The world from a different perspective

Tilcara is a small village confined in the northern-Argentinean heights. A group of houses against colorful mountains lie at the side of the route, full of habitants spending their days working in the fields, watching touristic buses pass by, and yearning for something to come and sweeten their usual tranquility.

This village was the last stop in the daily itinerary of a study trip. Our group was heading towards the local school to spend time with the little students and to supply it with donated materials that were brought from our city.

After a long morning admiring awe-inspiring sights, I staggered down a road in the midst of this remote land, the sun burning on my back and the dusty wind swirling around. Exhausted, I felt every muscle of my body and longed to arrive at destination.

We got to the old white entrance of the building. Once inside, I could see energetic children playing inside a precarious playground with the high silent mountains as background and, instantly, my tiredness wore off.

Although we all shared the nationality and spoke the same language, at first sight we appeared to be from two different worlds. While we played, however, all the cultural barriers disappeared, and we were just human beings spending a profound moment.

All of a sudden, a brunette girl with wide deep-brown eyes approached me. She stared at me for some seconds and then whispered in muted tones “Thank you”, unbuckling the turquoise hair-barrette that decorated her long dark hair and offering it to me.

I was speechless. People in Tilcara hardly manage to survive with their daily wages, and I could tell that her barrette was one of the few possessions she owned. Nevertheless, she gave it to me as a gesture of gratitude for spending some time with them.

I was immensely touched. This solely little girl defied the whole consumerist society that we are immersed in with this subtle yet meaningful act. Tears pricked the back of my eyes as I knelt and hugged her.

I will never forget this particular day. Not only did I discover a beautiful village, but I also realized the importance of sharing quality time with the locals and learning about their culture, trying to understand the way they see the world, and-luckily- letting them teach us some life lessons.

This wide-eyed girl opened my own eyes: she taught me more than anyone ever had, and I will be eternally grateful for meeting her.