Home now has a connotation to fit the mold of the most unlikely family. Five weeks can fluctuate speed, slowing itself down to highlight underlying importance or speeding up until we are waving goodbye to the familiarity of something that was once so foreign. The face value of entering a foreign country with foreign company immediately calls for a frightened reaction. This was not a simple step out of the comfort zone, this was a leap. This was a test, a trial of our ability to conquer the most unlikely set of forces. I found solace in the loudest moments, when the brevity of time extended itself across my friends and all I could do was smile. The unexpected moments are those to be cherished, times when we were unknowingly weaving moments into memories and memories into a family. My time in Merida has laid foundation for the fondest friendships but I have also grown closer to those that I have been away from. Family is an ambiguous term, one that clings itself to a person who exudes love in your life when you need it most. But, as superfluous as the phrase can be, we are shaped by the simplicity of mothers, fathers, and siblings alike. We ask for advice and we ask for independence. We shed tears of joy and tears of heartache and we shed the ghosts that haunt us most. We work symbiotically, a team that is tested on the front of distance and growing older. I thrived in Merida, as did many people, because I was taught to make a happy home in humble places. There will be triumphs and trials and life, but they will all be lessons that lead you to this very moment. Merida was my moment, the first of many. I am graced by my surroundings, by the opportunities that are ahead and by the people that are beside me. The future is unforeseeable yet there are memories to be made. Time is the barometer for consistency, eagerly ticking as we ceaselessly work to make the moments worthwhile. Merida was never a forced moment, never a race against time. Merida compiled itself into a whirlwind of natural laughs, hugs, and happiness until the result was a bittersweet ending. Merida was the perfect host for our family. Thank you for showing us independence in the comfort of others and for the freedom that manifests in the dearest friendships. We bettered ourselves because of this experience and we will continue to be better with each other by our side.
P.S. Attached is a departing video made by my dear friend Giovana Giraldo. Clearly, she holds talent in emotional filmmaking but her best attribute is her selfless and beautiful personality.
P.S. Attached is a departing video made by my dear friend Giovana Giraldo. Clearly, she holds talent in emotional filmmaking but her best attribute is her selfless and beautiful personality.