Lost on the other side of the world

A friend once told me, “You cannot keep running away. It always follows you.”

Wandering in Argentina and Uruguay, I am lost within the cultures and the languages. Although unlike Asia, this time, I understand maybe 50%…maybe just 25% as I recall my six years of Spanish in middle school and high school.

But despite my grasp of the language, my anxiety…the lifelong social anxiety grips me. Even though I most likely won’t see these people again and they forgive me instantly (an Asian speaking Spanish? really?) and attempt to speak English. I wonder if they are impressed that I have gone lengths to learn their language. Or as at the heladeria, he had surprise spread quickly over his face and then he immediately went to business.

“En un vaso?” he asked.

“Si,” I said. A cup. For the helado.

And like all the other customers., he scooped the flavors into the cup as quickly as he can and handed it to me, clean, dripless with the same jovial attitude he shown all the other customers in line waiting for 20+ minutes past midnight.

“Gracias,” I responded and tried to find my sister, standing out from the traveling Argentines and Uruguayans on the starlit Friday night.

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