The content of this post is an adaptation of an original text written by Guy Laliberté.

On the ISS, the days are very full and the schedules, extremely tight. Like me, everyone is busy going about their business.

I didn’t want to become the accident-prone comic-strip character Gaston Lagaffe, so I was very, very careful at first and tried not to bump into anything. I was like someone taking his very first intergalactic driving lesson! Despite my best intentions, I managed to hit my head on various surfaces and feared that it would look like the blue planet upon my return! Of course, everyone had a good laugh… With time, I became better at avoiding things, but I also became a bit more bold (a bit too much sometimes!). :-p

I used every free second to look out the window to live my experience to the fullest. Several people asked me how it felt to see the Earth from up above. The contact was actually an emotional one, almost like watching a fleeting work of art. It was moving, intense and peaceful all at the same time.

Nicole, Gennady, Mike, Franck, Bob, Roman…All those I met on the ISS were very nice. I appreciated their generosity, their support, their knowledge, their sense of humour… They were all curious to learn what my Poetic Social Mission was all about and, once I gave them the details, they all got on board and even accepted to wear a clown nose during an official photo session! One more mission accomplished! Most of all, I was very moved by such a show of support.

I felt like a fish in water up there. My only concern during those days in space was the success of the October 9th event. I looked forward to the event and was anxious at the same time—in fact, this is exactly how I feel before the premiere of a Cirque du Soleil show. Eight days is not a very long time and I know I would have enjoyed the environment more if I hadn’t had this concern. But I’m not saying this because I have regrets. On the contrary, I’m happy and proud of the Mission and I did it for a cause that is very dear to me.