Alberto's Story 

I was born in the city of Cadiz in southern Spain on April 5, 1969. Raised in a family with deep religious convictions, I immediately felt called to the spiritual life. My greatest dream at that time was to be a priest, but the awakening of adolescence quickly made me forget that desire. When I completed my pre-university studies, I decided to bet for my artistic abilities which, until then, were what most fascinated me. I took courses in illustration, painting and sculpture, but it was the courses in administration and technology which led me to work in the insurance industry, where I was immersed for seven years.

Although my work provided me with economic security and a comfortable life, I felt unhappy and hardly had the time or energy to dedicate to my art. I felt increasingly overwhelmed by my responsibilities and unable to decide or even think clearly. My discontent grew, verging on desperation, and the moment arrived where I knew without a doubt that my life needed to change. It was then, in July of 1997, that a book providentially arrived into my hands, a book of self-help that would greatly influence my path. It was the first of many more books which opened my eyes to a new way of seeing life. That was the beginning of my conscious spiritual path.

That wondrous time also helped me reconnect with the spirituality of my youth and to rediscover that essential energy that resides in all things, and which I now like to define simply as Love. As a result of this intense inner process, I made some extraordinary decisions which included leaving my work, my family and friends, and embarking on an adventure without return in search of a life meaning. Soon after, in April of 2000, I undertook my first pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago (Path of St. James).

The Camino opened the doors for me to live more deeply this new vision of life in an unknown setting, one that was filled with infinite possibilities. One year later, I met Mony in Finisterre, the ancestral end of the world in northern Spain. That meeting provided me the opportunity to make real my desire to continue knowing myself and growing spiritually through the wondrous walk for peace that we undertook together. Neither my wish nor my path ended in Jerusalem, but rather continue being to this day the principal guiding forces in my life.