ANTES DE MORIR...

 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what the phrase "antes de morir" means, it means "before I die." One day, I was walking throughout the city, and all of a sudden, I came face to face with a site of beauty. An entire wall was painted black with large white words going across the top saying "ANTES DE MORIR..." Below this bold title, there were smaller phrases of "antes de morir __________" all along the wall. In the spaces, people wrote with chalk what they want to do before they die. I could have just stared at this wall for hours because it was filled with such insight and hope. The sad part is that I do not have a picture of it. When I was walking by the wall today, people were in the process of repainting it. I am not sure if they were doing so to create a new message or to cover up graffiti on the wall. 

 

 Some of you may know that my uncle, Brian Lewis, died Monday morning at the age of 53. I find this theme very suiting to remember him but also to remember why we are here. I am never a person who likes to suddenly talk about how much everything means to me after a tragedy happens because I believe that we should always appreciate everything we have - sometimes we are just too blind to see what is right in front of us. However, I would like to take the memory of my uncle and challenge you all to follow the lead of the random people of Córdoba. We can make our own bucket list. Please write a comment of what you hope to do before you die. Now, fill in the blank. 

 

Antes de morir, I would like to ______________.

 

The wall has done more that just make me think about my uncle. It allows me to think about all the wonderful opportunities that I have. When I was reading the responses on the wall, I saw ideas such as "find love," "travel the world," or "find peace" (of course all of those answers were in Spanish). Initially, when I thought of what I would write down, I was not sure. I have a loving family that supports me. I have the ability to get a great education at an institution that I love. I am healthy. I am IN ARGENTINA FOR SIX MONTHS - I have had the opportunity to travel the world! Part of me wants to say that antes de morir, I would like to see beauty take different forms throughout the world. Is that specific enough? What do I actually want to DO? Additionally, my service trip training kicks.

 

 I do not believe that I can answer that question right now though. I believe that my adventures will come to me as time goes by. Since I have had such luck in my life now, I believe that I will be bound for more excitement. For now, I want to focus on the what I want to do here in Argentina. Before I leave Argentina, I would like to travel to various areas of the country to get a sense of all that the country has to offer. I would like to observe various customs and get a sense of how people interact and celebrate. I would like to figure out who I am in all of this. I would like to contribute to Argentina rather than just sitting and learning from the books. I want experiences. Before I leave, I want to have stories to tell and pictures to show.

 

 I really don't have much more to share right now - I will save stories of my adventures for later. The rest is up to you. So. What will you do before you die?