First of all, to my advisors Álvaro and Jesús. I have read many times that the most important feature of an advisor is that they are kind and supportive, and after my experience, I could not agree more. You always gave me the freedom to explore the areas I was interested in, while serving as a beacon when I got too lost in the fog. You always made time for me and were kind to me. You have made this experience enjoyable, and I thank you for that.
I would also like to thank my colleagues from my time Deimos. Paulo Rosa, you are probably one of the best managers one could ask for, and you have set the example of how I want to behave in my professional life. You supported me in getting my scholarship to complete the PhD and helped me achieve many milestones in my professional life. Murray, thanks for trusting in me, I hope we can build awesome things together. To my CC friends Álvaro, Robert, Kike, Nello, Álvaro (Sr), and the outsider Alessandra, you have made the office an enjoyable place, like adding color to a gray wall. I like to think I left the place with some friends. To Henry and Jose, you showed me another perspective in life. I know we don’t see each other as much as we used to, but I carry you in my mind.
To all the VPULab “senior staff,” it is crazy to think how the things you taught me have shaped my professional life. These are the same things I hope I can use to build great things through my work. Marcos, you introduced us to the master’s program that later became a line of work and eventually a PhD. Chema and Juan Carlos, you were (and still are) really great professors, both inside and outside the classroom. Pablo, I met you later, but it was a pleasure collaborating with you. It is in great part because of all of you that I wanted to come back to the VPULab and complete my PhD there. I hope we can keep collaborating in the future.
To the VPULab “research staff,” Alex, Elena, Paula, and Erik. We have many good memories from before the PhD, and my only hope is that we can keep creating those after it. Allow me to extend some more lines to Erik to wish him success in his adventure, the one he has fought incredibly hard to start. You are going to do awesome; I have never seen anyone wanting to do a PhD with such passion, and I really think that will be reflected in your work. I would also like to thank those I met during my thesis. Thanks, Kirill, for showing me what coffee should taste like; keep getting strong. Javier, it seems you are about to write the most important chapter of your life; I wish you the best. Roberto, keep your great ideas up; don’t lose your creativity. Cecilia, enjoy the rest of the thesis; it’s all about the path, not the destination.
To my dear closest friends, I love you all, and you already know that. Allow me to take advantage of our closeness to spare the lines, and invite you to a dinner instead to celebrate.
To Marus, thank you for being there even when we were apart. To me, you represent everything that is good in life. If I had to describe you with one feeling, it would be the one a child feels when discovering something new and beautiful, like an exotic flower, for the first time in their life. I could not be happier to close this chapter and start a new one with you. Love you.
And finally, to my family. Especially to my mom, thank you for showing me what unconditional love feels like. You and the rest of the family have taught me qualities no school or job ever could. Love you all.
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