Tejeda

In my last blog “Changes,” I wrote this “When I write another blog, I guess that is when I am already in my new home making my way to a new start, to accomplish more things and write more blogs of course 😀”

I think the situation is exactly like that now.

Well, this might be my last blog of 2023. It’s been more than six months since my last writing. Many times, I wanted to write a blog, but then I did something else instead.

In the past six months, many events happened in my life. I moved to a new apartment, got a new job, and reunited with my mentor after four years. I also traveled to several places for the first time.

However, this blog is about Tejeda. I spent a whole week there, working remotely and exploring the town all by myself. I had always dreamed of going there with a special someone, but life is short… Why wait when you can just do it, right? So, I booked my flights, selected a beautiful accommodation, and went there.

I loved it a lot. It brought back many of my childhood memories. I saw the flowers my grandpa grew when I was little. I walked deep into the fields and listened to the sounds of birds and the singing of the leaves in the trees – maybe they were talking about me 🙂 I smelled the freshness of nature after the rains – it was just like home. Every afternoon, the smell of coconut pastry filled the town with an unforgettable scent. Writing this, I miss it so much. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of that coconut pastry, but living there for one week makes me miss it when I wake up and don’t smell it anymore. But I did start to like it; on my first day, I didn’t like it at all but then I bought it again and again, still not 100% convinced but I think if I lived there for one month, I would like it a lot. Good things take time :)))

I did a small hike to Cruz de Tejeda and spent almost two hours in the rain while doing that. It was a life-changing experience for me because, during that time, I had to deal with a lot of thinking. Reflecting on those thoughts was a life-changing experience. The nature was beautiful and calm. I thought about my grandparents and how lovely my childhood with them was. I pondered on love, the truths of life, and I contemplated myself – how small I was in this big, big world. How much I didn’t know…

My last night in Tejeda was special. My favorite restaurant there was closed, so I ended up making some soup at home. When I cleaned up and took out the trash, my hair was wet as I just took a shower, and it was cold outside. I thought I would run to the trash bins and then back to my apartment immediately. But the night was so calm, and I saw stars. It was so appealing that I decided to take a walk – it was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had in my life. You might think, ‘What’s so special about that?’ – nothing, actually. But because of that, it was special for me. Until now, I also didn’t understand why I didn’t feel cold at all despite the 7-degree weather, wearing just a sweater, and with wet hair. I walked along the street that I strolled everyday, looking at the mountains from afar. And I just walked. Simply like that. No phone, no camera, only me and the night. It was so quiet that I could hear my breath. Maybe because of that, I love the place and that night so much.

I see myself living and working there. But maybe it’s just because of that very moment that I was thinking about it. We’re all vulnerable to beauty.

I wish everyone who reads this blog a beautiful holiday and a happy new year in 2024. This blog provides no tips for traveling and no lessons learned in life, but somehow, I think it’s still beautiful because it’s simple, right? 🙂