Close your eyes and imagine this place called Santa Rosalia. It’s a peaceful community. People in the community listen to understand and do not just respond immediately with an answer. They care what we had to say and what we did for a living, how our family lived in the United States, our likes and dislikes. It was a spectacularly positive experience, our home stays, and it was hard to leave our families and our communities after five days in their space. I grew very attached to my host family and think of them as family.
On the third day in Santa Rosalia, we took a field trip to a high school soccer tournament. The vibe was different than what I expected. I expected only two competing teams, my team and another one, but in actuality, there were about 20 teams there for the tournament. It was a giant pep rally with a parade, a queen for each team, drums and a lot of excitement and even some confusion. I can only compare the vibes and energy from the soccer tournament to how people in the United States feel about the Super Bowl NFL.
The students from the other schools were staring at us, but they also made us feel welcome. They were intrigued by our looks and I know they knew we were from the United States. There was so much happiness and excitement about us being at their tournament. I felt like I was surrounded by paparazzi and I have never felt that way. I felt a lot of joy being part of their community.
The food in Santa Rosalia was so delicious and fresh. The chicken you ate for dinner that day came from a live chicken that was in the front yard earlier that morning. The veggies were from that garden across the street and the bread was freshly baked in your host mother’s kitchen. I knew that every meal I had in Santa Rosalia was made with love.
Words can’t explain how much I “Rohayhu” (I love you) Paraguay. One of my main priorities was to visit Paraguay and have an amazing experience. It has been great, no matter how bad or good my Spanish. I wish every single person from the United States could visit Paraguay to experience what I have here. The culture is so different from the United States; it’s warm and welcoming.
I want you to think about how your presence can affect the lives of others who may not have as many or the same opportunities as you. Think about how whenever you meet and spend time with new people, you are creating memories. Many memories will be captured in photos and endless selfies, but some will be immortalized only in your thoughts. I didn’t expect to become so attached to my hosts in Santa Rosalia, but when I saw the tears sad looks on their faces, I knew that I had touched their lives (and them mine) and thar we would forever be connected.
Jayme M., Eastern High School
