It’s been two weeks since my final exams and I have found myself craving stillness, silence and rest. The world around us can be so loud, and the world inside us just as loud – with voices from people in our surroundings telling us what we should be doing, how we should be thinking, and what we should be questioning – social constructs we all have internalized. I have needed the silence to listen to those voices and to think about where they come from and whether they have, do and will serve me. I have needed the silence to say thank you to my body and mind for the work that I did last semester at school. I have needed the silence to rejuvenate me for my last and final semester, before I graduate in May. I have needed the silence to consider what I will do after May (something that I feel is an important step in my professional journey).

Last week, Santiago and I spent some days in nature, in the paramo, which is a tundra ecosystem, high up in the mountains, with strange plants and chilly temperatures, exploring the uniqueness of the terrain and world in which we live in. I was amazed my the landscape, the textures, the colors, and the organization of atoms in a way that I could not begin to possibly understand. I felt refreshed by the cold air. I kept putting one foot in front of the other, taking deep breathes, bringing tranquility to my body, and trying to give my mind some rest. And being grateful for my existence. For being part of these moments in time and space.