Nostalgia

                                                                        Nostalgia

 

    There are many types of nostalgia I feel about my family in Venezuela is indescribable. All the time we had together and the feeling of endless moments that we spent there make me realize that there is never going to be another time similar to what we had in Venezuela. I had tried to do new things in Chicago, since there are so many things that we can do as a family like visiting six flags or going to downtown. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, that feeling of nostalgia never leave my chest. My nostalgia gets more intense when I do things like celebrate my birthday, spend time in café’s afternoon or go to the beach.

    When my family and I were in Venezuela they used to make birthday parties for me every year. These parties brought me so much joy. My parents invited all the family we have a around the state to celebrate all together and the feeling of happiness was all around the house. Now that we lived in U.S. this feeling is not present anymore. In the U.S. everything feels more nostalgic. My birthday is quieter now. The family I still have in Venezuela call me every birthday that make me feel good about they remember it, but also sad because they are not celebrating together with me. Even though we are in a better economic situation, I do not feel that level of happiness in my birthday anymore.

   

In addition, afternoons in Venezuela felt like they would never end. The cozy feeling of drinking coffee in the porch of my home is indescribable. The café’s with my family were amazing. We could communicate with each other feeling talking about our day, gossips, how we feel or just how is our day was going. Sometimes, sometimes our neighbors kept us company. That made the afternoon even better, because we kept each other informed of what happen in the neighborhood. My parents loved to make new friends. They used to bring them to our house and talk for hours. On the other hand, U.S. feels like life is going too fast. The moments last as a finger snap. The exhaustion from work makes my parents arrive, eat and sleep. This loop repeats itself every day. No one has time for an afternoon café anymore.  

   

Moreover, beaches were a place where my family felt so adsorbed in happiness and relaxation. I loved the relaxing view, the sound of the waves and the feeling of forever summer. My family has this thought that the beach cures everything. Every time my parents felt that routine was suffocating us and we needed family time, we went to the beach to clean our energy. The ritual of just talking, prying for ourselves and getting some sea water all over our bodies made everything feel like it was going to be fine. In contrast, Chicago has one of the biggest lakes I the country. This lake looks like a beach and it has waves, depth and sand. However, it is not a beach. There are people that see it like a beach, but it does not feel the same.

    

Even though Chicago and Caracas have so many differences, I feel will be forever nostalgic about my city. When I walk through the streets that almost look like the one in Venezuela, I start thinking what would have happened if I had never left. Maybe this feeling in my chest would have never appeared. The reality is that I am here, right now, feeling like all this nostalgia. I feel it when my birthday is near, the afternoon hour pasts and when I see the lake.