Musings from a Pizzería

On a breezy Monday night in Barranquilla, some were walking their dogs. Others were taking a trip to the tienda to buy beans and rice for the next day's meal. Others still were catching a bus home from work, stuck in the maze of traffic that so often plagues the streets during the evening. I, however, sat in a pizzería, sipping a maracuya juice and fighting the tears that were forming in my eyes.

Less than three weeks remain until I return to the States. 

Saying goodbye to the life that I've built over the past year is overwhelming. While being a challenge at many times, I am in awe of the overall beauty of this experience. With each obstacle overcome, I gained a new and profound fondness for the many many unique parts of this culture that have become the norm for my life. Here, underneath the squelching Caribbean sun, I unveiled a strength and grace of which I never knew.

I think of where I started. I think of where I ended. Every person that crossed my path this year was placed at the moment in my life for a reason. My student Ashley who so sweetly embraced my arrival to school, presenting me with a seashell and invitation to dinner. The quirky personalities that I met on the bike route who helped me integrate into the community. The strangers from all over the world who offered me friendship and assistance if only for a minute. 

As I sat in the pizzería with the gentle buzz of the Spanish language surrounding me, I attempted to control the overpowering nostalgia that suddenly captured my heart. Without a doubt, I stand in eager anticipation of life's next adventure; but, I struggle with parting from the vibrant color that Barranquilla has added to my life. 

Recently, I recalled a passage that I memorized in my high-school Spanish class. I am certain that I memorized these 16 words exactly so that I could reflect on them in this moment of my life six years later. Mateo 6:27: "¿Y quién de ustedes podrá, por mucho que se afane, añadir a su estatura un codo?" 

Simply, this means, "Don't worry." With the bittersweet departure from

Barranquilla that approaches, I can find peace in the unknown and appreciate the beauty and growth of what evolved to be an incredibly short year in Colombia.