When you leave your home country at a young age, you don't yet know how much you will miss that place as an adult. I love Northern Argentina and my Jujuy with all my soul, but I built my life here and it also contains very good things. I have longed for my birth country a lot for a couple of years and the only way to fulfill that longing has been to bring it closer.
I lived in the capital of the province and as a girl I loved going to the north to celebrate their typical festivals, carnivals, Easter and Pachamama. These celebrations were full of colors, customs and traditions typical of people born in these beautiful villages, places located close to the sky. I've always been fascinated by being at a height where it feels like the clouds are so close that I can touch them and see incredible landscapes that change color during the day and take my breath away. I loved listening to people's stories there, legends full of magic and goblins, carnivals and imaginary characters.
In the North, people always have something to celebrate. Parties are held and dances are held regularly. Everyone is dancing and celebrating. Empanadas and other typical dishes are eaten there. And everyone danced, young and old alike. They are all happy. In everyday life, families focus on their work and daily chores. Many are shepherds, craftsmen or they farm. Many families make a living from the crafts they learned from their ancestors.
I always appreciate artisans and handmade. As a girl, I learned pottery and painting techniques typical of the cultures of northern Argentina. I thought those patterns were extremely beautiful. They had so much beautiful history. As a girl, I loved visiting museums and farms with llamas and other animals. I loved my llama wool ponchos, warm sheep wool socks and pompom overalls with typical northern designs. And I loved the special smell that natural fibers have.
In the north, life is quieter than in the city, the food is different, the music, instruments and even the air is different because of the altitude. And I loved it. When my parents took me up north, everything felt magical to me. Tradition and culture is something we carry in our soul forever and I believe it is silent when we are young because then there is no time for anything but living in the moment.
When you're an adult, your soul and your memories call you, and you go into those thoughts even if you don't want to. And every experienced memory and place, smell, feeling feels like you are there again.
And so my soul too, now that I'm almost 50 years old, calls me more often to these memories, and I find myself in the middle of them crying and singing songs that fill my soul with joy and longing.
And when I go to our warehouse where we have all those handmade things made by Jujuy families, I'm happy. I smell the natural fibers and feel their softness. For a moment I feel that my Juju and the north are very close.
That's why I do all this. El Norte Finland. <3