It’s been just about a month since my last blog post. The beauty of this last month is that when I look back on it, people and moments stick out. I did a few more touristy things and went to a few more destinations but the bulk of this last month was spent at La casa azul conversing, cooking, laughing, and being with other people. My daily routine often includes an hour of yoga on the grass outside of the hostel, time spent basking in the sun, doing a 5 hour shift, meeting new guests, and walking to the climbing gym or beach with other volunteers.
I’ve continued meeting amazing human beings on their journey in Latin America, discovering new Latino music, and conquering the stairs that make up this city. My hearts been touched by the familiarity I’m gaining in Valparaiso. By the owner of the small mini market above the hostel that we buy bread from. By the guy selling cheese at the market that remembered me only after buying cheese once from him. By the employee at the climbing gym who doesn’t need to ask my name anymore for my reservation when I show up.
I suppose the event that stands out most in November is Thanksgiving. I was sitting on the sofa in the main entrance of the hostel when I smelled the familiar smell of stuffing cooking in the kitchen. It was a moment of nostalgia for me. One that I really appreciated because of the happy memories I have with my family during the holidays and for the new memories I’m making here. Kendall and I prepped 7 different dishes for our hostel friends. While I was sad to not be with my family, I was rejoiced to be with kind people and to share some of our culture with them. Kendall and I had a blast buying groceries and cooking all day — we are basically pros at shopping at the large outdoor markets!
Once we had the table all set and everyone was there, Kendall had everyone go around the table and say what they were thankful for. With sun beaming down on my face, surrounded by kind souls, with ample food in front of us, I had more than enough to be thankful for.
It was quite difficult to explain the thanksgiving dishes to everyone but they loved our food. Explaining how to make stuffing seemed to be the hardest one, hah!
One of the things that I’ve grown to appreciate most this month is the culture around food here. People are extremely generous and more than once, I have been offered food and when I say thank you, they respond with something along the lines of “the only thing I like more than eating is seeing other people eat.” The culture in general is very generous and community based, it warms my heart.
I leave for Mendoza in 5 days and I think a little part of my heart will break when I have to say goodbye to this city and its people, but that just shows how beautiful of a place Valparaíso is.