There’s nothing like a rainy day to get the memories
rolling. Chilly, wet days like today
remind me of most of my time in Chile.
While I enjoyed plenty of gorgeous, sunny days, I definitely remember
being bundled up in my rain coat more often than not, especially during my last
few weeks. My transition back to life in
the States, even with how unpredictable it has been, has been a relatively
smooth one, which has been such a blessing.
But I definitely find myself missing Chile and the adventures I had while
I was there.
I miss sitting in our kitchen with my gringa roommate, chatting about our lives at home and getting to
know each other better over mugs of hot cocoa and spoons of manjar.
I miss my walk to (and even up the giant hill from) the metro. I miss the daily hugs from Mariela, one of my
supervisors at my internship. I miss
being close to the beach all the time, even if it meant I was always smelling
nasty fish. I miss hearing my host dad
sing around the house. I miss the helado de canela that I found at a
little coffee shop. I miss the sounds of
music (mostly good) on my metro rides. I
miss the laughter of the kids running around our house, playing escondido.
And now that I find myself in the US, I have noticed how
much my time in Chile has changed me.
There are so many moments, every day, where I want to blurt out in the
middle of a conversation, “that reminds me of ____ in Chile”. And even though I have some great,
understanding friends, I know that I can’t talk about Chile all the time, or
they are just going to get sick of it.
And when that happens, I become a bit upset. No one knows what I experienced. None of my friends or family will ever be
able to share in my memories of the things I saw, heard, did. And that is a bit of a lonely
realization. And when those thoughts
start running through my mind, I have to make a conscious decision to remember
where I put my hope and faith – not in this world, but in the work done on the
cross for me. I have been told to “be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid
or terrified […], for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you
nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
I am not alone.
“For surely I am with you always, even to the very end of
the age” (Matthew 28:20).
