2015 was a year full of changes for me as well as for the blog.
As the year comes to an end, I would like to share with you a couple of stories. So let me take you on a journey spanning two continents and  many moments of joy and personal growth.

In February I climbed the tallest mountain of Panama. A group of 10 wonderful people and I embarked on an unforgettable (and really challenging) hike through the rainforest of the Talamanca mountain range in Western Panama. Located in Chiriqui province, Baru volcano is with 3,475 metres the tallest elevation of the country and the only place in the world where you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on a clear day.

The trip was very special to me because my mother's family comes from Chiriqui. As a little girl I used to go very often to the town of Boquete, one of those magical places that I recreate in my head over and over again. The different hues of lush green; the roaring sound of the Caldera river ; the mountains surrounding this small town in the Panamanian highlands; the kindness of the people and the native population, the Guaymi indigenous group, are all part of my childhood memories which I cherish so much.

One moment during my time in Boquete was particularly special. After the volcano climb, my parents, my mother's uncle, and I went on a day trip to Potrerillos, another small town of the area. Located between David (the capital of the province) and Boquete, Potrerillos is the town where my Panamanian grandma was born. There's not much to see, since the town is so small that there aren't even shops nor restaurants. But my parents own a piece of land here with  a view of the Baru volcano. It was really special for me to see the Baru from that spot, knowing how hard it was to get to the summit, which looked so peaceful on that day. It was a complete different image after climbing for hours under heavy rain.

Before making our way back to Boquete, we met an old friend of my parents' who cleans the lot every now and then. His name is Santamaria and he is a native of the area. Comfortably driving around in his tractor, he took us to a place I didn't remember at all. We drove for another 10 minutes to a cliff from where you can see all the mountains of the area. The view was just sublime and after a while it became quite familiar. I had been there as a child. My eighty-nine year old uncle started describing in detail the geography of the landscape in front of him. It was amazing to see how every peak was linked to a memory and how he still remembers all about his experiences growing up here. Santamaria was impressed as well and started contributing to the stories. That's when I noticed that he cannot talk well. My mum, who had previously chatted with him, told me he went to get a dental treatment at a public clinic and they used a laser to fix it. Something went wrong and they hurt his tongue very badly. Instead of feeling diminished or embarrassed by it, he still talks with the same serenity and confidence that I remember in him.

For one moment I wished I could stay there forever, listening to more stories and counting all the mountains with the fingers of my hand.

The town of Boquete and the Caldera river.

Boquete scene.

A Guaymi family in Boquete.

Hike to the summit of Baru volcano.

Celebratory photo with Elliese at the summit of the volcano!

Annett, one of our guides.

Mission accomplished!

Potrerillos, near the town where my Panamanian grandma was born.

A place from my childhood: el risco de Potrerillos.

Santamaria.

Santamaria.

Baru volcano, tallest mountain in Panama.

A couple of last words, hugs and tears. The immensity of Frankfurt airport was as overwhelming as the moment of goodbye. My parents were about to board a plane to Panama and I was about to continue my journey to start my Masters degree at Leeds University in the United Kingdom. It was so hard to leave Germany. Firstly, saying goodbye to my brother at Berlin train station, where he continued his journey to Belgium. Then going back to the South to my grandma's town and spending the last days of summer with her. And then Frankfurt. It was quite possibly one of the hardest things I have ever done: saying goodbye to my family and not knowing when I would see them again. As I climbed the electric stairs, the image of my mum crying became smaller and smaller and the challenge ahead of me seemed even bigger and harder to accomplish. I remembered the summit of the Baru.

On my first day in Leeds I went to get some water and food. I found a convenience store at a corner in front of Uni. After collecting my goods, I approached the till where one very friendly man was standing with a big smile in his face. I started a conversation with him. My new friend Anwar came from Kurdistan. I didn't feel overwhelmed or alone anymore after listening to his story, because I understood he also had overcome a journey of thousands of kilometres and emotional hardship to be where he is now.

Leeds is very nice. It isn't the most impressive city in the world, but I'm happy to have met new friends, all of them with unique stories to tell about their countries and about their lives.

Buildings near Hyde Park.

Millennium square.

Bonfire night.

Bonfire night.

A water taxi in Leeds.

Call lane.

Anwar, the first friendly face I saw in Leeds who also inspired one of my projects of the first semester.

My favourite park in Leeds.

This year I have learned that no matter how challenging and hard a situation might be, we have to keep going.
So we have to endure when we must and enjoy when we can, and cherish the time with the people we care about.
The world is indeed full of wonders, great stories and nice people. We only have to take time to discover them in every encounter, in every hour, in every situation we come across.

By the river Aire at Calls Wharf.