Goodbye by Raúl Huarachi

I was asked to write the welcome blog in my firsts weeks in the ICS program, I was asked to write about what were coming, about volunteers and about me, but this was before to meet those crazy strangers, some of them from far away and some of them from too close. Y after, when the time passed , after the joys and the goodbyes, after the blogs and the documents, when was the moment to write the goodbye blog, all the words disappeared, all become in a knot in the throat that was trying to escape through the eyes.

And those months passed by, the adventures finished. I was standing sunken in duties and joys, pretending not to know that in some moment we all would have to leave, and we decided to pretend that it will never end, but the time was running.

I dedicated myself to work thinking in the projects, in the objectives and the results that we should have. It wasn't all easy, sometimes, coordinate is a hard work that requires patience, were six months between centres, fairs and volunteers. They kept their dreams, big dreams, dreams of those who came to change the world. Dreams that maybe were too big to be in my hands.

And those months passed by, the adventures finished. I got scared to know that I had those dreams and hopes of those wonderful volunteers on my back, but were the same dreams that pushed me forward when the days became long. But the time was running.

And the time to say goodbye came twice, the office used to have the custom to write little goodbye messages to all. I was observing the little envelopes getting filled, trying not to understand that the time was running out, it was the way that I lost the opportunity to write goodbye. The good memories came to my mind and I started to discover that, maybe we didn't changed the world but those guys will someday.

And those months passed by, the adventures finished. How to write them little messages with all the feelings accumulated in that time? I hate goodbyes, but maybe I could have time for the last hug before they left. But the time was running.

And then I saw them crossing the airport doors, I saw them saying goodbye to me in different places. I felt how the plane took a piece of my heart to the other side of the sea twice. I felt how other pieces went to different places. It was when the blogs, the documents and the duties seemed so worthless, in comparison the memories, photos and the work done. And the months passed by, the adventure finished. The office, the ways and other places are now so empty and silent, everything looks so different. There's some paint not finished, but the time was running.

There were who left and who stayed. Thanks dear Elo, for taught me so many things. Wonder Ali, I hope we could walk "El camino sucio" someday again.

This is the goodbye blog, but goodbye doesn't mean end. There are many empty spaces, but there are more spaces that now are full, full of memories, of joy and promises... someday my friends, someday we will meet again somewhere in the world.

See you soon!

Raúl, el gato.