My Argentina: My childhood place

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I had an adorable childhood in my small neighborhood. I walked two blocks and I was in my elementary school. My best friend lived across the street from our school. Our days were spent "playing teacher" in my kitchen. My mom would prepare cookies and tea for our merienda (snacks), and the tiles on my mom's kitchen wall were full with addition facts that she would actually let us practice by using a chalk.

Sometimes, my friends and I would have all kinds of race competition on our rooftop. Yeap. It was big enough to hold bike races, and any kind of races, actually! The grand prize: a slice of cake my mom would make for the neighborhood kids. 

The last night I spent in  that childhood house in  Buenos Aires was December 13, 1985. The next day I was moving with my family to Asuncion, Paraguay; which is my parents' country. Moving day was the day I turned 1o years old. Moving day was the day I turned around in the backseat of our car, and waved one last good bye to my neighborhood friends. I was ten. I was young. But I understood. I understood the curtains of my Argentina were closing. The next act will read: Asuncion, Paraguay. 

But I still remember that last night in my beautiful Argentina. How can I forget? I had all my best friends there plus their families. We had dinner on the floor since the house was empty. We toasted with plastic cups. We all went to the rooftop of my house to watch the stars one more time. The stars never felt so close to me as that night. It was a cool summer night (yes, December in Argentina is summer time; opposite seasons as in the USA), it was our last summer night there. Sure we visited many times after that. But that was my childhood house. My parents built that house with their own hands. A true blessing. 

And although we cried many times that night, and the stars were our only witness, I can truly say I am blessed it happened. I had a childhood. A great childhood in my beautiful Argentina.