We all came from vastly different worlds and now, after four months, we watch one another past through the gate of Portantorchas, some for the very last time, and drive down the hill that we often complained about having to climb, wondering if we may never see that person that we have come to love as a brother or sister again in this lifetime. Then, we make our way back into the Salla where we stumbled into every morning, eyes half-shut, PJ’s still on and warm from bed, hair messy and unwashed but hey, it didn’t matter because we were like siblings. I think it is going to be the strangest, perhaps most empty feeling to leave the safety of the Port bubble and wake up in a room that is all my own; not sitting down and eating breakfast with my friends every morning, not playing hours of ping-pong because I guess I will have “better things” to do, not speaking Spanish because no one will know what I am saying and not eating copious amounts of McDonalds. Yes, I will be the first to admit I have complained before about how I “miss home” and how excited I will be to go home with all its comforts. However, there may just be a small part of me that wakes up that first morning, in my own bed, uninterrupted by several alarm clocks and blow-dryers, not having to wait for the bathroom (or finding another one all together because someone neglected to pay heed to the angry sign on the door)... and I will think...man, I really miss that place.
Yes, we all came from immeasurably different worlds, and even though we know each other very well, we do not know what it going to be like for our fellow friends to dive back into the lives they used to call normal, whatever that may be. Therefore, to all of you, I promise you that I will always keep you in my prayers and I love you and will miss you all very much!
