despite our best intentions, some of us will end up travelling alone for a while. And during those times the journey sometimes becomes unbearable. The lesson I've learned with all my travels, meeting all those different people, experiencing all those different cultures and hearing all their different stories is that human beings are strong people. And although we may look different on the outside, we are very similar on the inside. But the biggest lesson of all is that human beings are designed for many things, but loneliness isn't one of them...