The Envelope

"Don't get lost and have a blast"
       -heart, your favorite cousin Gaby
"Don't take candy from  a stranger. Speak lots of Italian. Eat lots of pasta! Do everything you want! Seize the day! (Carpe Diem)"
       love ya, Ali
"Ciao Bellisima, Spero chi ti va bene a Milano, divertiti molto, segurri degli persona aqui vai incontrarte. Chiamarmi se tu sei bisogno dellayuta. Molti Bacci."
       La tua cugina, Teresa

       Forget those generic Hallmark cards (although very heartwarming and touching), it's like I received a combination of a going away card with a personally targeted newspaper advice column titled "Advice for the five foot, yet sky scraping in energy Carolina studying abroad." Yup, that's me. (And I didn't even send an email to the newspaper for advice?)
    I guess it's true, in the spirit of Christmastime, that families are like Santa Clause- they know when you've been bad or good, they know when you're awake, so be good for goodness sake. Except for when you are studying abroad to Bologna, Italy and Tunisia, Africa (and every city, cathedral and cafe' in between). So that's when they send you off with some advice-- because they know I'm likely to get lost and take candy from a stranger... I get the getting lost part, but Ali do you really think I'd take candy from a stranger?...okay, I guess you meant taking a seemingly unoccupied cafe' o le' off a cafe' table in the streets of Bologna.
      This part going away card/part advice column was composed one morning over breakfast at Casa Larios, over many cafe con leches and tostadas cubanas, with my grandmother Lela and several of my cousins. It hadn't hit me that I was leaving so soon for four months in Europe and Africa until Lela pulled out an anonymous white envelope out of her purse and told everyone to write me a note before I go study abroad. That's when I saw my name written on the envelope; that's when I heard my name talking to me... it was telling me..."Carolina Dominguez." (Crazy, but that's all the envelope said-- so far--before my cousins and sisters wrote all over it). My name wasn't just telling me my very own name. It was telling me who I was, but it was telling me that I can become more. I'm not saying that I am Siddartha in search of salvation; I am an eager traveler, a person who doesn't just want to travel, but wants to learn and be soaked in knowledge, experience and adventures. My name was telling me it wants more to its name and that I can become more by embracing myself for this moment in my life, by embracing this entire moment of mini moments I will soon experience.
Embrace:     (thank you dictionary.com)
 1. to take or clasp in the arms; press to the bosom; hug.
2. to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly.
3. to avail oneself of, to embrace an opportunity
4. to adopt (a profession, a religion, etc)
5. To take in with the eye or the mind
6. To encircle, surround, enclose
7. To include or contain
...and similar to the advice of my sisters and cousins (English), mis primas y hermanas (Spanish), mie cugine e le mie sorelle (Italian?) I will clasp in my arms all the tangible experiences (ooh la la souvenirs) and even take into my memory (and through many photos) all experienced moments, I will willingly and gladly accept the ways of this new culture as I learn what they are, I will avail myself to all the resources available to learn and experience an authentic Italian/African/European lifestyle and not shield myself or deny myself of any opportunity- like gelato and pasta- I will take in not only with my mouth but with my eyes and mind, and not only will I take in, but I will give too. I will give what I can as an American, as a student, as a Catholic, as a young adult, as a human being.
      I will be the white envelope. I will write all over myself in the Italian tongue. I will stain myself with pizza sauce and cafe. I will enrich myself and become my own advice for all moments in life.