I live in a bubble

I have been living in the US for about 7 years. I have immersed myself in the american culture and have become "used" to how things are done here. The schedules, the opposite seasons, starting the school year in the middle of august, eating dinner at 6 pm (back in Argentina sometimes we do not eat until 8 or 9 pm), putting Megan to bed early. You name it, I have embraced it.

Part of me detached from my home culture, almost not speaking my birth language; choosing to distance myself from everything latino related. Why? Because I did not want to be treated differently. I wanted to mingle. I wanted to become as American as possible. Somewhere along the road I decided to bury my heritage. Not really talk about it. I felt like there was nothing amazing or worth noting about it. You know?

I have always missed my family, my friends, some of the traditions we have back in Argentina. Sitting among friends, drinking mate, barbecueing on a charcoal grill every sunday, taking public transportation almost anywhere I needed to go, not having to own a car, eating my mother's cooking. Ah... memories of home.

I have not been home for 2 years. And I don't think we will be able to go this year. It's the year of the Ironman for me and we decided to go on a family vacation that Megan will love. The budget won't allow us to take that extra trip. Would I want to go home? Absolutely! My two best friends are both expecting their first child; and I will miss it. The soul hurts, but you do what you can, when you can.

We have lived in this neighborhood for about 4 years. And in all that time I have only met a handful of our neighbors; the ones that live close by. This morning the community was hosting a yard sale and we had a few things to sell. A family came by and after talking to them for all of 3 minutes I came to find out that they are from Argentina as well. Not only that, but there are also 4 more families from back home as well. Immediately we started talking in spanish, reminiscing about the life back home. They automatically opened themselves out to me and invited me to come over their house and just hang out. Get together, drink some mate; eat empanadas. They opened my eyes to all the wonderful products from home (the ones I miss the most) that are available for purchase here. Now I won't have to wait for my mom's packages (or worry about how much it costs her to ship them here!). I can go to a market and pick some of the ingredients for some of my mom's best recipes and make them myself.

All of the sudden I felt a little closer to home. I want to be friends with this people, I want to connect; I want to embrace my culture, where I come from. There is nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be ashamed of. I am who I am, I am from where I am. I can't help to think I have been living in a bubble, and it's about time I pop it.