If my soul was a balloon, it could have been made by one artist or three, depends on what I'd like to believe. And like every balloon in the bunch, tied to a string I'll go where I am taken and tied. If my soul was a balloon I'd wish to have thicker and more...
“Entonces pienso en los míos… Por qué los habré dejado? Y, qué busco yo tan lejos de ellos?” “And so I think of my own… Why did I leave them? And, what am I looking for so far from them?” About two weeks after I returned to Costa Rica and to my family home, my...
This year I learned that language isn’t necessary for connection. I ended up coming to a host family which spoke perfect English, but I couldn’t wrap my head around why we didn’t connect. It took me seven months to realize that I still don’t know. Eventually, I found a loop-hole in that I didn’t need...
The past seven months in Ecuador taught me a lot. If I could go back in time to August and give advice to myself, this is what I would say. Advice for Future Fellows: Ecuador is so much colder than you think it is. Bring sweaters and warm socks. Also bring things to do. Bring...
Home. Since August, home meant Senegal. It was not where my family or friends lived, it was not where I grew up, but I quickly had to learn to call it home. My room had to become my sanctuary, the office had to become my place of productivity, and the people there had to...
I’m sitting at my gate at Guayaquil airport, trying to eat my breakfast. In a state of exhaustion and mindless hunger, I made the unfortunate choice to buy a cinnamon roll. It’s hot and delicious, but also completely drenched in a sticky chocolate sauce. I don’t have any cutlery, and even though the nice man...
March 11th, 2020 “There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.” – Khalil Gibran In early December, I was very happy. My school routine fell into place and felt fulfilling, I had found some of my best friends, I loved my host family, and I felt like I was really...
How was your trip? Let me tell you. Let me tell you how the sun never failed to rise at 6 AM and descend behind the Andes mountains precisely twelve hours after. About the incredible view of the sunset from the small, wooden table outside of the restaurant. How I watched it almost every day,...
I like the beach I like sandy beaches, stony ones….. I like the one in front of my house in Brazil…. I like beaches that don’t face the open sea but something called a “mar fechado” which means closed sea in Portuguese. I like how cold the water is sometimes but also how pleasant that...