Paraguay 2014, Day 1 – The Landing

I waited for the plane to land and I watched the dark sky light up with cities; “I’m finally here.” As we glide through the sky dropping down with every mile I can’t help but feel relieved. The plane lowers to the ground and I tell myself  “I’m here,” words that I will repeat again and again. I can’t believe I’m here. As we wait in the airport for two hours to receive our visas I pass the time away by watching “Orange Is the New Black” on Netflix. It isn’t until I get in the van when we our on our way to the hotel that I realize I’m really here in Asunción, Paraguay.

I place my phone under my legs and allow myself to be taken over by the city.  It’s so beautiful. Even in its darkest hour. I’m captivated by everything I see and I feel like a child going to the playground for the first time.  I can’t help but feel at home, safe; like I’ve been here before. Only, I haven’t.  I’ve never been outside of the United States and I’ve never seen anything like this before, but I have.

I can’t help but notice how the city reminds me of my home state, Philly, PA, just with better trees and brighter colors. Maybe that’s why I feel at home. I can’t shake the feeling of fear that fills my mind because I am in a new country with a language I barely understand. But I don’t care, I have made my mind up early on that despite my broken Spanish, I will make the most of this trip. As we make our way towards the hotel I also notice how different the country is.

We pass a concert and the air fills with music and street food; the smell overtakes me. I gaze upon the wall that is blocking the public view of the concert and my curiosity gets the best of me. I want to tell the driver to stop the van to let me out and wander my way to the sound but that is out of the question. I am so captivated by this city and I have only seen a small bit of it. My heart yearns to see more and I can’t wait for daybreak. This is the perfect moment for my eyes to be cameras, taking pictures of everything I see.

Simone, 17, Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy