Harvest

Summer is over and now the leaves are turning and the wind is blowing. I can see it in nature and I can see it in people. In the street and in the office everyone seems to be dressing more formally, wearing (more serious) high heels, suits and looking just a little less relaxed than they did a couple of weeks ago.

Autumn is harvest time and since I am getting ready to leave Geneva in just a few days, and it got me thinking on what I got out of these months away from friends and family in both 'my homes' (Guatemala and Umea).

This is the first time in my adult life I've ever been homesick... but I missed two places at the same time. I wanted to see my family, my gramms, and my friends that got married, had babies and already went through a long time without me in their lives. I also wanted to go to dinner and make bread, eat chocolates, drink tea and laugh with my Umea friends. The last time I felt sad like this was when I was about to go back to Guate after my little stint with my godparents in Puerto Rico... but I was 11 so I guess it was OK to miss my mom!

This is also the first time I realized just how many lovely, wonderful people are in my life (even if they are long distance). I never noticed when I made so many friends (specially because this is not something that comes naturally to me). This summer I got to meet with many of the ones that have been far away for years, and with all of them it felt as if time had not gone by. I got to remember why we were and are friends and learned things about myself and how I've grown in the years between the last time I saw them and now. I still need to be better at writing, though!

...and even though I still like to make sweeping generalizations about people, cultures and places, I really feel like I'm more 'grown-up' now.