Who said the sea must
be made of water?
Life in a file.
Well, not that you can upload someone’s existence into a webpage.
Or define a person’s life as an .html. Like: Mattia Cella . html.
In fact, I apologize for the pretentious title of the page.
BUT: I do believe that what defines people the most is their past experiences.
This space is an attempt to recreate the emotions that those adventures gave me: what I did, what I saw, what I felt.
With no particular order, meaning, or date.
Hopefully, yours can somehow relate.
Africa // Tanzania, Zanzibar
Another one of our adventures. This time, in Africa. This time, below the equator.
Did you know this saying?
Nothing good happens after midnight below the equator.
It’s a thing! I guess we were spared for this time.
USA // Yosemite, LA
I embarked into this trip with Luca purposely avoiding to be exposed to any image or video showing even the tiniest bit of Yosemite National Park.
I had no idea what to expect, an ingredient which made this a special meal.
Yosemite means they are killers, by the way.
Japan // Tokyo → Hiroshima → Osaka → Kyoto → Fuji
Within a week of leaving Japan, I was already missing it.
The way people interact is unlike anywhere else I’ve been before.
And that’s one of the aspects I value the most when I travel.
Seeing and living things that are different from where I am from.
I want a new POV, a new way of thinking about life.
And I absolutely got it.
Indonesia // Solo-Traveling
Have you ever been chased by the police?
Maybe some of you have…. although I certainly hope not.
But who, in here, WAS THE ONE CHASING THE POLICE?!
[dribbling through traffic, and as a first time motorbike rider?]
You guessed it.
Puerto Rico // Gio & Bill
A quick trip with a friend, guests of Bill, an awesome host.
Puerto Rico is americanized, but deeply grounded in its cultural roots as well.
And not to mention the beaches, city center, and surrounding nature.
THE FOOD!
Brazil // São Paulo → Ilha Grande → Rio
Brazilians and their energy transport you into their country.
Had a few unforgettable, overwhelming adventures (scary and fun), that I can’t wait to write about here…
… as soon as I get a break. Or “eu faço uma pausa,” in Portuguese.
Costa Rica // Pura Vida
Jungles, beaches, animals, heavy rain, burning sun…
“Rica” means “rich” in English, and Chiara & I could definitely see how.
P.S. Pura Vida!
USA // Mars Is on Earth
The title (almost) says it all.
This has been one of the most incredible trips I’ve ever taken.
Both outwardly and inwardly.
Mexico // Las Pozas Azules
Nobody wanted to tell us.
We asked in Taxco for a place to go visit before going back to Mexico City. Locals were hesitating to reveal it to us.
Until finally, after looking around herself as if she was checking that no one could hear, she whispered:
“Tiene que… tienes que ver Las Pozas Azules.”
I felt like the FBI just revealed inside information to me.
What a better way to start this mini-trip?
Mexico // Taxco de Alarcón
Who knew that such places even existed?
That was the feeling I had during my 2022 Spring Break adventure in Mexico.
Here in particular, I’ll tell you about my visit to Taxco de Alarcón.
Probably not the number one place that comes in your mind after reading Mexico and Spring Break in the same line, but trust me:
Give it a look.
Guatemala // Solo-Traveling
“Aren’t you scared? People are crazy down there.” , “Bring some knives.” , “It has been nice to have known you, Mattia.”
Voices from my roommates, teammates, and professors, too. Nope, my parents did not know about it. Not that they would have said no to it, but I didn’t want to add a few sleepless night to my parents’ packed schedule.
And so, I left.
Day in the Life
/
Day in the Life /
.
10/15/2023. Based on real events.
7:03 AM: I wake up. Face ID —> Swipe Up —> WhatsApp. My mom got a new purse and Dunkin’s shares are down.
Good. Their “coffee” tastes like citric acid anyway. I wash my face.
8:54 AM: I go for a run. It’s cloudy. My legs move - my mind?
Gonna be a cold one, buddy
Why do I even run
That guy’s fast
I should call my dad
I love dogs
You’re tired. Go home
12:48 PM: I get on the subway. C train downtown to grab lunch with someone. Airpods on: Dire Straits today.
People sleep, dance, read, take selfies, sell Mangoes. I’d buy it if they only took Venmo. I exit the train.
1:30 PM: We eat. My social battery is low. I quickly glance at my watch. When will this thing end?
2:21 PM: Let’s do this again soon!
C Uptown is suspended. By the time I get home, my kids go to college. Dunkin’s shares are up.
3:28 PM: “Jeez, I’m always lonely over the weekends.”
4:02 PM: My dad went mushroom-picking. He found a lot. He tells me he’d probably sell them to Roberto and gift the rest. He was happy. Me too: mushroom-picking keeps him healthy.
5:00 PM: I read. I fall asleep in 10 minutes (planned). I dream.
I can fly, but nobody knows. I have a feeling I will save someone from dying. Only THEN, everyone will know. My hypothesis is confirmed: I feel like a hero. I’m on TV giving a speech sipping Dunkin’s.
5:37 PM: I wake up. Dunkin’s?! What the hell? Karma, I think. I go back to sleep.
5:41 PM: “Mr. Cella, why didn’t you tell us you could fly?” “I don’t know! That’s what happens in movies, no?” And then I fly away with my dog. He also can fly. I tell myself to cut the bullshit. So I wake up.
6:37 PM: Dinner is nearing. Great, I think. Sundays are my ordering days. My mouth waters thinking of me biting a Slice. I like pizza.
8:11 PM: It was cold. The driver took 17 wrong turns. I counted. 17 is an unlucky number, anyway. I looked up why that is. People are stupid.
10:30 PM: Yes, 10:30. I go to sleep at 10:30. You’re so old. It was a nice day. I think about why I hate Wednesdays so much. Why not Mondays? Dunkin’s shar- ZzZ… zZz.