The becoming
I was born on a hot night of August in 1973, in the wonderful city of Madrid, Spain. The delivery was not a simple one for what I, or rather my mother, can say. I came to this world with my butt first and the umbilical cord around my neck (if I ever have any sort of suicidal tendencies, you will know where I got them from).
Anyway, I was raised with my older brother Justo in a cross-cultural family where my mother is from a small town in southern United States and my dad is from the small, ancient, almost medieval Galicia in the northwest of Spain. Traveling from Spain to the US became my usual way of spending my summers. We were able to travel to other parts of the US, not just to see my family in North Carolina. And on occasion we went to the small town of Gundivos, in Galicia.
Result: an odd, blond, blue-eyed Spaniard, who speaks English with an unidentified accent and has the ability to make people nuts with his stubbornness typical of a Galician. But lets not get sidetracked here. My youth was like that of any other child, miserably long and utterly fun. I went through the misery of going to school and putting up with my teachers. Luckily enough, I was the biggest kid in my class, so I got to beat up other kids.
From worm to moth
But life is not always fun and play, in other words, I reached puberty. All the insecurities arose from my inner-self. It took me quite some time to be put out of my misery by my caring and ever-loving family. They suggested a change of pace and environment, one that will turn the worm in me into a beautiful butterfly that could reach new heights in the vast air of society... I was sent to boarding school. It was a small, all boys, boarding school lost somewhere in the mountains of North Carolina. I thought it was going to be awful living in such a place, but much to my surprise, it turned out to be the best two years of my life. There I had the chance, as my parents hoped, to let that slimy worm crawl out of its cocoon at least in the form of a moth. Indeed, Christ School made a big difference in my life. There I grew and learned. I had the chance to experience things that I never had done before, and I'm still collecting the fruits of those years.
Life is good
Then, the next big step in my life, college. My parents wanted me to go back to Spain, at least for a couple of years. They feared that, since I was having such a good time in the US, I was never going to go back home, and I would never pay them back for all the money they had put into raising me. Therefore, I had to look for a University in Madrid that would take my high school diploma. I found out that St. Louis University has a campus in Madrid where I could study for a couple of years before transferring back to the US. There I was able to put into practice all my skills and knowledge that I so fruitfully learned during my isolated time in high school. I was ready to interact socially, widen my horizons, spad my knowledge of the one mystery that had been hidden from me in the last two years! I was hungry for, what else, women. After spending two years isolated from the rest of the world, where the closest thing to a woman was the time when my classmate dressed as a Drag Queen for a Halloween party, I could not keep my eyes off every single woman I saw. College brought also the wonders of late nights and saying "good morning" to my parents as I creeped into the house after a wild night at some sleezy bar. I had a blast. Not only did I do well in my classes, but I had one of the most active social lives I have known. Life was good. But reality hit me in the face once again. I had to transfer back to the US.
Things didn't seem quite as fun when I arrived at the Des Moines "International" airport in Iowa. Leaving such a life of happiness and fun was going to be hard to beat. Many times I wonder why on earth I chose to go to Drake University in the first place. I mean, there is nothing in Iowa except corn and pigs, don't you think? There are no mountains or beaches and it is hot as hell in the summer and ice-cold in the winter. But I guess that if you look over those things, there is still something that is worth it. I never found it. Ok, Drake is a well recognized school. But the social scene is non-existent. Sorry, it does have, oh my! ONE bar next to campus. Weew! How could I have missed that. Needless to say, I spent one short and odd year in Des Moines and left as fast as I could.
Life under the arch
Finally I came to St. Louis where I had many friends already. After looking at all the schools in the area, I chose Webster University. Mostly because it's pretty "artsy" and has a good Communications program, at least compared to those in the area.
Let me tell you. St. Louis is not what you would call a "happening" place, but it has that quality that makes you stay. I mean, it's a small city, a big town, it has just enough things to do to keep it somewhat interesting. Getting a job is not hard. Things are cheap. Living is cheap. Food is cheap. Movies are cheap. But it lacks the atmosphere that makes things special. But barely, just barely it has enough things that makes you say "aeh... I can stay here for a while," and before you know it, you've been here longer than you expected. So far I can say, "It's all good."
Falling off the nest
Not quite. I've finally graduated and it is time to go on and jump into that abyss. I guess I'm supposed to go on and on in retrospect about my life up until now. The truth is that this so called turning point has left me somewhat numb. I have no feelings either way. I am eager to start working, but not because I'm tired of being a student. Frankly, I know very well that I will miss the days of endless parties, carefree living, and all the time under my parents wing. I've made sure that the times I've lived have been the most gratifying. No one can take away the experiences I've had, the places I've visited, or the people I've met. However, I do realize that the time has come to look down from this "nest" and explore the woods on my own, make my own mistakes, and assume some responsibility (oh, brother...).
I hear that there is a great economic and employment boom in the US. I have not experienced such a great revolution thus far, but everyone says it takes a little time. Well, if any of you kind folks have any hints for this humble soul, send them my way. For now I will look for work and enjoy this last true and long vacation. Happy summer to you all!