Never Stop Walking: A Memoir of Finding Home Across the World

by Christina Rickardsson

I’m a grown woman, an independent woman, but I doubt I’ll ever outgrow the child inside me who misses her and needs her every day.

Because there’s a big difference between choosing not to take care of your children and living in a society that doesn’t give its citizens resources so you can take care of them.

My home is where I’m happy, where I feel safe, where my friends and family are. My home is where I work and where I feel at home.

I began to understand that people, especially grown-ups, weren’t interested in the truth but rather in a truth that suited them.

For every positive emotion I had, there was an opposing, negative emotion. Having so many emotions at the same time was overwhelming.

Brazil invested billions in building big, beautiful soccer stadiums all over the country for the World Cup. Now they’re empty and unused while people live in extreme poverty. Many of the stadiums have become parking lots. Imagine if the money had been used for the needy instead.

Viewing situations as us versus them is dangerous.

At every crossroads, courage is required to decide which way to go. You need to dare to step out into the unknown, and you must be prepared for it to turn your life upside down.