I believed music was my destiny,
but I ended up at an engineering school,
thinking that being a good son
and the grandmother’s favourite grandson
was reward enough.
I studied machines and processes,
learnt to master tools
to manufacture, create,
modify, improve, improvise.
I immersed myself in thermodynamics,
discovered its four laws,
the flows of energy,
the magic of turning heat into work,
and the inescapable entropy.
A shift in my worldview
made thermal sciences
my deepest obsession.
Still, I stayed in manufacturing,
for the pay was good,
the bills relentless,
and my graduation could not be delayed.
But soon I realised
that what I had learned about solar energy
was the horizon I longed for.
I did not want to wither
in the chaotic days of manufacturing,
but to uncover new worlds;
no longer machines and processes,
but the thrill of intellectual pursuit.
And so, I ventured into postgraduate studies:
first a Master’s,
then a PhD.
Each morning, I rose early
to travel from Cuajimalpa
or Álvaro Obregón
to the cold and high Toluca,
chasing my dream.
No one liked my decision;
when the sparkle in the eyes of those who admired me
vanished upon learning of my choice,
voices murmured:
— “The pay is poor”.
— “Don’t lose what you have”.
— “You’ll come to regret it”.
— “No-one will take you seriously”…
Now, with the PhD in hand,
I continue exploring the fascinating world of concentrated solar energy,
where radiation transforms into heat
or into electricity,
powering a cleaner future.
I travel, learn, discover,
making friends wherever I go.
Little by little, the effort ceases to be mere sacrifice
and becomes satisfaction.
Perhaps I am not what they expected,
nor the promising youth,
but I am forging the life
I have dreamed of for years.