Leilani Reyes

My take on my culture

As a fellow Salvadorian, I grew up hearing about the violence that once was in our country, the

horrid state of our economy and the people there aren't necessarily the friendliest. At least, that's

what the news and the media told me, which is why it has been twelve years since I visited my

beloved motherland. However, despite what was sold to me by the media, I was also given a

different perspective—the perspective of my mother, who grew up there. My mother would tell

me stories of when she was a little girl; what I liked about how my mother would explain these

stories was that she would tell me them as they were. There was no beating around the bush, just

the truth. I learned about the beaches and how warm the water is, the fruits that are juicy and

extra sweet, and the number of tropical animals like lizards, butterflies, and mosquitos—the

gorgeous sight of the oldest volcanoes in El Salvador. The humid heat in El Salvador. But most

importantly, warm shower water does not exist there. And when. I thought about all of that. It

occurred to me that despite what the media and news told me, besides the people who aren't

always kind. It's not the economy, the people, or the politics that draws me to El Salvador. It's the

country itself and its culture. I dream about the ocean one day I'll be blessed to swim in, the fruits

I'll be able to enjoy, the animals I will be blessed to meet, and the heat that in no way will I be

able to stand without ten cold showers a day. I hope that my trip to El Salvador this December is

as magical as I picture it to be.