Himmelblau

This morning I dragged myself out of bed hearing the delicious sound of trees blowing along with the wind and poked my head outside the house, only to discover a winterlike weather under a deep blue sky. There is no better place to spend my vacation than my mother’s house: pure air, silence, my grandmother’s cakes and that old room of mine, where I for so long dreamt of my future. It’s priceless. My plans for the coming days are to ride horses at a colonial coffee and go out with my friends. Once I get to see them again I’ll hold them so tight that their bones will be torn apart! 

I’m in the verge of a new phase in my life and it makes me feel euphoric. In one of my talks with a hippie friend I mentioned my preference for being away from civilization, that is to say: Curitiba and its high buildings that tower over you, its slow traffic and crowded streets. I grew up in a small german settlement in the countryside of Santa Catarina, in a neighborhood surrounded by trees, peace and quiet (it wasn’t a farm at all). I miss the grass painted white by the frost, the sound of the deciduous trees and the fact that I was in touch with my loved ones at all times.

Normally people don’t believe me when I say this (probably because of the way I lighten up with them and make them laugh) but I’m way too anti-social to live in such a crowded city like Curitiba. Up to a few months ago I would never picture myself saying what I’m about to but nowadays I’m considering to move back to some small town. It doesn’t have to be exactly small, but consider places like Köln or Nuremberg (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden), Stavanger and Berger (Norway) - they’re all big cities but are not even remotely suffocating like São Paulo and Curitiba.

Here I spot new condoms going up everywhere and old houses being destroyed to give space for ugly squared buildings. If there’s one thing you realize after setting down in a metropolis is that people are always too busy to raise their heads at the sky to appreciate the sunsets, they get used to the smell of pollution and queuing in fast-foods is completely normal - this lifestyle is so different from the one I’m used to. In all my urge to open my wings and fly away I couldn’t see how lucky I am for being born in a small town - I experienced things that most residents of big cities don’t even dream about: I ate homemade pies cooked on wood stoves, organic vegetables and fruits (the food you buy at Curitiba’s markets are tasteless!), I got the habit of preparing my own meals instead of ordering it, I lived in a house with a garden, etc.

I’m not saying that I don’t like Curitiba, there are indeed wonderful things you come across on your daily life when living in that huge place! To begin with I could name a few universities, job and exchange opportunities for students, interesting people with the craziest tastes, beautiful places to visit, etc. The best opportunities can’t be found in small places – at least not in my country. I had to leave a lot behind, all the same I have reasons to be cheerful: I’m finally majoring in linguistics at a top university where I can go across the hall to run into renowned linguists and the best of all: I’m having the opportunity to learn as many languages as I can and prepare myself for my dream job as translator and interpreter! Had I stayed in my comfort zone none of it would have happened.

As soon as my vacation comes to an end I’ll pack my bags and say: Neuen Lebensabschnitt: Herzlich Willkommen! Warum nicht Deutsch mit Musik lernen?