December is almost over, dragging fatigue and the promise that January will bring a reset button. This year was weird for me: moving from Spain to Argentina (so long, second home!), work trips from Argentina to China, to Norway, to Argentina, to Sweden –Sweden is near Norway, why Argentina in the middle? Because I was about to move out again, so one week to hug my loved ones was a gift.- (How fragile everything is!) I keep working: Sweden to Argentina, and without unpacking, moving to Canada. (so long, first home!) Canada to Estonia, to Canada, to USA, back to Canada. And just then, unpack for the first time in the year. Having to leave the country for a visa issue (Airports are my new home), come back and find out that the apartment we’ve just rented is for sale. Living with inspections several times a week. Trying to understand a new culture, and assimilate a new level of uncertainty.
Here’s a map. Each dot contains interesting and loving people with whom I’ve shared amazing life experiences, just this year. I’m tired and nuts, but extremely grateful to you all.
Sometimes, darkness comes in the form of a storm and is difficult to face. You gotta have some tricks: Normally a soft song helps me calm my nerves, an upbeat one gets my flow back. Other times I imagine everything as if it was a cartoon or a movie, and seeing it as a spectator makes me laugh at the irony of life. I thought it was a good topic for a Zine. While drawing it, life kept going on and with it, my storm accumulated. I saw it exploding in conversations with people I love. After feeling better, I changed the ending and now the Zine makes more sense. It is applicable throughout the year, but I think it goes especially well at this time.
*This article first appeared in my newsletter: 12/27/2019 – Animalito’s Stories: Life Umbrella
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