A destination set by love

Paola Morales is originally from Guatemala but is currently living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her story begins in 2013, when her mother told her to go to the World Youth Day, a gathering that takes place every couple of years and that congregates young people to meet with the Pope. Even though the local´s charisma and the city itself made her enjoy her stay, the true motivation that lead her to make it her home a few years later, was something far more special. In this interview, Paola reveals the motives that guided her to leave Guatemala and the valuable aspects that she found in her new place of residence.

Why did you decide to leave Guatemala and go towards Brazil?

The first time I visited Brazil was in 2013, alongside my mother. We came together for the World Youth Day, the gathering the Pope makes with all the young people, and that year this was the headquarters. It was then that I met the person that would become my husband. I didn’t want to go; I remember I told my mom “Ugh! Mom, I don’t really like those things”. But she convinced me to go in the end. We made our pilgrimage, staying in the homes of people that would open the door to their home to us, so that we would be well taken care of. The thing is, I really didn’t want to go.

My mother-in-law mentions that, my now husband, told her “No, I don’t want no annoying foreigners coming into my house. The day they come, I´ll go to my aunt´s house.” That meant, the whole week I was going to be there, he was going to hide at his aunt´s place, but in the end, he didn’t leave. They also tell us about how my mother-in-law had asked for two male pilgrims, because of my husband and his brother, instead, I was sent there, and I think that was God´s plan.

We started dating in 2013, he would go to Guatemala on his vacations and I would come to Brazil on mine, up until 2014, when I came over here with my whole family, and he asked me to marry him. We had also talked about this before, because we spent too much time apart, we would only see each other one month a year. We got engaged on the 31st of December 2014, and during the whole year of 2015 we were saving up for our wedding, so we didn’t see each other. We finally got married on the 23rd of January 2016, and I´ve been living here since the 27th of February 2016.

What do you work as over there?

I do the same thing I did back in Guatemala, I´m a teacher. I teach English and Spanish at an academy.

What was the biggest challenge of moving abroad?

The biggest challenge was, and still is, being separated from my family. It´s what hurts the most, the difficult part.

Have you encountered more Guatemalans living in Brazil? How is the coexistence?

I do know of other people living in Brazil, but they live in other states far away. So, I really don’t share much with anyone. I´ve had friends come over to visit, but I don’t know of any other that live in Rio.

Do you have any family over there?

From my direct bloodline, only my son, no one else. My parents, brothers, uncles and cousins are all back in Guatemala.

What is it that you miss the most from Guatemala? What do you miss from its culture?

I miss my family the most, I think it´ll be like that for the rest of my life. Well, I also miss the food. Beans with cream, tortillas, Pollito Campero. From the culture, I miss the Holy Week, even though I don’t like it that much, but now that I´m far away I do miss it. The carpets tradition, the smell of incense, Christmas births, all that.

What´s the most valuable thing you´ve found in Brazil?

My husband and my son, the family I´m now forming is the most valuable thing I have here.

What would you highlight about Brazilian culture that differs from Guatemalan culture?

All the people are super happy and nice, they´re all about partying and they must have a lot of food in said parties. From birthdays to Christmas, it´s all very cheerful.

Would you invite other Guatemalans to live in Brazil? If so, why?

Yeah, sure. I´d invite them to have like a community from Guatemala close by. The country doesn’t necessarily have something I´d consider bad, that’s like impossible to overcome, instead, I´ve found a lot of great things.