Golden Memories &&Skylines

Beautiful Golden Skylines

"Reading gives us a place to go when we have to stay where we are."

 

If I could go back to a single time of my life when I felt the most peace and acceptance in myself and of my own life, I would go back to a day in Falcon, Venezuela.  It was raining so hard it was as if the sky was falling.  I was sitting on the top bunk, just a few feet away from the zinc ceiling with an incense lit to repel what few bugs it could.  The bed stood apart from the walls to prevent even more bugs from climbing onto the bed. 

There were mosquitoes and moths flying around the light bulb mounted on the wall next to me, and I had a book propped open in front of me about a man's journey through the rain forest.  I was sitting in a tiny little cement walled house with slats for windows so bugs came and went as they pleased, and the rain pounded so loudly on the zinc above me that I could barely hear myself think.  I remember the overwhelming smell of nature and rain that I love, and I remember being couped up hundreds of miles away from anything even resembling a city, and I was with my family. 

The closest town to here is Corralito, Venezuela

Those were wonderful long days filled by passing time in the heat with my siblings and my parents.  We all helped work on the territory, though it was mostly my parents, we'd sit under the trees in the shade, playing scrabble and Nintendo 64 trying to save the princess from the castle.  I remember helping mommy sweep the ceilings, walls, and floors each and every day; and no matter what we'd have to do it again the next day.  Waking up each morning to a rooster crowing, birds chirping, and the room starting to heat up like an oven. 

I remember sweating and laughing and picking limes off of the lime tree, the baby goats across the fence made of long logs, they cried like human babies do.  I remember staring into the sky scraper trees and trying to count the different species that came and went, there were so many though.  Once, while daddy was out working on the land, he came across a baby lamb that was injured and suffering.  So he put it out of its misery with his machete and we made soup!  A big huge pot over a camp fire standing above the fire on cement bricks. 

I loved it there, I don't think I've ever been in a place that I love more.  Maybe it was being so surrounded by such undisturbed, breath taking beautiful nature, maybe it was being so isolated with no one but my siblings and parents that I so adore and enjoy.  Sharing jokes, and memories, voicing opinions and expanding ideas together.  Working together, and working hard.  We'd get sweaty, blistered, and our muscles worked  hard almost every day. 

The most adventurous day we had together was when we were building a fence.  My dad went around with a chain saw and cut down the thickest branches, we finished them off with a machete and made a huge pile.  Then, we each picked one of these heavy ass logs up, and walked for miles to where they needed to be put up.  We were so sore, and in pain, and itchy, oh my god so freaking itchy, but we felt so good when we got home.  Mom made some limeade, and we laughed together feeling accomplished. 

I guess what I loved most was the lifestyle, it made me appreciate the little things.  It rained more often than not and when it did, it poured.  Going out in the rain was like standing beneath a waterfall.  That specific rainy night though, I had time for me.  At times we felt shuttered in, isolated and stuck.  That night I got time to escape, I had time for the incense and the book, and the heavy thudding ear strumming rain while chillin' on a bunk bed away from all the walls to prevent bugs from getting in bed.  I felt like I was in a lone tower.  I think about it, and I remember the smells that surrounded me, and the emotion of being there. 

I wish I could go back. 

My handsome hero, Poppa Bear.

  

"Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things." ~Elise Boulding