Where the heart belongs.

by Bárbara Rodrigues (Brazil)

Making a local connection Brazil

Traveling has always been something I’ve loved doing, just like the most part of other people do. However, I didn’t have many opportunities to know different places, but the few trips I’ve made, have marked me very much, especially when it was with my family. In 2018, one of my mother’s cousin decided to gather the Mallmann’s cousins (single name of my maternal grandmother, Catharina) for a meeting, which would be repeated annually, where my grandma’s sisters and nieces, as well as my mother’s sisters, would meet to celebrate the love between these three generations of women who carry that surname in their veins. In June 2019, my mother, Elaine and my grandmother, Ms. Catharina, went to Lageado, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, (my grandma's hometown) for the cousins' meeting, as we usually call it. When we arrived, we were welcomed with party, posters and a lot of love and, even not knowing these relatives very well, I felt part of that whole. The meeting took place that same afternoon in a nearby town, Santa Clara do Sul, in the house of one of the cousins, Vera, who also welcomed us while we were there. It was the beginning of winter, but the happiness and excitement about seeing each other again guaranteed us a warm celebration. At that meeting, there was so many emotions, laughs about the jokes in German (most of them are speakers of the language), so much love involved in hugs of reunion, lots of happiness in bringing together three generations of this family, represented by those women on that really special day. At the end of the day, and consequently of the meeting, we took the official photo, which was put on the notebook together with the signatures of all the cousins present there, to remember with affection this special moment. We spent three more days there, and on those days we visited many of my grandmother's relatives, from brothers to former friends. One of my grandmother's brothers, who had not seen her for a long time, got really moved when he met her again. We visited several places from where my grandparents lived right after they were married and where my mother and her brothers played until local churches and farms of old neighbors. I also met the house of my great-grandmother, the mother of Mrs. Catharina. My grandmother was thrilled during the trip, returning to her hometown, reviewing loved ones. The experience I had on this trip was incredible, I was welcomed with a lot of love by people I saw once or twice, but who treated me with enormous affection. I heard several stories that seemed so distant at the same time, but so close. Memories that were relived and made me reflect on how everything changes, but in a way remains as before. But what made me realize the most was seeing Ms. Catharina's joy along the way, her familiarity with everything and everyone, because she may not live there anymore, but her heart certainly still belongs to that place.