I pay for my ticket turnaround and say goodbye to my tour guide, for the time being. Once again, I ask if he would change his mind and accompany me, he bows respectfully declining my offer.

I smile and follow the signs to the cable car. It is a very warm day, mid afternoon and I’m in the middle of nature in all its splendor. Mountains of foliage surround me and I walk carefully down a cobbled path. I pass signs in broken English and whimsical ornaments that amuse me. The people here did a wonderful job of maintaining the natural beauty of the island and preserving the landscape. After some time, I reached the small station for the cable car, it looked like a small primitive bus stop. I look up at the steep mountain and begin wondering if this was a good idea.

I ring a bell as directed by a sign and wait. During the few minutes of peace, I hear the sweetness of nature and I cannot fathom that I ventured to explore another nation and culture entirely alone. I feel liberated, almost as if I conquered a feat of sorts. The noise of machinery distracts me from my thoughts as an open carriage chains its way down the mountain to me. I’m greeted by the cable car guy, I’m seated and the trek uphill begins.

The hills around me are basking in tropical plants, I see small houses amongst them. In front me I’m greeted with a deep blue sky filled aimlessly with fluffy clouds and beneath them, lies the ocean in all its glory. I am all too familiar with the sea, but today I get to set my eyes on a different version of it. The ride is an amazing experience, every few feet, the view changes and with every change I’m in awe.

I exit the cable car and walk amongst a stone walkway that leads me even higher. By now I feel like I have indeed reached the clouds. I follow the path to a huge tree house-like structure nestled within the lushness. Climbing more steps to the top, I engage with the most breathtaking view. I enter a charming quaint cafe, small and airy. I’m seated at a table in front of the magnificent view. I cannot believe I made it up so high. I look around trying to take in everything that my eyes see.

As I sip on my coffee, the first sign I set my eyes on reads ‘YOLO’. I laughed to myself because it should have read ‘SOLO’, since I’m here alone. Underneath it in small letters reads ‘you only live once’. I stare at it for a moment, as if the joke I just made wasn’t at all funny. Yes, you do only live once and once is all you need if you know why your life is worth living. I came here, so far away from home, to walk off the beaten path, do something I never did before, find myself, to see if I would make it alone and to meet new people and explore a different part of the world. This breathtaking view showed me how a beautifully simple experience can rock your existence.

Why shouldn’t you embrace spontaneity, take that chance, be a little impulsive. We create our own happiness. Make the most of the time you have here and let yourself go a little. We think too much, and too much thinking exhausts the mind. There is so much to life than what we perceive. We all have a purpose, we are all capable, we all have a life. I gained a little knowledge with this experience, what I gained the most was the fact that I am capable of making it alone. Tomorrow was never promised to any of us, so seize the day and live to the fullest, because you do only live once and once is all you need, if you know how!