adventures in the south



Here I am in 1977 with my younger brother (mind you younger by only 14 months, my mama and papa did have a hand full with us).
I am protecting him, we are both looking somewhere. Where? My brother says to the future.
Little did we know that soon after we would board a jet plane, leaving the insecurities and uncertainties of a military dictatorship in Argentina. Leaving behind grandparents, and cousins and a strong culture.
We would catch a plane first to Canada and then to Australia, with our parents who were only 28 and 29 years of age and with just two suitcases and US$500 we would land in Sydney, in Botany Bay.
Botany Bay, a place where 190 years earlier The Sirus part of the First Fleet had arrived, a big sail boat full of weary men, women, children and northen hemisphere animals to an unknown land.
An unknown land. A great southern land. That is what Australia is to me.


Now so many years later, my partner and I are venturing back. I am venturing back to my homeland, to uncertainties but a more peaceful Argentina. Where now the president is a woman and one who was so attacked and persecuted way back during the military dictatorship. Life is a cycle.

The cycle is now part of my life and my children's life.
We are leaving on the 6th of September on a jet plane, How scary and nerve wracking for me.
I am taking my family on an adventure, to Patagonia, to a place that is isolated and at the end of the world. So I can study marsupials, and fossils and try to live with the wind and the snow during a good chunk of the year. I hope I am doing the right thing! I know my children will leave in a relative peaceful place, where there is a lot of natural beauty, with a culture that is part of me, learn spanish and spend time with their abuelos (grandparents).

My children this morning waiting for breakfast by the tv and first morning in a while that the fire is not on. Spring is here!

Comments

Brasilian_Babe said…
All the best for you and your family in your journey to Argentina and your life back there. Looking forward to seeing more posts of your work. My 4.5 year old is currently obcessed with David Attenborough's First Life DVDs and loves talking about fossils. :)

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